Older printer and scanner not compatible with AirPrint?

[TitusVorenus]

I have an older brother printer (L2340-DW) which has WiFi capability. Brother no longer has a downloadable driver, but instead says to use AirPrint. However, I connect via USB to print and do not have the wifi connected. I can't add the printer because OSX can't find the software and it won't open the legacy software.

Does this mean I have to connect the printer to wifi in order to print with it?

I also have a canon LIDE 210 wired scanner that is no longer recognized, and canon directs me to download a new software that says to use "AirPrint scanner". The LIDE isn't wifi capable.

Are both of these devices essentially bricked now without wifi? Oddly enough my wife can print from her work computer using the USB cable which is a windows machine that's newer than my Mac OS 12.

 

[gilby101]

Many printer/scanner producers are bad at providing drivers for discontinued products. Brother and Canon particularly so. Your choices:

1) If AirPrint is available - use it. This page https://www.brother-usa.com/products/hll2340dw suggests that the L2340-DW is AirPrint capable. Note, you don't need to have Wifi enabled on your Mac. It just needs to connect to the same local network - so Ethernet on Mac, wifi on printer is fine. Once configured correctly it is super reliable (I use AirPrint with an Epson printer).

2) For scanning VueScan works with nearly all scanners connected via USB.

3) Run Windows or an older version of macOS in a virtual machine. I have a High Sierra virtual machine for my Canon 9000F scanner so that I can use the Canon scanning software for slides and negatives. But I don't recommend this path unless you are already familiar with virtual machines.

 

[TitusVorenus]

Many printer/scanner producers are bad at providing drivers for discontinued products. Brother and Canon particularly so. Your choices:

1) If AirPrint is available - use it. This page https://www.brother-usa.com/products/hll2340dw suggests that the L2340-DW is AirPrint capable. Note, you don't need to have Wifi enabled on your Mac. It just needs to connect to the same local network - so Ethernet on Mac, wifi on printer is fine. Once configured correctly it is super reliable (I use AirPrint with an Epson printer).

2) For scanning VueScan works with nearly all scanners connected via USB.

3) Run Windows or an older version of macOS in a virtual machine. I have a High Sierra virtual machine for my Canon 9000F scanner so that I can use the Canon scanning software for slides and negatives. But I don't recommend this path unless you are already familiar with virtual machines.

Thanks, I'll give VueScan a try. [EDIT wow a $50 purchase price! not sure I want to invest in this]

The problem with the printer is I don't have wifi turned on at this location. So it seems like I'd have to turn it on for the signal to get to the printer rather than connecting via USB after setup?

If this doesn't work I will have to give a virtual machine a try. I used one before on my older Mac and was very put off by the lag.

 

[Fishrrman]

OP:

You might try this. I make no promises.

Does the printer have a way (via its own menus) to turn on wifi?
If so, turn on the printer and do that.

Go to "printers & scanners" in system preferences.

Look at the list on the left.
If there is a current entry for the Brother laser (even if it's not working), click it to select it, then click the "-" icon (at the bottom) and delete it.

If there's more than one entry (for the Brother), delete them, too.

Now, RESTART the Mac. (Leave the printer on)

When you get back to the finder, open printers & scanners again.

At the bottom, click the "+" sign to add a printer.

My GUESS is that the OS will "probe" to see what printers you have that are "alive", and then try to find a matching driver. It -might- see that the printer is AirPrint-compatible, and offer you a driver for that.

If the OS DOES offer you a driver, try installing it and see what happens.

Let us know if this works.