New Shaw modem/router will not allow Brother wireless printer to connect

[pdemets]

My new Shaw modem/router does not allow my two Brother wireless printers to be "seen" on the Private network. I can configure each printer to (supposedly) connect to my network. From printer's perspective, it's successful in connecting to network.

However, both printers show "offline" and cannot be made to go "online". Windows Troubleshooting wizard comes up with nothing.

My old router (Asus RT-66) posed no such problem.

The printers cannot be connected directly via Ethernet as they are not close to the router (unless I make a huge moving error to bring said printer to the patch panel where the router resides).

Any ideas or suggestions are welcome.

[mdk]

@pdemets -- Presuming that you are using Windows 8.1 or Windows 10, and assuming that the printers' WiFi connection is active:

• power-off one printer
• delete the printer(s) from Windows
• restart the computer
• use "Add Printer" to "Add A Networked Printer" -- the one that still is powered-on

The printer should be found & correctly configured.

Power-on the other printer, and again use "Add Printer".

The second printer should be found & configured.

[pdemets]

mdk,

Thanks for your reply.

I've turned off one printer; on my laptop I've removed both printers from Control Panel. I tried to Add a Printer, but it can't find any. I tried with Brother's installation package, still can't find it.

I did notice one thing that may be relevant: on my two desktops (wired only), the network icon (in System Tray) says "Network 2", instead of my new network name (the SSID of the new Shaw modem/router). However, on my laptop, which also currently has a Cat5 cable hooked up to it, the network icon correctly says the SSID of my new Shaw router. I've also tried to install the printer on my laptop with the Cat5 cable disconnected (only WiFi is active and correctly indicated in the System Tray); same result.

I haven't figured out how to change the network (name) on my two desktops, but that can wait. My priority is to get my laptop going.

Regardless, even though my laptop says it's on the correct network, it still can't detect the printer. I've confirmed that the printer is connected to the correct network/SSID.

For what it's worth, I haven't tried connect via AOSS.

Would anyone else have any other suggestions. Much appreciated!

Thanks,

Patrick

[mdk]

@pdemets -- I tried to Add a Printer, but it can't find any.

Did you try "Add Local Printer" or "Add Networked Printer" ?  Your printer has its own IP-address, which must be within the range of "private" IP-addresses that your Shaw router is assigning to your local devices.

> on my two desktops (wired only), the network icon (in System Tray) says "Network 2"

That is typical. There is no "protocol" for a wired-only computer that connects to a wired-port on a router to obtain a "network-name". So, at some time in the past, your computer was wired to a different router, and that became "Network 1". Correct?

My wired-only computer shows "Network 3" -- marking the fact that I'm on my 3rd cable-modem with this computer (Hitron replaced Cisco replaced Motorola).

> my laptop, which also currently has a Cat5 cable hooked up to it, the network icon correctly says the SSID of my new Shaw router.

First, if you are using anything faster than "Shaw 75", you need to use a "CAT-5e" cable, because the CAT-5 cable is only certified up to 100 Mbps. Second, my guess that your laptop was previously connected, via WiFi, to your cable-modem. So, the wireless protocol does show the name of the SSID of the WiFi network, and Windows seems to use that name even when not connected via WiFi.

If you logon to your cable-modem/router, and you display the IP-addresses of all DHCP-connected devices, you should see the IP-address that is assigned to the printer.  On any of your computers, from a Windows command-line prompt, enter:  PING 192.168.xxx.yyy (change xxx.yyy to what you observed) to see if the networking-interface inside the printer responds. If so, your computer(s) should be able to connect to your printer, using that IP-address.

[ghostrix]

I'm using a new iMac and new router and am having the same problem with my DCP Brother printer

[mdk]

@ghostrix -- new router

That could be the issue. The printer is configured to connect (WiFi or USB) to the previous router.

You need to repeat the "first-time-setup" of the printer. For a Brother printer, this means temporarily connecting to your computer via a USB cable, and running the Brother software to configure the WiFi on the printer, and then disconnecting the USB cable.

[LBP]

Did you ever get it to work?

[mdk]

@LBP -- are you implying that you have changed routers, and now find that your printers are not connected to your home network?  Please reread the earlier comments on how to "forget" your printer's previous configuration, and how to "remove" the printers from the configuration on your computer.