How to Add a Brother Printer to Your Computer

Connect Your Brother Printer in Three Steps

Adding a Brother printer to your computer means installing the printer driver—the software that lets your computer talk to the printer—and then telling your computer the printer exists. The fastest way is to use Brother's official driver read page, install the software, and let it detect your printer on the network or USB cable. Most setups take 10 to 15 minutes and work the same way whether you use Windows or Mac.

Before you start, decide how you will connect: USB cable plugged directly into your computer, or wireless over your home network. Wireless is more convenient if your printer will sit across the room, but USB is faster to set up if you are doing this for the first time. Either way, have your printer turned on and nearby.

Key Takeaways

read the correct driver from Brother's support website by entering your exact printer model number, which is printed on the front or back of the machine.
Run the installer file and follow the on-screen prompts, choosing USB or network connection when asked.
Windows and Mac require different driver files, so make sure you read the right one for your operating system.
After installation, your printer should appear in your computer's printer list and be ready to use within a few minutes.
If the printer does not show up, restart both your computer and printer, then check that the cable is plugged in or the wireless network is connected.

Find Your Printer Model and read the Driver

Locate your Brother printer model number—it is usually on a sticker on the back or bottom of the machine, or on the front panel near the display screen. It looks like "HL-L8360CDW" or "MFC-L2750DW". Write it down or take a photo.

Go to support.brother.com in your web browser. Click the search box at the top and type your model number exactly as it appears on the printer. Press Enter. You will see a page for your specific printer model.

Look for a section labeled "Drivers" or "Downloads". Click on the driver file that matches your operating system—"Windows" or "Mac"—and the version you are running (Windows 10, Windows 11, macOS 12, etc.). If you are not sure which version you have, search "Windows version" or "Mac version" in your system settings. read the file to your computer; it will usually land in your Downloads folder.

Install the Driver on Windows

Open your Downloads folder and find the Brother driver file you just downloaded. It will be named something like "BrOther_Printer_Driver_HL-L8360CDW.exe". Double-click it to start the installer.

A window will open asking you to choose a connection type. If you are using a USB cable, select USB. If you are connecting wirelessly, select Network and follow the prompts to choose your Wi-Fi network and enter your password. Click Next.

The installer will ask you to confirm the installation location and may ask permission to make changes to your computer—click Yes or Allow. The software will copy files to your computer; this usually takes two to five minutes. When it finishes, you will see a message saying the installation was successful. Click Finish.

Restart your computer. After it boots up, your Brother printer should appear in your printer list. To check, go to Settings > Devices > Printers and Scanners (Windows 10 or 11) and look for your printer model in the list.

Install the Driver on Mac

Open your Downloads folder and find the Brother driver file. It will be a .dmg file (disk image) named something like "BrOther_Printer_Driver_HL-L8360CDW.dmg". Double-click it.

A new window will open showing the installer package. Double-click the installer file inside (usually named "Brother Printer Driver Installer" or similar). You may see a warning that the file is from an unidentified developer—click Open to proceed.

The installer will ask you to choose a connection type: USB or Network. Select the one that matches how you plugged in your printer. If wireless, enter your Wi-Fi network name and password when prompted. Click Continue.

You will be asked to enter your Mac password to allow the installation. Type it in and click Install Software. The driver will install; this takes two to five minutes. When finished, click Close. Restart your Mac.

After restart, open System Preferences > Printers and Scanners (or System Settings > Printers and Scanners on newer Macs). Your Brother printer should appear in the list on the left.

Connect Your Printer by USB Cable

If you chose USB during installation, plug one end of the USB cable into the USB port on the back of your Brother printer and the other end into an available USB port on your computer. Use a standard USB-B cable (the kind with a square connector on the printer end). Do not use a USB 3.0 cable if you have a choice—standard USB 2.0 works fine and is more reliable.

Turn on your printer. Your computer should recognize it within 30 seconds. You will see a notification that a new device has been found. The driver you installed will handle the rest automatically.

Connect Your Printer Over Wi-Fi

If you chose Network during installation, your printer needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network as your computer. Most Brother printers have a wireless setup button or menu. Press and hold the Wi-Fi button on the printer (usually marked with a wireless symbol) for three to five seconds until a light blinks, then release.

On your computer, open your Wi-Fi network list and look for a temporary network name that starts with "BROTHER" or your printer model number. Connect to it, then follow the on-screen prompts to enter your home Wi-Fi network name and password. The printer will connect and restart.

Once the printer is on your network, your computer should find it automatically during driver installation. If it does not, go to your printer settings and manually add it by typing the printer's IP address. You can find the IP address by printing a network configuration page from the printer's menu.

Test Your Printer and Troubleshoot

Open any document or image on your computer and press Ctrl+P (Windows) or Command+P (Mac) to open the print dialog. In the printer dropdown menu, select your Brother printer by name. Click Print. A test page should come out of your printer within 10 to 30 seconds.

If nothing prints, first check that your printer is turned on and has paper in the tray. Then restart both your computer and printer—turn off the printer, wait 10 seconds, turn it back on, and wait for it to finish starting up. Try printing again.

If the printer still does not appear in your printer list, the driver may not have installed correctly. Go back to support.brother.com, read the driver again, and run the installer a second time. Choose Repair or Reinstall if the option appears.

For USB printers, try a different USB port on your computer, preferably one on the back of the machine rather than the front. For wireless printers, make sure your printer and computer are both on the same Wi-Fi network by checking your router's connected devices list.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find my Brother printer model number?

Look on the back or bottom of the printer for a sticker with the model number, or check the front panel near the display screen. It typically starts with letters like "HL" or "MFC" followed by numbers and letters, such as "HL-L8360CDW".

Do I need to install a driver if I use AirPrint or Windows 10 built-in printing?

Some newer Brother printers work with AirPrint (Mac and iPad) or Windows 10's built-in printer detection without a separate driver. However, installing the official Brother driver gives you access to all printer features and settings, so it is still recommended even if basic printing works without it.

Can I add the same Brother printer to multiple computers?

Yes. Install the driver on each computer using the same steps. For wireless printers, each computer will connect to the printer over your home network. For USB printers, you can only plug the cable into one computer at a time, but you can move it between machines if needed.

What if my printer is not showing up after I installed the driver?

Restart both your computer and printer, then check that the USB cable is firmly plugged in (for USB printers) or that the printer is connected to your Wi-Fi network (for wireless printers). If it still does not appear, uninstall the driver, restart your computer, and read and install the driver again from Brother's support website.

Do I need to read a separate driver for scanning or copying?

No. The same driver that enables printing also enables scanning and copying on multifunction Brother printers. Once the driver is installed, you can scan documents using your printer's built-in software or your computer's scanner app.

This guide is for general information only and is not medical, financial, legal, or other professional advice. For decisions specific to your situation, consult a qualified professional. See our Editorial Policy.