Setting up WiFi Direct on your Brother MFC-L8610CDW lets you print wirelessly from laptops, smartphones, and tablets without needing a router or existing network connection. This color laser all-in-one supports up to 5 simultaneous WiFi Direct connections, making it ideal for home offices and small workgroups. If you're struggling to establish a reliable peer-to-peer wireless connection, this printer support guide walks you through proven troubleshooting steps to get your Brother MFC-L8610CDW WiFi Direct setup working correctly.
Preparing Your Printer for WiFi Direct
Before attempting any fix printer procedures, verify your hardware and firmware are ready. The MFC-L8610CDW must have wireless capability enabled and should be running the latest firmware version to avoid known WiFi Direct connectivity bugs.
1
Verify Wireless Hardware is Active: Press the Settings button on the touchscreen, navigate to All Settings > Network > WLAN > Enable WLAN. If the wireless radio is off, toggle it on and wait 30 seconds for the WiFi indicator (antenna icon) to appear solid on the LCD. Without this baseline activation, no WiFi Direct setup can proceed.
2
Access WiFi Direct Settings and Check Current Status: From the home screen, press Settings > All Settings > Network > Wi-Fi Direct > Manual. Here you'll see whether WiFi Direct is currently On or Off, and the network name (SSID) format should display "DIRECT-xx-Brother MFC-L8610CDW" where xx represents the last two digits of your machine's serial number. Note this SSID exactly—you'll need it for client connections.
3
Reset WiFi Direct to Default and Reconfigure: If the SSID appears corrupted or connections fail repeatedly, select Reset Wi-Fi Direct Settings from the same menu. Confirm the reset, then restart the printer. After reboot, re-enable WiFi Direct manually and set a new custom password (8-63 characters, WPA2 security). Avoid special characters like @, #, or ! which can cause parsing errors on some mobile devices during Brother MFC-L8610CDW WiFi Direct setup.
Connecting Devices and Resolving Failures
Once your printer broadcasts a valid WiFi Direct signal, client-side troubleshooting becomes essential. Most connection failures stem from incorrect password entry, competing network profiles, or operating system restrictions.
4
Connect Windows 10/11 Using the Correct Method: Open Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi on your PC. Look for your Brother's DIRECT-XX-SSID in the available networks list. Click Connect and enter the password shown on the printer's touchscreen under Wi-Fi Direct > Password. If the SSID doesn't appear, run Windows Network Troubleshooter, then manually add a wireless network with these exact settings: Security type WPA2-Personal, Encryption AES. For persistent issues, delete old Brother network profiles from Manage Known Networks first.
⚠️ Important: WiFi Direct and Infrastructure Mode (standard WiFi to router) cannot operate simultaneously on the same wireless radio with full functionality. If your Brother MFC-L8610CDW WiFi Direct setup works but you lose internet access on the connecting device, this is expected behavior—the client device disconnects from your router to peer with the printer. For simultaneous internet and printing, use standard wireless infrastructure mode through your router instead.
5
Troubleshoot Android and iOS Mobile Connections: On Android, enable Location services before scanning for WiFi Direct networks—Android 10+ requires this for WiFi scanning permissions. On iPhone/iPad, use Settings > Wi-Fi and select the DIRECT-XX network; iOS may show a "No Internet Connection" warning—tap Keep Trying. Install Brother iPrint&Scan from the App Store or Google Play, then add your printer manually by IP address if automatic discovery fails during this printer repair process.
6
Update Firmware and Verify Signal Strength: Outdated firmware causes intermittent WiFi Direct dropouts on the MFC-L8610CDW. Download the latest firmware from Brother's support site, transfer it via USB flash drive to the printer's USB port, or use the built-in network firmware update if infrastructure WiFi is temporarily enabled. After updating, place the printer within 30 feet of connecting devices, avoiding microwave ovens, cordless phones, and Bluetooth devices that cause 2.4GHz interference where WiFi Direct operates.
Still Need Help With Your Brother Printer?
If these troubleshooting steps didn't resolve the issue, our certified Brother printer technicians are standing by. Get expert support in minutes.
How many devices can connect via WiFi Direct to the MFC-L8610CDW simultaneously?
The Brother MFC-L8610CDW supports up to 5 simultaneous WiFi Direct connections. However, print job queuing performance degrades with each active connection. For optimal speed in busy environments, limit active peer connections to 3 devices or switch to infrastructure wireless networking through your router.
Why does my laptop disconnect from the internet when using WiFi Direct?
This is normal behavior. WiFi Direct creates a peer-to-peer network between your device and the printer. Most consumer wireless adapters cannot maintain two WiFi connections simultaneously. To retain internet access while printing, configure the printer on your existing wireless network (Infrastructure mode) rather than using WiFi Direct, or connect the printer via Ethernet to your router.
Can I use WiFi Direct if my Brother printer is already connected to my router via WiFi?
Yes, the MFC-L8610CDW can maintain an infrastructure WiFi connection to your router while also broadcasting WiFi Direct. However, some early firmware versions had bugs causing IP conflicts when both modes were active. If you experience random disconnections, update to the latest firmware or disable the mode you're not actively using through the Network menu.