Brother HL-2170W 23ppm Laser Printer with Wireless and Wired Network Interfaces
by BROTHER
|
Our Price: $305.00 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $75.00 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
|---|
Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Brother HL-2170W 23ppm Laser Printer with Wireless and Wired Network Interfaces
Customer Review: For Mac Users
Summary: 4 Stars
This is the first Amazon review I have ever written. I have purchased hundreds of things over the years from the great river in the ether, but until now, everything I had to say was covered by another review. Outside of being forced to use Windows for an accounting program, I avoid Windows computers as best I can. This review is for all of us Mac occultists! Turn westward and face Cupertino for a moment of silence....!
1. If you think you're going to set this printer up wirelessly without directions (and forget the ones in the box), you're probably an ex photocopier guy with a lot of arcane computer experience who has multiple machines torn apart in your mother's basement - which has doubled for your home for the last 42 years. Fo' ghetta 'bout it...!
2. Brother's website is about as useless as their in-box directions. There are three or four drivers for Mac (you don't need them). But note that I said "about" as useless. I did find this page (which turns out to be a gem, see #4) [...]. When you first look at this **11 page** pdf, you think, naaah, this can't possibly be the directions for wireless set up for this printer. For the love of all things Amazon, who the heck in this day and age has to follow 11 pages of minute directions to set up a $100 piece of electronics. Hell, my attention span is rated in paragraphs not pages...
3. So what do most mindless Apple users do? Call Steve or someone in Austin who answers Steve's phones and just happen to double as tech help. But don't bother calling Brother tech support unless you have 3 hours and a nice bottle of whiskey or wine. (Balvenie and just a splash of creek water works well.) Here's what happens: you'll have to call their main tech number (35 minutes hold time) and then be transferred to their "Apple specialists". This last leg of the phone call took me another 30 minutes, and I was disconnected 3 times in a row. So you have to start the whole thing over. Call the general number for more mind numbing muzak, and then the transfer to Apple purgatory... Oh, and before you're fed off to Apple land, don't bother asking the sullen Eastern European chick 'tech' if there's a direct number to their "Apple Specialists", there is none. Tito will come back from the dead before she gives up that information....
3.5. While holding, use your speaker function on your phone if you have one. Turn the volume down somewhat so that the muzak doesn't cause irreversible seizures. (And to be fair to muzak, it's only one song, but it's repeated ad nauseum.)
4. Once I finally got to Apple land on my fourth attempt, I was pleasantly met by a fellow traveller from Memphis. He explained that the 11 page pdf was indeed the method used to set up this printer wirelessly. And so the journey into one of the least user friendly electronic set ups began.
5. Remember, this page, [...], is your salvation. Remember it is double column. It is, however, extremely poorly written. For instance, instructions for 10.4 and 10.5 users (part of pg. 2 and 3) are just thrown in. 10.4, 10.5, and 10.6 all pick back up on page 4 right above the Windows XP screenshot (sic). There after they are just thrown in. If you're running 10.6, you don't need the cd that came with printer. Set your Scotch and water on it and skip to the next part. Basically, once you've reset the printer by manipulating the power and "Go" button multiple times and within a certain timeframe, found it's IP address, connected to it via your Airport card and browser, you're in for one of the most visually ugly pieces of software since Windows '95. Enter the appropriate IP address and security info and then punch the big blue button - the "Go" button - a certain number of times again.
6. Voila! Once you're up and printing, you'll find that Brother put all, or at at least 99.8% of their know how into the printer hardware. The printing is fast, the fonts and graphics fairly crisp. (You can see distortion if you look closely or through a loop even at the printer's highest setting (1200 dpi).
7. But keep that .pdf handy; you may have to refer to it again. The tech said that if the printer is unpowered for more 24 hours, it might loose its IP address. Guess what you have to do to remedy this? You guessed it. And who said life was boring....!
So the bottom line is that, if you are a Mac user (at least 10.6 users), and you are persistent, you should have a pretty good/fast printer at your disposal.
Edit 1: for some reason the URL of the pdf, mentioned in my long review, was taken out by Amazon and replaced by an ellipsis. I'm not sure if html links are supported on these reviews, so I'll space out the url. It's [...] Copy it into your browser and take out the spaces. It should take you to the pdf.
Customer Review: Good value, easy wired setup.
Summary: 4 Stars
I had been sitting on the fence on purchasing a laser printer after seeing how much replacement HP inkjet cartridges were for my old HP Deskjet 610CL. I was waiting for the "right" model and the "right" sale to come along. And it did - I purchased the HL-2170W for under $100.
There were a couple of criteria I had for a new laser printer:
1) It had to have built-in network connectivity. Finding a supported USB print server was a pain as those vendor's websites aren't frequently updated. My priority was wired networking first, wireless networking secondary. I have three Windows XP computers and they all printed to the 610C via a Netgear parallel port ethernet print server.
2) Small-ish footprint. I didn't want to make more room for a replacement printer-- ideally it should fit in the same space where my 610CL resided. However, it could be "taller"-- think of the HP LaserJet P2055dn.
3) Support at least PCL 5. Don't want to deal with anything wacky in printing documents.
Noise wasn't a concern considering the "bang" "whaap" "woosh" noise older Deskjets made. I knew any decent laser printer would print faster than my 610CL and even if it was louder, the duration of the noise wouldn't be as long.
The physical setup was a breeze. I followed the first few pages of the printed manual for the unpacking, toner cartridge installation and AC power cord location. When it came to the computer hook up, I deviated and did what some others have done-- went to the Brother web site and read the PDF manuals and online FAQs. I actually did this before purchasing the printer and re-read them again as a refresher after I finished with the physical setup. I already had my mind made up to finish the computer hookup as a wired ethernet installation without having to use a USB cable or the installation CD:
1) I powered up the HL-2170W and initiated a printer test page by pressing the big blue button 3 times in a row. This allowed me to see what the MAC address is of the printer and whether the printer is defaulting to DHCP (it is).
2) On one of my PCs, I opened a browser to view my router's networking configuration and added the HL-2170W's MAC address to a list of connected devices authorized to receive a dynamic IP address and specify what address to assign it (your router may be different and this step is purely a preference for me as that's how I set things up on my home network).
3) I powered off the HL-2170W and plugged in an ethernet cable (using the same cable my 610CL was using).
4) I powered on the 2170 and after waiting a few moments, opened a browser to the IP address I had my router assign it. The 2170's web configuration page loaded.
5) Using the admin/access credentials, I verified the networking setup (but changed nothing) and changed the toner saver to "on".
6) Then, on the same computer, I downloaded the WHQL-certified drivers for Windows XP (1.07, 26/08/2008 release date) and followed the installation instructions found on the same download page. I'll add that on the step to select a port, I created new port and selected "Standard TCP/IP Port". When asked for the Printer Name or IP Address, I entered the IP address of the HL-2170W.
I repeated the driver installation on the other two Windows XP computers. On each computer, I opened up the printer properties to change the "toner saver" to ON. I'm not sure if the each computer settings override the printer's web configuration but since I was already in the driver's properties, it was easy enough to set. No other changes made to the driver's properties. Each printer test page was fine.
Print quality is good and I haven't run out of toner on the starter cartridge yet (give me about 6 months given my paper printing usage). Noise isn't objectionable and I'm not concerned about the wattage draw when it's in use. I really like the ability to view the status of the printer and its configuration through the web browser.
Considering I would have had to spend $70-$75 to replace the inkjet cartridges, spending a few more bucks for a decent laser printer was a no-brainer. Even with a new TN330 toner cartridge, it's real savings compared to my old DeskJet. I know I'm not going to miss color-- I was barely using it with the Deskjet (and the color would always run out faster than the black ink). Besides, at work, I'm used to monochrome laser output so this printer for the home office is a good addition.
Customer Review: Is It Possible to Love a Printer? YES
Summary: 5 Stars
I've had this printer for over two years now and have used it extensively. It produces consistently high quality, fast and inexpensive documents. I was tired of fooling with cheap, flimsy, inconsistent color printers when most of the printing I do is B/W and this puppy is actually cheaper than those garbage, ink hogs. I don't regret this choice for a second.
I have not needed to use the wireless option, but the instructions are very clear on setting that up. Just read before you proceed.
I have saved a fortune on ink. The toner is much less expensive than ink cartridges which seem to be a racket and the first, included, toner cartridge lasted much longer than expected, especially if you ignore the low toner light and put a piece of tape over the clear windows on the toner unit as others have suggested and explained in greater detail.
Don't confuse the drum unit, which needs replacement much, much less frequently, with the toner cartridge. Only the toner cartridge needs replacement every so often... the drum last much longer, and actually, you can almost buy a new printer for the price of a new OEM drum and get the smaller toner cartridge too... when that time finally comes!
The reason I advise using Brother replacement components/ink cartridge is because the "generic" ones are a crap shoot and Brothers seems to be one of those rare companies, like Samsung, that just make really good products consistently and seems to care about the integrity of their products and materials used.
One really nice feature is the ability to "feed its face slot" with a custom label or sheets of thicker stock or special paper one at a time; but don't worry, the tray holds lots of paper for everyday use and when you place a sheet into the face, it automatically knows to print from there. Just wait about 2 seconds for it to be "sucked in" slightly and held in place a quarter inch while you finalize your printing command. The printer goes back to the tray when there is nothing there (in the face slot). Have multiple sheets to feed the slot? Don't worry, you just have to be ready with the next sheet to feed it and that will again, auto override the tray.
Another word of advise... stick with Brothers Original replacement toner cartridges (and I am all about saving a buck)... no need to replace the entire drum unit-- unless, like me, you got a bad "generic" toner cartridge and it muffed it up a little. The replacement, re-manufactured cartridge I received once my original cartridge was dry, was not fresh, fit a little goofy and had a short "use by date," shortening the life and creating the mentioned minor damage to my drum unit. It didn't ruin the drum, so I will wait for it's normal life cycle to end on that, but now the text is ever so slightly mis-sized from line to line and that is being picky...
STICK WITH BROTHER REPLACEMENT TONER CARTRIDGES. You pay a little more up front, but can be more sure your drum will not get goofed up (a little pricey) and the toner is more likely to be fresh, meaning longer life and will not damage your drum unit.
The printer function itself has been 100 percent problem free for over two years with thousands and thousands of prints and is simple, simple, simple.
Consistently produces very high quality, bold, clear, clean B/W printed docs! I cannot recommend this one highly enough and have owned a-lot of printers and have played the "ink price games."
GREAT VALUE ON A VERY HIGH QUALITY BUILD, INSIDE AND OUT! Has fairly thick, quality plastic casing and good, quality internal components (at least what can be seen).
Did I mention the fresh print-outs smell good? ;
One tiny complaint... I wish the toner unit was a little easier to change; it does take some finesse, but that may be because of my mistake of buying a cheap, generic replacement cartridge.
Grab what is, in my opinion, the best Laser printer value out there. I really appreciate Brothers thoughtful design and quality components. No bells and whistles and glossy gizmos, nor flimsy plastic doo-dads... just a good, quality, well built product meant for serious, no nonsense, reliable use.
This is the Ford Taurus of B/W laser printers. Just a good, reliable design and build!
Great, unobtrusive size to boot!
Keep it up Brother!
Customer Review: Great Printer - Home Wireless Use with Mac Leopard
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a very new owner for the HL-2170W so I can't say I have a very long track record with the printer. But I can give you my impressions so far.
Reason for Purchase: I was getting very tired of our ink jet printers stopping printing when we were trying to print just black and white text because the printer had run out of some obscure color that had nothing whatsoever to do with printing black and white text. I was tired of having to run out of the house at absurd hours to hunt down ink. I decided that we were spending a fortune on costly ink jet consumables and perhaps we needed a solution just for black and white printing.
Cost was a Factor: I have to admit that the price of the Brother HL-2170W was a factor. It seemed just too reasonable to not give it a try. The printer consumables also seemed reasonable when held in comparison to what I was spending on ink jet printing. If I could get 1500 pages as some people have said they have gotten I thought it would be worth it. I did a bit of research online and found many people suggested a way to trick the printer into printing more. I will be trying that when I get later in the life of the toner cartridge.
Wireless: Quite frankly wireless was a big plus. We really needed to be able to place the printer in a room and not have that placement driven by proximity to one of the Macs. The space that made sense for the printer was on the opposite side of the room from one of the Macs.
Our Computers: We have two Mac in this house running Leopard and we have an Airport hub. Both Macs connect to the network wirelessly via the Airport.
Printer Set-up Experience: Extremely easy. In some ways the documentation made it sound very intimidating and made it seem like setup would be more difficult than it proved to be. All I did was insert the CD and ran through what was needed. My Mac prompted me that Rosetta was needed, which after reading about it on line I did. I really didn't have do anything. The Mac did it all, and then I restarted. I went back into the Brother set-up CD.
I elected to follow the recommended method for wireless setup, which was to connect the printer to the Airport hub via an ethernet cable, which I did. The most difficult part of this was finding an ethernet cable in one of my junk drawers. From there it was a piece of cake. The only part that gave me a bit of pause and caused some research was drop down for the encryption method. The choice was TKIP or AES. I had never heard of these. A bit more research showed that AES was more secure so I chose that. The available wireless networks appeared, and I selected mine. Put in our password and that was that!
The next step I disconnected the ethernet cable. I went to system preferences, and clicked on printers and fax. I clicked the "+" to add a printer, and voila! The HL-2170W appeared in the drop down. I added to my printers. I then printed a test page from MS Word, and the printer started whirring and my page appeared.
I then repeated the system preferences printer steps on the second Mac and printed a test page, which appeared on the Brother printer.
It has taken me longer to write all this than to set-up the printer. It took me about an elapsed 10 minutes which include running between two floors in the house.
Print Quality: I think the print quality is just fine. I have not noticed anything regarding paper curling that other reviews have criticized. I mean the paper does curl a bit, but I suspect that is due to the heat transfer process that is part of this type of printing. That and the fact that I buy cheap paper. Let me put it this way, it was so minor that I thought is was trivial.
Summary: As I said, I don't have a long track record with the printer. This is just a first impression. Perhaps I will update this review when I have more experience under my belt. But for now, I'm extremely happy with the purchase and very happy to be out of the clutches of color tanks holding me hostage when trying to print black and white pages. We will still be keeping our color printers, but they will be used when color is truly needed in documents and for printing photos.
Customer Review: Has to be the best printer for the dollar out there, HAS to be.
Summary: 5 Stars
I will first talk about the printer itself - that is completely what my review and 5 stars is about. All the people leaving 4 stars or less for a GREAT printer at a GREAT price because of the setup issues they have, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! Read my review in full, and then base your decision to buy/not buy the printer, and/or use the advice when setting up the printer yourself.
Printer Review:
I work with networked laser printers every day at work. Lexmark mainly, but they are full-sized corporate monster printers. They are easy to set up and for the most part easy to maintain. I literally could see my locations using this Brother printer for paper only printing with no problems! The pages per minute are more than enough for mass-printing jobs, and way more than enough for anyone printing at home.
What made me even start to look for a laser printer with toner at home was the unreal amount of ink cartridges my wife and I were going through in moderate (at most) use. $30 black and $30 color ink cartridges were seriously adding to the cost per page of our old lexmark 1100 printer. I searched google, found this Brother, and saw the price at $99 (even at the current price of $139 this printer is a legitimate STEAL as far as value goes) and pulled the trigger right away after reading a few reviews.
It will take us quite a while to use the starter toner cartridge, and I have no problem spending $50 on an extended life toner replacement compared to the frequency we previously replaced our $60 ink cartridge combos. Also, the printouts are very fast, very crisp, and black and white is all we ever actually 'need' at home. It appears we can print to our hearts desire after we have printed lots of pages already we are still at 100% toner life. To check all kinds of stats and settings for the printer just hit the blue power button 3 times within 2 seconds and it will give you drum life, toner life, pages printed, # of jams and where they occurred (mine is all zero there), and so on.
I absolutely have been recommending this printer to family, friends, and co-workers since the day I bought it. If you are on the fence about this printer, get off the fence and buy it. You will not regret it, it does exactly what it states it can do, and that is so far above and beyond what the average home user needs. This printer is a champ!
Printer Setup:
Now that my review of the printer itself is done - here I will list the 'issue' I had with the setup, and how I resolved it.
We have a wired PC, and 2 wireless laptops on our network. When I initially set the printer up I did not use a static IP address, and simply kept clicking through the 'next' buttons. I installed the printer on the wired PC, then one laptop, then the next laptop. After a couple days (we don't print much) I realized the printer was only green (active) on the last laptop I installed it on. During the driver setup, you MUST CHOOSE EITHER STATIC IP or PRINTER NAME if you are printing from multiple PC's. If you don't do this, it will only work on the final PC you set up.
I uninstalled the drivers etc and started from scratch. I did the initial setup on one of the WIRELESS laptops, with an ethernet cable from the printer to the router. During install I gave the printer a STATIC IP address. After completing the driver install etc. and getting the printer fully functional, I removed the ethernet cable from the printer. I then installed the printer software on the WIRED PC, choosing DRIVER INSTALL ONLY. The first step after choosing that is where you choose the static IP address (or printer name, but printer name isn't easy to remember and it seriously is no big deal to static IP the printer), after doing that it installed the drivers and worked right away. Same thing for the 2nd wireless laptop.
I work with networks/printers/wireless/etc at work daily and I still had to install this stuff for a 2nd time because I didn't static IP the printer. I STRONGLY recommend you use the same method I did for install, and you will have no troubles.