Brother HL-2170W 23ppm Laser Printer with Wireless and Wired Network Interfaces
by BROTHER
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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 |
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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Brother HL-2170W 23ppm Laser Printer with Wireless and Wired Network Interfaces
Customer Review: Setup could be easier, but works flawlessly on Snow Leopard (10.6)
Summary: 4 Stars
I purchased this printer after significant research because I needed a simple B&W printer, and I wanted wireless so I could keep it in my closet, away from my curious toddlers. (We don't control the wireless access point we use, so there's no way to connect our printer directly via ethernet or USB even if we wanted to.) The device is quite compact and sturdy, and my wife says it "almost looks sexy". The fan is a bit loud (by a Mac users taste) when active, but it's absolutely silent when it goes to sleep. The printing is certainly fast enough for standard home printing, and the quality is quite good for a budget printer.
I'm somewhat of a computer expert, so I figured I'd see if it was possible to configure without any cables whatsoever. Also, since Snow Leopard is vaunted to handle thousands of printers gracefully and automatically, I decided to skip installing drivers and just try just doing the setup. Bottom line: it worked fine, with only a few bumps and wrong turns, which was somewhat of a pleasant surprise after some of the dismal printer setup utilities I've been through. (For its part, Snow Leopard lived up to the hype -- I didn't have to install anything at all, just configure the printer.) The included Mac install process documentation is for 10.4, but it worked on 10.6 (Snow Leopard) with few deviations -- I've documented my "wireless only" setup process below...
Insert the install CD, open it, and double-click the "Start Here" icon. Click "Install Printer Driver", then "Wireless Network users". A separate setup wizard application will launch.
Choose "Wireless Setup Only", then click Next. Choose "Step by Step install (Recommended)", then click Next. Choose "Without cable (advanced)", then click Next. Follow the instructions (hold the Go button for 10 seconds until a network configuration page prints) to make sure the wireless is active so it can be configured. Check the checkbox, then click Next. Yet another application will launch.
Record your current wireless settings if necessary (to restore afterward), then click Next. Check the checkbox, then click Next. From the Airport menu (or preference pane) choose to join the SETUP network. Once the printer appears in the list, select it and click Next. Choose your access point from the list (or add it manually if it doesn't appear) and click Next, then Next again. (Don't print a test page.) Verify your network settings, check the checkbox, then click Next.
Open System Preferences, then the Print & Fax preference pane. Click the '+' button on the left side of the screen to add a new printer. In the window that appears, click the "Default" icon. The printer should appear as a Bonjour printer in the list below. Select it, name it whatever you like, make sure the "Print Using:" menu says "Brother HL-2170W series CUPS", and click "Add". It should appear in your printer list. Select the Brother printer selected, click "Options & Supplies..." then "Show Printer Webpage..." in the drop-down sheet. This will open a webpage in your default browser.
In your web browser, click on "Administrator Settings", then enter the username "admin" and password "access" when prompted. Click on "Configure Password (admin)", enter a new password (twice) and contact information if desired, then click Submit.
You should now be able to print, and the printer should be at least marginally safer from hackers. People that are paranoid about security will want to tinker with the settings and try to access the printer from other machines.
I'm already printing wirelessly from my MacBook Pro on the couch, with only the power cable plugged into the printer -- no USB, no Ethernet, even during setup. The print jobs hit our access point, then straight to the printer. It's a pleasant setup, and it seems to work quite seamlessly. First impressions: overall, I'm quite pleased with it, I just wish the setup were a bit less contorted. Now to see how it holds up for the long haul...
Customer Review: GREAT little home laser printer
Summary: 4 Stars
I've worked in IT for 20 years now, and have seen many a printer (used to fix them too, years ago). Not that long ago you had to spend over $300-400 dollars to get a low end laser printer for your home, and then came the cheap SOHO models followed by the really cheap home models. Still too expensive and not enough real functionality. That was roughly 3-5 years ago.
Now if you are on the fence and can't decide if you want a laser printer- or need to replace the junky old one you got years ago... this is a great choice. It's SMALL. Fits on our bookshelf. It's INEXPENSIVE, as you can often find it on sale. Toner is CHEAP here on Amazon. Cost per page is LOW. RELIABLE in our experience (6 months, 500 pages printed). FAST in terms of quick to warm up and print simple text (relative to other home laser printers).
If anyone is concerned about getting a laser printer from an "off-brand" manufacturer, rest assured. Brother is actually a respected member in this field, maybe a silent leader. Many good printers in the past (with logos like Dell, HP, etc.) have actually been a Brother under the hood.
It was rated well on Consumer Reports, and had the lowest cost per page on the chart. I don't remember if it was 1.5 or 2.5 cents per page- but it was HALF the cost of the other printers on the list (or better). There is a trick about the toner however, (from another reviewer here) it seems the sensors may prematurely indicate low toner. Next time I run low I will cover one of the small holes on the side of the toner drum. There is a TONER SAVING MODE you can turn on so it uses a little less toner per page, but you have to use your browser and get into the config page to find it.
The printer itself has only one button, a big blue-led highlighted thing and no LCD to give messages (it does have a couple LED's to show error or toner low). That is a drawback for me, but I guess it makes for fewer things to break. You can set it up either by hooking it up to your PC directly (USB) or configure it through the network. It is not hard to setup through a browser (http://192.168.x.x or whatever works on your home net). The http page will also show error messages in more detail. I don't know, but assume if you have it connected to your PC via USB you would see better error and status messages as well.
I had a relatively hard time setting it up on the network (go figure, me being Mr. IT). It would be quick and easy IF I had a new router that supports the "config sharing" feature. I don't. So, if you can't use the EASY method to setup the wireless, just bite the bullet and move the printer near your PC/laptop and use the USB or ethernet cable to do the initial setup. You can turn on and config the wireless (and save) that way then move the printer back to wherever you want to put it. Also, if you have Vista, there may be special considerations setting it up apparently (from another review) but it is not difficult if you do it right. I had to connect it by wire to my router, let it get an IP address through DHCP (from the router) and then print out the settings page (hold down the big button) which showed me the address, then use the browser. Really, I did it the hard way- just to see how it would work out. I bet 9/10 people have it much easier to setup.
My family finds the printer to be quick and easy to use. The drivers are fairly good- at least they don't cause any problems. Bad drivers or software (HP is notorious) really screw up a PC, especially older ones. Can make it hang, crash, or just slow things down considerably. We have no complaints here on that account.
I recommended it to a coworker and they also got one, and have been very happy with it.
Assuming a routine home load of 5-50 pages a day, I have not seen a better home laser printer. This has been an all-around champ.
Customer Review: Brother is the best at printers
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not my first brother printer. The only reason i even bought this one is because my parent's printer craped out on them so i gave them mine.
Some people were talking about this printers peak power consumption. it peaks at 460W which is A LOT. if you live in an old apartment you might want to think twice. If you live in a decent house this wont bother you, at most it will maybe flicker the light for half a second maybe twice in the entire print cycle. Normally its at 80w for a few min. after printing so it could cool down. Then it goes idle at 8W at which point you could do what i do and turn it off.
As for toner saver mode and print quality, i printed multiple copies of the same document under different settings and personally i like 300dpi and toner saver mode the best, it doesn't fade the document like an inkjet, it just makes everything finer which i think makes it look better unless your printing a picture in which case you want depth and detail, but why would you be printing a picture on a b&w printer? For documents this printer is amazing.
My only grudge with this is it doesn't have automatic duplexing. The closest printer to this that has auto duplexing is the e260dn. That printer costs more. Genuine ink for that printer the cheapest is 85$ from a vendor i wouldn't trust so figure 90$ from [...] . this printer the high yield toner you could buy easily for 40$ from any vendor like newegg. Plus this printer has a separate drum and toner cartridge so the toner is cheaper because you are only paying for toner. the drum you will have to replace roughly every 6 times you change the toner. 6 high yield toner+1 drum = ~$340. for the Lexmark e260dn comparably you would need 5 cartridges of toner totaling about $450. so in the long run this printer is much cheaper to run.
The manual feeder works perfectly for me. I use it for manual duplexing and it makes manual duplexing a very simple process. Unlike other manual duplex where you have to pull out the tray and put you pages in, with the manual feeder all you do is stick it in there and thats it the printer does the rest.
I cant really comment on wireless printing because i wasn't able to set it up on my computer because i have the router. It was visible on other computers in my house which is what is necessary. What i can say is if you really want and need wireless printing you can definitely set it up but it will take some tinkering.
Set up was a joke. pop the cd in, download driver, plug in the usb and you are set. Wireless setup takes time to tinker with. I dont need it so i didnt waste time on it. Wireless is not for the average idiot. If you are old and an amateur don't bother with it you wont do it.
Noise isn't that bad. Compared to my brother's laser printer, and my parents old laser printer, this is considerably quieter. It is comparable to a lexmark printer. you will only hear it when it warms up, prints, and cools down. do not shut it down after you finished printing, let the fan cool it down first because im pretty sure you will fry something if you don't let the fan cool it. some people complained that the fan never turns off, i could only assume their room is too hot or theres something wrong with their firmware. If you put your hand by the fan exhaust when you feel it is normal the fan shuts off so clearly it has temperature sensors. this takes mine less than 5 min. figure like 2min.
its just as fast as an inkjet. warmup takes like 10 sec for the first page, after that expect a page like every 2-3 seconds. its fast enough if you have small- normal sized print jobs. unless your printing 100+ pages im sure this will suffice. figure every 100 pages you want to print is about 4 minutes.
The tray is huge. it practically fits a ream. this is the biggest tray i've seen for home/office printer
Customer Review: Great Printer, Just follow directions on setup.
Summary: 4 Stars
Recently I bought a Brother All-In-One Inkjet and have been very happy with it. Since it had all the controls on the printer itself, I was able to set up the wireless connection quickly and without any problem. Plus, all the other features worked well. I needed a laser printer to replace my very old NEC. Based on my experience with the Brother Inkjet I decided to buy this Brother 2170W.
The Brother laser printer is very small, yet holds 250 pages which is far more than my old one. It wakes up in less than 10 seconds then prints pages lightening fast. The print quality is sharp and clear. I have the printer in my office and connected it directly to my PC with the USB cable. However, I also have a laptop about 10 feet away that I wanted to setup wireless to the laser printer. Well, that is where the problems began.
I tried for several hours to connect the laser printer to my laptop and never could get it right. I was able to connect wirelessly directly between the printer and laptop without going through the router. However, doing it this way I could not be on the internet and printer at the same time. Also, the connection would keep dropping. Try as I may, I could not connect the printer through the router like my other Brother Inkjet. I am convinced that I am simply doing some little something wrong. Therefore, I can not blame the printer for something that is my fault. Since I do have the printer wired to the other printer in the office and that printer is connected to the router, then I can still access the laser printer through the other computer.
I am still giving the Brother 2170W printer high marks because, except for the connection problems, it is an excellent printer.
UPDATE: I was trying to setup the printer wirelessly, without plugging the cable in. Bad idea! I finally decided to wire the printer to the router as recommended in the manual. After setting it up I unplugged the wired connection and now the printer works wirelessly from both of my computers. The whole thing took less than 3 minutes. Lesson for today: Read the manual and do what it Recommends.
It would benefit most people to have a laser printer in addition to their inkjet printer. And this is why. Keep track of just how many documents and letters you print that do not require color. If you print more than ten percent in black and white then you can save a lot of money on ink by using a laser printer. Here are some figures to consider. The cost of toner (ink) for a laser printer is higher than inkjet, but a laser can print many more pages. The cost per page on a laser printer can be as low as 3 cents. Whereas, the cost of ink for an inkjet can be 11 cents or more per page, and that cost can be ten times more for photos. Therefore, if you only print a few things that do not require color then you may only save ten to twenty percent on ink. However, if you do a lot of black and white printing then you could save fifty to seventy percent on ink using a laser printer. And if you decide to buy a laser, then this Brother is one of the best because of the speed and print quality.
ANOTHER UPDATE: After using this printer for several months I must give it 5 stars. It has worked all this time with no problems at all and I love it. However, I still give the overall rating 4 stars because of the install problem. I even contacted Brother several times and followed their directions on how to set up the printer without using a cable. Both Brother and myself finally gave up because it just would not work unless I used a cable, even though Brother said it would. Brother never did figure out why it wouldn't work that way. But, it doesn't matter. When I want to change my WiFi key, I just use a cable.
Customer Review: Excellent Printer. Update the Firmware.
Summary: 5 Stars
I felt I needed to write this review after reading the review of "Danny Luong" who is a very computer savvy type of person, who built several custom computers, etc. Sadly he cannot operate a network printer which is no surprise to me as I meet several people like him who think they know quite alot and even install zone alarm to feel safer on the internet when zone alarm is just wasting resources. This printer is simple to install. Any pro would know that the first rule it to throw out the user manual and cd that came with the device because it often never helps.
Power up the printer, don't use the CD that came with it, go to the brother website and download the latest drivers, the driver alone is 0.98MB which is all you need to get this working. Plug the cat5 into an Ethernet port of your router then log into your router and see what IP was assigned to the printer. Immediately at this step you would want to copy the MAC address and host name of the Printer and assign it a static IP on your network so you always know where it is. After giving the printer a static IP on the router config you might need to pull out the cat5 for a few seconds then plug it back in for the static IP to be used.
Now that you know the LAN ip of the printer you can use the printer install wizard in Windows, just go through the steps with common sense, select local printer and uncheck the box to auto detect plug and play devices; use standard TCPIP port which you may need to add and input the IP address of the printer which you know because you assigned a static IP to it; use the have disk function and select the driver from the pack you downloaded. Magically your printer will work unless zone alarm is blocking network packets from reaching it.
The next thing you want to do is upgrade the firmware. I have placed this step before telling you how to enable the Wifi because only a moron would try to firmware update over a wireless connection. This is simple once your printer is set up as above just download the firmware update tool and run it, it takes a while to update so do not interfere with it until it is done. Took about 5 mins to complete when I did it.
After the firmware update just log into the printer http configuration by entering its IP into a web browser, similar to how you enter the http setup for a router. Once you are there look for the network settings and set the network mode to automatically switch between LAN and Wifi. This is because LAN and Wifi cannot operate at the same time so it uses one at a time with given preference to the wired connection. Once you enable the wireless on automatic mode save the settings then unplug the cat5 and wait a minute for your wireless router to connect to the printer. Log into your router config and assign another static IP to the printer using the wifi host name and MAC address. Once that is done refresh the lease either by rebooting the router or the printer, I chose to reboot the router since it does not use 460W of power to warm up as the printer can. When the router reboots it will assign the static IP to the wifi card in the printer, follow the add printer wizard again to add another local printer this time with the wifi IP address, all the other steps are same for the wired installation except the IP is different. It should magically work after this. Now you should be able to use your printer wireless by default as well as wired if you plug in the cat5.
If you want to use USB I can't help you, that is too simple, why buy a network printer to use USB anyway.