the wireless connection drops constantly, have to power cycle the printer to get it back.

Diagnosis

The Brother HL-L2350DW frequently drops its wireless connection due to a "DHCP Lease Expiration" conflict. By default, the printer requests a dynamic IP address from your router. When the lease period expires, the router may attempt to assign that specific IP address to another device (like a smartphone or tablet) if the printer is in a deep-sleep mode. When the printer wakes up, it finds its previous address occupied or invalid, causing the "Offline" status in Windows or macOS. This is further exacerbated by the HL-L2350DW's aggressive power-saving mode. The network interface card (NIC) often enters a low-power state that fails to "handshake" correctly with modern Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) routers, leading to a dropped packet stream. You can confirm this by printing the Network Configuration page (Menu > Reports > Network Config) immediately after a drop; if the IP address has changed or shows 0.0.0.0, it is a DHCP failure. If the IP is still correct but the printer is offline, it is a sleep-state wake-up failure.

How to Fix It

To resolve this permanently, you must move the printer from a dynamic IP to a Static IP address. This ensures the router reserves a specific "parking spot" for the printer that never expires.

1. Press the Menu button on the printer control panel.
2. Use the arrow keys to navigate to Network and press OK.
3. Select TCP/IP and press OK.
4. Select IP Address and press OK.
5. Change the setting from Boot (Auto) to Static.
6. Now, manually enter the IP address. To avoid conflicts, choose an address high in your range (e.g., if your router is 192.168.1.1, set the printer to 192.168.1.200).
7. Enter the Subnet Mask (typically 255.255.255.0) and the Gateway (your router's IP, usually 192.168.1.1).
8. Press OK to save and then press Exit to return to the home screen.
9. Restart the printer by turning it off and on again to initialize the static handshake.

If That Didn't Work

• Disable IPv6: The HL-L2350DW often struggles with dual-stack IPv4/IPv6 environments. Go to Menu > Network > TCP/IP > IPv6 and select Off. This forces the printer to communicate only via IPv4, which is significantly more stable for monochrome laser peripherals.
• Change Wi-Fi Bandwidth: This printer only supports 2.4GHz. If your router uses "Smart Connect" (merging 2.4GHz and 5GHz into one SSID), the printer may attempt to associate with the 5GHz band and fail. Log into your router settings and create a separate Guest Network or a dedicated 2.4GHz SSID specifically for your printer.
• Adjust Deep Sleep Settings: If the printer drops connection specifically after hours of inactivity, disable the Deep Sleep mode. Access the printer's web interface (Web Based Management) by typing the printer's IP address into a web browser. Navigate to the General tab > Deep Sleep and set it to Off.
• Update Firmware: Outdated firmware often contains bugs related to WPA2/WPA3 security handshakes. Download the Brother Firmware Update Tool on a PC, connect the printer via USB temporarily, and run the update to the latest version (typically v1.xx or higher).

Heads Up

• Avoid USB-to-Wi-Fi Bridges: Do not use external wireless adapters or bridges; the HL-L2350DW's internal NIC is designed for direct router communication.
• Placement Matters: Ensure the printer is at least 3 feet away from the router to avoid "signal swamping," but no more than 20 feet through walls to prevent packet loss.
• Driver Consistency: Ensure you are using the "Full Driver & Software Package" from Brother rather than the generic "AirPrint" or "Windows Class" drivers, as the full package handles network reconnection attempts much more aggressively.