IOS devices fail to print to wireless Brother HL-L2360DW when connected to 5Ghz band.

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IOS devices fail to print to wireless Brother HL-L2360DW when connected to 5Ghz band.

My IOS devices fail to print to a Brother HL-L2360DW WiFi printer when they are connected to the 5Ghz band of my router; they print fine when connected to the 2.4Ghz band. All IOS devices are on IOS 12.4; modem/router is a new Netgear C7800 on Comcast; the printer has latest firmware. The printer is selectable on the IOS devices, but when I try to print, the IOS device says “contacting printer...” and eventually errors out. I have rebooted all devices, ensured IPv6 is enabled, and I can ping the printer from the IOS devices. Is this an AirPrint software issue, printer issue or router issue? Brother said to contact Apple. Help please!

Posted on Aug 25, 2019 12:19 PM

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Answer 1

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rennie1212 Author

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Aug 27, 2019 1:22 PM in response to rennie1212

Contrary to what Brother support told me, IPv6 needs to be disabled on the Brother printer in this scenario. Once I disabled it, all IOS devices can print wirelessly. Put in your printer’s IP address in your Web browser, then the IPv6 setting can be found under Network>Protocol>AirPrint>Advanced Settings>IPv6. I hope this saves someone the many hours of frustration that Brother support cost me.

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Answer 2

Aug 25, 2019 12:32 PM in response to rennie1212

In order for the printer to print from the 5ghz band, the printer itself needs to be connected to the 5ghz band. Some accessories may not work on a 5ghz band. But to be sure you should reach out to Brother to determine if their printer has the ability to connect to the 5ghz band.

Another option would be to install a whole house Mesh Wireless Network, which automatically routes data between the 2.4ghz and 5ghz bands without you ever having to worry about it.

I finally got sick and tired of the crappy ISP provided router modem crap we get from our ISP providers. I personally chose the Linksys Velop Whole house Tri-Band Mesh Network and it's simply amazing. I never have to worry whether anything is 2.5 or 5 anymore. The router chooses whatever is required and it's seamless. You can choose from brands like Linksys Velop, Netgear Eero, Google Wifi, but I chose the Linksys because of it's tri-band MU-MIMO capabilities.

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Answer 3

rennie1212 Author

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Aug 25, 2019 1:12 PM in response to lobsterghost1

My understanding is that as long as the devices are on the same network, the frequency or band they are connected to should not matter. Almost all printers only connect to the 2.4Ghz band. I have since discovered that if I connect the IOS device to the 2.4Ghz band, then print a page, then immediately switch the IOS device to the 5Ghz band, then print, everything works fine until the IOS device goes to sleep (like when you close the cover on an iPad). After the IOS device wakes up again, it will no longer print when connected to the 5Ghz band. Weird, I know. I suspect there must be some kind of handshake protocol between the printer and AirPrint that disengages once the IOS device goes to sleep or is turned off. At first I thought the printer going to sleep was the issue, but I’ve eliminated that possibility. So I still need to find the culprit: AirPrint software, printer, or router. Thanks.

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Answer 4

Aug 25, 2019 1:22 PM in response to rennie1212

Good luck with that. It's one of the reasons I updated to a totally modern Wifi Mesh Network. For me, problem completely solved. I would reach out to Brother and explain what happens and see if they have any solution for you.

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Answer 5

rennie1212 Author

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Aug 25, 2019 1:42 PM in response to lobsterghost1

Oh I agree the Mesh would be a solution, but in my case the Netgear covers the whole house as is with no dead zones, plus my wife would not be happy with the extra equipment required around the house with the Mesh. ;-)

I can live with switching between bands to print, but I really want to understand why it’s not working properly. For example, Brother has an IOS print and scan app that works just fine with the printer while the IOS device is on the 5Ghz band. It’s a pain, and limited, but it works. So AirPrint should be working too!

My suspicions are that it’s the Brother firmware, but the Brother tech insists it’s Apple’s problem.

Does anyone out there have a non-Mesh dual band system that works in this scenario?

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IOS devices fail to print to wireless Brother HL-L2360DW when connected to 5Ghz band.

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