How to Troubleshoot Brother Wireless Printers & Laptops

It used to be that to print from your laptop, you needed to connect your computer directly to the printer or at least plug them both into a network connection. Now, though, laptops come standard with wireless capabilities. There are even many high-quality yet affordable wireless printers on the market. If you are struggling to print from a wireless connection or onto a wireless printer, try troubleshooting to pinpoint and correct the problem.

Instructions

• 1

Check to see if the wireless printer is in your laptop's printer list. Go to the "Start" menu and open "Control Panel." Double-click "Printers" or "Printers and Faxes" and check the list of printers.

• 2

Install the wireless printer on your laptop if it is not in the list of available printers. From the "Printers" window, click on "Add a Printer" to start the wizard. Select "Network Printer," click "Next" and browse for the wireless printer.

• 3

Make sure the wireless printer's Bluetooth or wireless adapter is securely connected if your laptop does not detect the printer. To further troubleshoot this problem, turn the printer off, disconnect and reconnect the Bluetooth or wireless adapter and turn it back on. Restart the laptop and try to add the wireless printer once more.

• 4

Change the location of the printer or your laptop. Although you are using a wireless connection, factors such as metal objects or thick walls can cause interference. Try connecting and printing with the laptop and printer in the same room. If this troubleshooting step works, look for objects that might be interfering in other locations and move them or change your setup.

• 5

Update the printer driver if you can see the printer on the laptop but are not able to print on it. Go to the wireless printer's manufacturer website and look for a "Support" or "Downloads" page. Find out if there are new drivers available for your printer model and download them.