How to Connect Brother HL-2170W Printer to WiFi?

Oct 26, 2026 2 min read 155 views

The Brother HL-2170W is a wireless laser printer that can connect to your home or office WiFi network for cable-free printing. Since this printer does not have a touchscreen display, the WiFi setup is done through the control panel buttons or by using the Brother setup utility on your computer.

Method 1: Connect Using the Control Panel (SES/WPS/AOSS)

If your router has a WPS button, this is the quickest method. On the Brother HL-2170W, press and hold the Go button on the front panel for about 10 seconds until all the LEDs light up. Release the button and the printer will enter wireless setup mode. Within 2 minutes, press the WPS button on your router. The printer and router will negotiate the connection automatically. When the WiFi LED on the printer stays solid, the connection is complete.

Method 2: Connect Using the Brother Setup Wizard

Download the full driver package from the Brother support website for the HL-2170W. Run the installer and select Wireless Network Connection when prompted. The setup wizard will guide you through the process. First connect the printer to your computer temporarily using a USB cable. The wizard will detect the printer, show you available WiFi networks, and let you select yours and enter the password. After the wireless connection is established, the wizard will tell you to disconnect the USB cable. The printer is now connected to WiFi and ready to print wirelessly.

Method 3: Connect Using the Embedded Web Server

If the printer is already connected to your network via ethernet cable, you can configure WiFi through its web interface. Find the printer IP address by printing a configuration page. Hold down the Go button for about 2 seconds to print it. Open a browser and type the printer IP address. Log in with the default credentials. Go to Network then Wireless and enter your WiFi network name and password. Save the settings, disconnect the ethernet cable, and the printer will switch to WiFi.

Verify the Wireless Connection

After completing the setup, print a network configuration page by pressing the Go button for 2 seconds. Check that the Wireless section shows Status as Connected, your network name appears next to SSID, and the IP address is assigned. Try printing a test page from your computer to confirm everything works end to end.

Troubleshooting: HL-2170W Not Connecting to WiFi

If the printer cannot connect, make sure you are using the 2.4GHz WiFi band as the HL-2170W does not support 5GHz. Check that the WiFi password is correct and does not contain special characters that the printer might not support. Power cycle both the router and the printer. If WPS keeps failing, use the USB setup wizard method instead which is more reliable. Also make sure the printer is within range of your router during the setup process.

Brother HL-2170W WiFi Setup FAQ

Q1. Does the Brother HL-2170W support 5GHz WiFi? Ans: No, the Brother HL-2170W only supports 2.4GHz WiFi (802.11b/g). It cannot connect to 5GHz networks. If your router has both bands, make sure to connect the printer to the 2.4GHz network. Some dual-band routers combine both bands under one name which can cause connection issues. If that is the case, log into your router settings and create a separate network name for the 2.4GHz band specifically for the printer.

Q2. Can I print from my phone to the Brother HL-2170W over WiFi? Ans: The Brother HL-2170W does not natively support mobile printing apps like AirPrint or Google Cloud Print. However you can print from your phone if the printer is connected to WiFi and you install the Brother iPrint and Scan app from the App Store or Google Play. The app will detect the printer on your network and let you print documents and photos directly from your phone.

Q3. What do I do if the Brother HL-2170W WiFi LED keeps blinking and never goes solid? Ans: A blinking WiFi LED means the printer is searching for a network but has not connected yet. First try power cycling the printer and router. If the LED keeps blinking, the WPS connection may have timed out. Try the WPS setup again and make sure you press the router WPS button within 2 minutes. If WPS keeps failing, use the USB setup wizard method which bypasses WPS entirely. Also check that your router does not have WPS disabled in its settings.