All time low on this Brother laser printer with automatic 2 sided printing and cheap large capacity generic toner available.
CamelCamelCamel.
i got a L2750DW for free off marketplace.. bought aftermarket toner for less than $15 and its been going strong!
They have solid reliable wifi
Link?
Bought a used L2750DW for $50 off marketplace and then picked up 4x generic toners for free so I assume I'm set for life.
Apart from maybe needing a replacement waste toner box, sounds like you're pretty set.
The only issue I found with this printer is its unreliable WiFi connection. Quite often I get "printer not found" when I want to print something. When that happens, I have to switch it on and off twice or more to get it to work. Anyone else experienced the same problem?
have you check your wifi enviroment?
i had not only printer, but all those smart home gedgets at home using 2.4Ghz wifi experienced this issue, normally i restart router. but maybe 1 day, or even couple of hours later, happens again. One day, i was playing with my router setting, changed some setting. it never happen again, i was suprised.
I have the colour version of this printer and it was going strong for about 2.5 years and then hit this issue you describe. Haven’t found a fix for it either and am thinking I’ll need to bin it now
Does it have a LAN port? Just plug it into your router or a switch.
I avoid WiFi on printers at all costs. Every time I’ve used it, with every brand, it’s been flaky. A wired connection works flawlessly.
That's really bad luck with the wifi.
I use to be a LAN port guy myself but wife wanted our L2750DW placed somewhere getting a LAN cable to would be inconvenient so wifi was the best option. We lived at that previous place for 5.5yrs and not an issue for the 5yrs we owned the MFC.
Current place I am using a mesh system with limited LAN ports and I don't want to set up a switch until absolutely necessary. Wifi on the MFC seems OK so far.
@Mugsy: I just use power-line ethernet for hard-to-reach places (that don't have wired LAN). It works well enough for me, and is certainly easier than dealing with poor WiFi implementations in devices.
Try reserving the IP address it's on (aka set a static IP). You'll need to do that in your router.
Common issue with wifi printers, they dhcp a new IP address and the software can't find them anymore.
Whenever I have this issue is due to a firmware update being available. It's frustrating. Once I force it to install direct from the printer screen it works again.
I've found Brother printers to often fail connecting via WIFI if the client device has a VPN enabled.
pay a few more dollars to get the auto-feed scanner guys. Flatbed scanning is so 2010
Yeah I have a flatbed and it's so painful. Looking to upgrade to an auto feed soon. Can't believe it took me this long to realise I want it.
Any model number? Would like to check it out
https://www.harveynorman.com.au/brother-dcp-l2640dw-a4-multi…
$268 with auto-feeder.
Or from Centrecom: https://www.centrecom.com.au/brother-mfc-l2820dw-laser-wirel…
$219 with the auto-feeder. $179 without the auto-feeder.
Meh, there aren't any cheap all-in-ones. I reckon just get a Brother laser or Epson Ecotank printer for the cheap printing with workable flatbed scanners. And then have a dedicated auto-feed scanner for when the need arises. Very rarely would the average consumer need something like that.
I scan every bill and receipt, then bin the originals. I use the scanner at least a few times per week.
Just take a photo and put them in the designated album. It's easier that way.
@marshmall0w2: I don't think that's easier. I just put them on the flat-bed scanner, press "Bill" on the touchscreen, then they go into the bills folder on the file-server (including being OCRed for sorting and searching). I also have buttons for "Receipts", "Instructions" and "Other Documents".
It takes a few seconds, even for multi-page, double-sided documents.
If I want to find the assembly manual for a ten year old cabinet, or to find a receipt for a two year old power tool, it's all there on the file-server and easily searchable via OCR.
the sound of a flatbed scanner is almost as satisfyingly nostalgic as a dial up modem.
Depends on your needs :-) flatbed is still the best option for me.
Cheaper at Centrecom if you can pick up https://www.centrecom.com.au/brother-hl-l2464dw-compact-3-in…
I have a brother printer that was great for years, late 2024 got firmware update and now it demands $70 toner.
Pretty much e waste now 🤷♂️
Moral of the story, firewall block brother from all internet access. Factory firmware is good enough
Is there a way to flash an older firmware on it?
Yes there is a tool that allows flashing firmware, but you need the firmware files.
BrAdmin
Brother don't offer downloads for outdated firmware on their site, and Wayback machine wouldn't help either, since they provide firmware via a firmware update tool that grabs the latest release and flashes it.
I wonder if someone with the skills needed could modify the firmware update tool so it downloads the desired firmware - assuming all the files are still on the remote server. Alternatively, find the http request pattern used and download directly…
Fyi I have the Brother HL1110- very popular on OzBargain. If any of us find a solution I'm sure ozb forums would rejoice 😂
Yep this happened to me on another Brother printer too. I've got another one now which wasn't updated. Lesson learnt.
Yep same thing happened with an Brother inkjet recently too.
Could be worse. Could be an HP..
You just use your original toner's chip (take it out) and put it into a third parties one. There are YouTube videos, takes a few seconds. And away you go again. Make sure whoever is reading this to keep the original toner's chip.
This unit was 65 cents cheaper on the 18th of November last year.
Technically correct: the best kind of correct.
Isn't the Brother HL-L2445DW better than the Brother HL-L2464DW? It includes a 1,200-page starter toner, while the Brother HL-L2464DW only comes with a 700-page toner.
$158 on Amazon.
the 2445 you linked doesn't have scanning function
I wonder why ChatGPT didn’t pick up on this?
ChatGPT: The Brother HL-L2464DW and HL-L2445DW are both monochrome laser printers designed for home and small office use.
Here's a comparison to help you understand their differences and similarities:
Print Speed:
HL-L2464DW: Prints at speeds up to 28 pages per minute (ppm).
HL-L2445DW: Offers a faster print speed of up to 32 ppm.
Connectivity:
HL-L2464DW: Supports wireless connectivity, allowing for printing over Wi-Fi.
HL-L2445DW: Provides both wired (Fast Ethernet) and wireless (2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi) connectivity options, offering greater flexibility for different network setups.
Paper Handling:
HL-L2464DW: Specific details about paper handling are not provided in the available sources.
HL-L2445DW: Equipped with a 250-sheet paper input tray and supports automatic 2-sided (duplex) printing, enhancing efficiency for double-sided documents.
Starter Toner:
HL-L2464DW: Comes with a 700-page starter toner included in the box.
HL-L2445DW: Includes a 1,200-page starter toner, allowing for a higher initial print volume before needing a replacement.
Additional Features:
HL-L2464DW: Details about additional features are not specified in the available sources.
HL-L2445DW: Features a 1-line LCD control panel for easy navigation and operation.
Considerations:
If faster print speed and Ethernet connectivity are priorities, the HL-L2445DW may be the more suitable choice.
If wireless connectivity suffices and a slightly lower print speed is acceptable, the HL-L2464DW could be considered.
Stop using chatgpt and start using your own brain
I am after a color laser version. Any recommendations.
I haven't seen anyone unhappy who purchased a b/w laser at home (whether used often or infrequently). I've seen plenty of unhappy people with colour lasers.
B/W for reliability. Be sure you need colour.
Recommendations for a colour MFP. Mainly for kids highschool reports etc
Epson EcoTanks was mentioned above - Are they the best ??
You’re best to go to professional review sites.
The reality is that MFCs usually last a decade or more. Nobody is going to have genuine experience across multiple brands and models. They will all just tell you to buy whatever they did, or tell you about a lemon unit (which all models have).
I worked with printers for a decade, and I can’t even make a recommendation because we only used two brands, and the were high-end units.
For this kind of product, forum/social media recommendations are useless. At best, they’ll just be repeating what they read in reviews, and you can just go to the primary source and read those first-hand.
FWIW, I have a Brother colour laser MFC I bought a couple of years ago. It’s good. As was the Kyocera laser I bought in 2002, and the HP and Canon units we used at work in the 2000s. But none of that information is particularly useful - just look at costs per page for various units as well as the availability of generic toner/ink (which may change with firmware updates).
Recommendations for a colour MFP. Mainly for kids highschool reports etc
unless frequently colour printing, better to just do so at Officeworks as required
@tonester: This is true. Colour lasers will give you inferior quality to inkjets. Inkjets have their own problems, with less reliably hardware, more expensive ink and toner clogging the nozzle when not regularly cleaned or used. The best and cheapest compromise for quality printing IMHO is to have a cheap B/W laserjet at home for 90% of your printing needs and go to a printshop for quality colour prints. It will work out much cheaper and you'll have better quality colour photos this way.
Brother MFC-L3755CDW if A4 is all you need
As mentioned in the thread a couple of times already, Brother are now updating firmware to force users to use "real" toner - which is designed to prevent you from using cheap aftermarket options.
It might be the unit you get is already running the crippleware version out of the box. I'm not sure what you'd do then - but if you're not, then the very first thing you should do before connecting to wireless/the internet is go through the menus and turn off firmware auto update.
I just kept the original chip from a real toner, and put it into the third party toner. It tricks it. Takes a few seconds. Or are you saying they somehow fixed this and this isn't possible anymore?
crippleware hardware is a fact of life now
Thanks for this.
Most new printers already have the chips so this advice is a bit out of date. There is only one non chipped brother at Officeworks.
Can it scan colour pages?
Yes, but single sided only.
Plenty of model ups on FB marketplace for $100 lol with toner.
Save your money.
Any recommendations for coloured with up to a3 printing? Mostly for building plans etc
I've got the MFC-L2820DW (cheap Mono MFC) and it's the 3rd brother printer I heavily used / owned. Such good value and you don't feel screwed over when buying toner. Even the genuine prices are fair compared to most companies. Brother also has a healthily amount of updates and patches, which is good to see.
I have the big brother of this L2740DW, got it for free with 2 toners from fb marketplace and can confirm they are great MFC's