Brother · Current Brother color-laser fax platform

Brother Comm.Error: Fax communication error associated with poor

Brother Comm.Error means fax communication error associated with poor telephone-line quality; retry the fax and isolate the phone line before escalation. This guidance is specific to Current Brother color-laser fax platform and the Fax subsystem. Retry the fax once.

Error meaning

Fax communication error associated with poor telephone-line quality; retry the fax and isolate the phone line before escalation.

This interpretation is tied to the reviewed family/platform and subsystem. Do not reuse the visible code by itself on another printer family.

Applies to

Current Brother color-laser fax platform

  • MFC-L3720CDW
  • MFC-L3755CDW
  • MFC-L3760CDW
  • MFC-L3780CDW
  • MFC-L8340CDW
  • MFC-L8390CDW

Common formatting

These are lookup or formatting aliases for this reviewed condition, not separate pages.

  • Comm.Error
  • COMM-ERROR

What usually causes it

  • Comm.Error is a fax communication failure associated with telephone-line quality or call negotiation. It is separate from scan-to-email and network mail settings.
  • The exact reviewed condition is: Fax communication error associated with poor telephone-line quality; retry the fax and isolate the phone line before escalation.
  • Retry the fax once, confirm the telephone cable is connected to the correct LINE jack, and test the fax on the simplest available direct phone-line path where practical.

What to try

Step 1:

Check the condition this code actually names

Retry the fax once, confirm the telephone cable is connected to the correct LINE jack, and test the fax on the simplest available direct phone-line path where practical.

Step 2:

Keep the test focused

Change only the setting, supply, paper path, or component named above. Leave unrelated network, driver, and service settings alone so the retest tells you something useful.

Step 3:

Run a controlled confirmation test

Send a short fax to the same destination, then try another known-good fax number if needed. A failure limited to one remote number is different from a failure on every call.

After each corrective action

Retry the original operation that produced Comm.Error. If it works, stop there rather than moving into unrelated troubleshooting.

If the code returns

If Comm.Error returns, record whether calls connect, whether voice/noise is present on the line, and whether the problem affects sending, receiving, or both.

When service may be needed

Do not alter building telephone wiring. Persistent line-quality or PBX/VoIP issues should go to the phone-system provider or Brother support.

Continue with guided troubleshooting

If the printer still is not working after the reviewed checks, carry this verified error context into the guided troubleshooter.

Continue with this error

Related information

Verified source

Manufacturer documentation ↗

Brother Error and Maintenance Messages. Meaning and troubleshooting are paraphrased for this reviewed scope.

Printer Triage is an independent troubleshooting reference and is not affiliated with Brother.