USB ports on router don’t work

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I have an AT&T BGW210 modem/router connected to my gigabit fiber optic line. I wondered about the unused USB ports on the back of the modem. I would like to connect my Brother MFC-J491DW inkjet printer to the network using one of those ports. The printer, however, isn’t recognized when I try to connect it that way, and I’ve been unsuccessful connecting it wirelessly. Is there some way to use those USB ports? I don’t see anything about them (except that they’re there) in the modem’s manual. I’m running 64 bit Win10 1909. Any thoughts?

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Are you able to see any mention of USB in the router’s interface? If not, it is quite likely that those USB ports according to information in these forum posts (1,2,3) will only charge or power devices.

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No, nothing I could find in the interface.

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According to the specs, https://support.brother.com/g/b/spec.aspx?c=us&lang=en&prod=mfcj491dw_us_eu_as

that printer has an ethernet port. You can connect it to the router using that.

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It actually doesn’t. The manual covers several similar printers and it’s another one that has the ethernet port. Oh well.

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Various posts confirm that the USB ports on the BGW210 modem/router can only be used for charging, not connectivity.

Other posts suggest this is not down to an original lack of capability but to an AT&T policy of deliberately disabling USB connectivity since ~2011, leaving them effectively as just 5V 0.5A USB charging ports.

This post in 2018 by an AT&T employee about a different AT&T Arris modem/router seems to suggest this AT&T policy continues.

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