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Google ac-1304 connection to Brother Printer/Scanner

saintatwire
Community Member

4 weeks ago

My Google wi-fi is sending 5GHz wifi to a 2.4GHz device, a Brother printer. I know they should handshake and agree the 2.4 GHz band but they are not and will not connect, unless I force it to with the BrotherNetwork Connection Repair Tool. 

I have the additional issue of my Desktop Windows 11 PC switching off the wi-fi after a short period. It then says "network available" and allows me to re-connect.

Can anyone please give me some advice? 

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1 REPLY 1

virnab
Community Specialist
Community Specialist

3 weeks ago

Hi saintatwire,

 

Thank you for posting in the community. I understand that you’re experiencing connectivity challenges with your Brother printer on your Google Wifi network, as well as your Windows 11 PC's WiFi disconnecting. It's certainly puzzling when devices don't connect as expected. I'm here to help you troubleshoot this.

Let's break down each situation:

  1. Brother Printer Connecting to 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz

You're right that devices should ideally handshake and connect to the appropriate band (2.4 GHz for your Brother printer). Google Wifi (and Nest Wifi) uses a single WiFi name for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, and it's designed to intelligently steer devices to the best band. However, some 2.4 GHz-only devices can sometimes struggle with this automatic band steering. Here are some strategies for your Brother printer:

  • Move the printer closer to the Google Wifi point (or router): Sometimes, bringing a 2.4GHz-only device very close to the main Google Wifi router (or a Wifi point) during setup can help it establish the initial connection on the 2.4 GHz band. Once connected, you can try moving it back to its desired location.
  • Use a Guest WiFi network: Google Wifi allows you to create a separate "Guest WiFi" network. This guest network often defaults to a more simplified setup which can sometimes make it easier for finicky 2.4 GHz-only devices to connect.
    • Open the Google Home app.
    • Tap WiFi (the WiFi icon).
    • Tap Guest WiFi.
    • Enable Guest network and follow the prompts to set it up.
    • Then, try to connect your Brother printer to this new Guest WiFi network.
    • Printer's internal settings/firmware: Double-check if your Brother printer has any specific network settings that allow you to manually select a band, or if there's a firmware update available for the printer itself that might improve its compatibility with modern routers. The "Brother Network Connection Repair Tool" suggests that Brother printers can sometimes have specific connectivity nuances.

2,  Desktop Windows 11 PC WiFi Disconnecting

  • This issue, where your Windows 11 PC's WiFi switches off and then says "network available" before allowing you to reconnect, often points to a driver inconvenience, power management setting, or network adapter problem on the PC itself.

Please try these steps for both your printer and your Windows PC and let me know how it goes.

 

Best regards,

Virna

 

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