Brother HL-2170w 23ppm Laser Printer with Wireless & Wired Network Interfaces Reviews

• Great Printer, Just follow directions on setup.

  
  By A2PL4KZQJ0VFOB on 2008-02-23
  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.
  
  

• Brother HL-2170W -- The Bleeding Edge of Printers

  
  By AMYSDMW5PRDD1 on 2008-01-07
  3 September 2008 Update: From "The Bleeding Edge of Printers" to "The Economical Cutting Edge of Printers".
  
  This printer has exceeded my expectations since the January 2008 purchase. 100% up-time with no operational (e.g., jams) or print quality problems. Replaced first tonor cartridge a couple of months ago. That was easy.
  
  This printer has already paid for itself twice over vs. what we would have spent printing to our HP color inkjet in the "economy" mode. We no longer go to The Copy Store to make lots of copies to cut cost. It's cool to just print as many copies as we need.
  
  I would estimate our print cost to be in ballpark of 2 cents per page. We have numerous high-end laser printers at work that are more expensive, but none of them is any quieter or prints higher quality than this cheap little Brother 2170W. On one project I printed to these pre-cut silver metallic label sheets at 600dpi and these labels look incredible. Sharp black text on silver metallic labels with absolutely no smears or ink drying issues--great right off the printer.
  
  The Brother HL-2170W printer has become the best selling laser printer on Amazon. For those of you who are considering this printer, have read my install scenario in the original post, and all the other customer install scenarios--regardless of our reported install experience--JUST STICK WITH IT. You will find a way to make it work, wired or wirelessly, and any minor inconvenience you might encounter will be quickly forgotten. ***END OF 3 September 2008 UPDATE***
  
  Original Post: 6 January 2008. I decided to buy the new Brother HL-2170W wireless monochrome laser jet the first week it became available to the public in late December, 2007. It arrived mid-week. Yesterday I tried to install it and I failed miserably. Went to the Brother website, and noticed only one FAQ was posted. I intepreted the single question as, What if I do NOT want to use the supplied HL-2170W install CD, and elect go through the process manually? The lengthy Brother response included a statement in the first paragraph that said "Check your CD version and call the Brother toll free number if you have the earlier version ... If you have a CD that is version X, you do not need to call Brother, and follow the detailed steps listed below and install the printer and driver without the CD". Then I noticed Step 13 in the response was cut-off in mid sentence. My Takaway was this: the CD that came with my HL-2170W might be flawed.
  
  So I called the Seller on Saturday afternoon, said I want to return the product, and they scheduled a pickup this Wednesday. But tomorrow I will cancel the HL-2170W return because I figured out how to get the HL-2170W hooked up and now it's running fine. Now every computer in the house--two wired desktops and two wireless notebooks--can print to it. We can move it anywhere. It prints fast with excellent print quality, and there is very little lag until printing. I look forward to reviewing future posts on this product. In this post I'll summarize my lessons learned and recommendations for those of you bold enough to be on the bleeding edge until Brother gets their act together on the HL-2170W installation materials.
  
  First of all, my home network features a Linksys WRT54g router (offers wired/wireless combo), Motorola cable modem, 2 Cat-5 wired Desktop computers running Windows XP Pro, and two new windows notebook computers with built-in wireless g connectivity running Windows Vista Home Basic. The Linksys WRT54g router features the trademarked Secure Easy SetUp CD and installed in a snap, which included setting up the security features. My XP desktop computer functions as the host computer. Prior to installing the HL-2170W the purchase everyone in our household was using USB drives to plug into my desktop computer so they could print to an old HP color ink jet that was connected with a USB cable to my computer. The HL-2170W is our first network printer.
  
  Here's how my HL-2170W install process got sidetracked and left me kicking myself. I looked at the HL-2170W manual and the cover said set up involves only two steps. So I was thinking Wow this is AWESOME, just like the Linksys router. So I proceeded to install the CD on my host computer and started breezing through the set-up screens and along the way made some big mistakes. When I got to the Setting Up Wireless window I selected the default Step-by-Step Install (Recommended) and clicked Next without any hesitation. This mistake was compounded in the Window pertaining to Authentication Method and Encryption Mode, where the HL-2170W default Encryption Mode is WEP (later found out my Linksys used the more advanced WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access). Got to the end and noticed the HL-2170W was mapped on my network but not assigned an IP address. The HL-2170W emphasizes the trademarked Secure Easy Set-up in the HL-2170 product description and manual. But the install CD process alternatively recommends a process that makes it easy for you to commit an error and resort to more complicated procedures.
  
  So this morning I thought about how I may have screwed up and decided to give it another try. I printed out instructions for resetting the internal HL-2170W internal print server, which is what you do to start over on Step 1. I uninstalled the printer driver from my computer. I made sure the standard Windows XP Firewall was turned off. I re-insatalled the HL-2170W set-up CD and got to the window to select the non-default Automatic Install (Advanced) to capitalize on the Linksys Secure Easy Setup approach. This is Page 26 of the manual, entitled Configuration Using the automatic wireless (one-push) method. Except this is actually a two-push method (push HL-2170W button in Step 9 for 1 second, then on Step 12 you'll need to push the Linksys Router for a second). Note: The Linksys WRT54g router push button is actually the Cisco Systems logo on the router. Don't be fooled into thinking your router does not have a push button.
  
  Unfortunately, going through this process knocked the two notebooks off the previously configured wireless network (I do not know the cause), so I had to go through the process for re-adding them to the network.
  
  Finally, I went to each computer to with the HL-2170W CD to install the printer driver only. At this point I was extremely patient and reading every detail to make sure I was selecting the right option and entering the correct information. Windows Vista seemed more tedious than Windows XP.
  
  My recommendation for anyone considering purchasing the Brother HL-2170W printer is simple. Don't buy the HL-2170W at this time unless you have a Linksys Router with Secure Easy Setup equipped with the push button, or have computer networking expertise and many hours of spare time to figure it out. In my opinion, the key decision error made by Brother is providing an install CD that, by default, takes you down a path with land mines that require you know router settings and information that are not the listed defaults. Unbelievably, the simpler push button approach that worked for me is listed as the "Advanced" option in the setup process that is NOT RECOMMENDED by Brother. They steer you away from simplicity and into complexity. Brother will discover this over next few months and likely clarify their install manual and CD. In the interim, they may get hammered by many frustrated customers who are not saavy computer users, will make mistakes during setup, will not want to hassle with re-setting the server, and will return the product. Good luck. Right now I'm very satisfied and awarding four stars because my HL-2170W is working great.
  
  

• Low price, easy setup, good performance!

  
  By A24K43HSTVNX6E on 2008-01-16
  I've been buying Brother laser printers for several years now - first the HL-1240, and then the HL-1440. Both were used in my home network via the Windows printer sharing function, which means that the computer to which the printer is attached must be up and running in order to print. The 1440 recently started malfunctioning, and rather than deal with its problems I decided to get something new that I could connect directly to the network.
  
  I went looking for the HL-2070n, but these are no longer stocked in local stores, and I wanted a printer quick. Instead I found this model and the larger, more expensive HL-5250dn. After playing with both of them for a few minutes, I felt that the 5250 was too noisy and clunky sounding, and kind of big. It's probably a good printer, but I went instead for the quieter and less obtrusive HL-2170w.
  
  The wireless capability is a nice feature, but not really important to me right now, since the printer sits only three feet from my Linksys WRT54G router and I don't need to move it around the house. So even though I'm able to use the easy wireless setup, I went with a wired network connection instead. Setup on my three computers was a breeze. I followed the easy instructions and everything worked as expected. If I try the wireless installation later, I fully expect it to go just as well.
  
  Now that it's in place, the printer seems to be doing what it should. Output is fast, paper is not badly curled, and quality looks fine. The printer driver also has the advanced features I've been accustomed to with my earlier printers. My only minor gripe is that I don't like the minimalist control panel that consists of just three LEDs and one big button. Since my earlier printers had the same kind of thing, I know I'll have to keep referring to the user manual in order to perform routine control panel functions and interpret any unusual alerts.
  
  It'll take a while to know whether or not the printer has any serious shortcomings, but I'm more than satisifed so far. Considering the low price, the hassle-free installation, and the results I'm seeing, I'll give it five stars.
  
  

• Great Performance, Wireless easy to setup

  
  By A3HV366R1AO271 on 2008-01-19
  This printer was the best value in small desktop lasers, when I conducted a recent search. I was somewhat hesitant by some other comments on wireless setup, but found that reading the directions carefully, it was very easy to setup, and working within about 10 minutes. No problems whatsoever. My network is NOT a "one button" setup network - we have a hidden SSID, use WPA2 with AES encryption, so I went with the "network cable" initial setup, then once configured, use it wireless. Installing the print drivers on the various machines in our house went great - each machine was printing within 3 minutes of putting in the installation CD.
  
  So far, this is one of the easiest wireless products to add to the network, and print quality is great. I am impressed with Brother's documentation and software. Nice work.
  
  I had ordered an extra toner cartridge with the printer - in hindsight, I would probably order the TN-360 cartridge (large capacity) instead of the TN-330 cartridge, but it's just a cost-saving - no functional difference.
  
  

• Good price...easy wireless setup

  
  By AB0N1AONA8W2N on 2008-01-30
  Very good price for a very good printer...I was looking into their previous version (2070N) when I came across the wireless version, and opted for this one instead for a little more.
  
  As for the wireless setup, it is VERY simple, and if you ARE a computer guy, you shouldn't even have to use the included CD for the install. I didn't use the included cd, these are the steps I took to install the drivers and setup the wireless function of the printer...
  
  1. Make sure your printer is ready to be powered up, which means install the drum/toner, paper, etc.
  2. Make sure DHCP is turned on and your using it on your router to assign IP addresses.
  3. Plug in a Ethernet cable from your router to the printer.
  4. Turn on the printer.
  5. Your router should have assigned the printer an IP Address...to check which IP address it has been assigned you can open up your router's web interface and check the DHCP leased IP addresses and find the one for the printer.
  6. Download printer drivers from here:
  http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bsc/public/us/us/en/dlf/download_top.html?reg=us&c=us&lang=en&prod=hl2170w_all
  Extract it to a folder on your desktop.
  7. Install the printer/drivers on your machine. I was using Vista, but steps should be similar...go to control panel, printers, add printer. Select Wireless/Networked printer. It will try to search for one by itself, just click on the button below it that says Printer is not on list or something. There will be a field for you to enter the IP address of the printer, select that and enter the IP address of the printer which you found in step 5. It'll find the printer and bring up a box for you to select the drivers. Click on the Have Disk button and point it to the drivers you extracted on your desktop.
  8. Your printer is setup! The wired part anyway, you should be able to print a test page and see that it is functional.
  9. Open up your browser and point it to the IP address of your printer (ex. http://192.168.0.100). This will take you to the printers web interface, from which you can handle all your administration. Default user/pass are user/access and admin/access.
  10. The first thing I did was change my passwords for user and admin. Then I assigned the printer a static IP address which was out of my DHCP lease range. You don't have to do this.
  11. Under one of the tabs there should be a link that says "Setup Wireless .. " or something similar, click on it...on that page you can specify your SSID, type of encryption used, your password, etc, and click on submit.
  12. It will ask you to unhook the ethernet cable and will do its thing. If you entered all your information correctly, you should be up and running with your wireless setup. You can try to print a test page and see.
  I think thats it...i'm typing this from memory, but it looks right :D
  
  All in all this took me less than 5 minutes to install and setup for wireless use. You don't have to use this method, it's just easy and fast if you know what your doing. The CD is a great asset, but I just like doing things myself :)
  
  
• Nice wireless printer
  By A1RXVD39SSCMHM on 2008-01-24
  I compared this printer with 2150N before I purchase it. $20 more for the wireless feature is worthful. My wireless router is using hiden SSID, WEP and MAC filter. It's easy to setup SSID and WEP if you follow the instruction. For the MAC filter, there is a little tricky. The printer doesn't have MAC address on it body (for most wireless devices, you can find MAC address right on it). However, once you finished setup printer over cable, it will pop a message to ask if you like to print a test page. click yes. Then you'll get your printer's MAC address right on that page. There are two MAC address, one is for ethernet card, one is for wireless.
  
  
• Great Wireless Printer - Fantastic Tech Support (Mac User)
  By A2219E281V8NWJ on 2008-07-01
  I couldn't get it to work either with my Airport Express Network.
  
  I followed the instructions in the manual but my iMac (running Leopard) couldn't "see" the printer on my Airport Express Network.
  
  Emails to tech support initially went unanswered.
  
  I finally called tech support (thinking it would be a waste of time) but they were incredibly helpful --- I was only on hold for a few moments!
  
  We got disconnected but the Brother tech support guy called me back ---- twice!
  
  
  Here's where I went wrong:
  
  1) I didn't download the Leopard drivers from the Brother Website.
  
  2) I entered the wrong info about my Airport Express (write down your wireless network settings before you start the installation).
  
  3) I didn't click the Airport icon on the menu and select "Setup" from the drop down menu.
  
  4) I didn't "add" the wireless printer after the installation was complete.
  
  Now it works perfectly and the USB cable has already been sold on eBay.
  
  The print jobs have been excellent --- very clear and crisp.
  
  The printer itself is compact with no extending paper trays.
  
  I'm very impressed with this printer and with Brother tech support. Highly recommend this wireless printer.
  
  PS
  This computer can be "reset" if you need to start all over again (as described in the manual).
  
  
  
  
• Troublesome install under Vista
  By A3OETP1TI73CAB on 2008-08-23
  After about 3 hours of troubleshooting, I finally got it to work. After searching the net, I found that it isn't necessarily a Brother problem, but a network printer problem with Vista (XP doesn't have this problem). Still I wasn't the first to have these problems (lots of people seem to have the same problem), and Brothers support site makes no mention of it. I called tech support but they were closed for the weekend.
  
  I was setting it up as a network printer using the easy setup button on my router. Basically you press a button on the back of the printer, press the easy setup button on your router (if your router supports it, otherwise you have to use a cable just for setup), and the network configuration is sent to the printer. You don't have to do anything else, just click through the dialogs to install the drivers. Very easy, and it seemed to work. The printer was showing up, it had an IP address assigned to it and the included Brother software was showing it's status.
  
  Except it wouldn't print. Vista showed the printer as offline, and there aren't any settings or buttons to put it online. Reinstalled the driver and set up the network on it multiple times, trying different methods. It wouldn't even print using a USB cable, still showing offline.
  
  The printer was showing up on the network, so I figured I would try it with my MacBook Pro. A slight drawback is the first thing you see when you open the box is a piece of paper saying the included CD doesn't provide full support for OSX Leopard (10.5). I went to their website, downloaded the newest drivers there and set up the printer quickly and easily with no problems at all. Printed fine, so I knew the printer was working.
  
  If anyone has the "offline" problem on Vista, the fix was very easy once I figured it out. The secret is to let Vista set up the printer, not the Brother software. Although the included software is nice for guiding you through the network setup. Once it was installed using the included software I removed the printer in the printer control panel. I then clicked add printer from the same control panel instead of using Brother's install software as I did every time before. It found the printer and installed it and now it works fine.
  
  Print quality is good, but not great. I am pleased with it for what I will use it for. For the price though, it's the perfect home printer. Cheap, relatively small footprint, good print quality, speedy (for the price range) and a tray that holds a large amount of paper.
  
  The only thing I don't like about it, besides the difficult install, is it's power draw. When I turn on the printer or when it starts to print, my UPS (Uninterpretable power supply) turns on due to noise on the line, and the lights flicker. Granted I have a lot of stuff plugged into the circuit, but this seems a bit extreme for a printer.
  
  I only gave it 3 stars for a few reasons. Brother's website at the very least should have a work around for set up. Obviously a lot of people don't have the problems I had, but there are quite a few reports of this problem if you do a Google search. The power draw is another factor, a printer shouldn't be making my lights flicker. And lastly as others have noted, the manual feed "tray" is very flimsy and you can't really call it a tray since it won't support any paper without you holding on to it.
  
  
• Easy to configure, prints great
  By A1FGVU9P42DL4 on 2008-01-17
  The installation for the Mac (OS X 10.4) was simple, quick, and I had no problems. The print quality is very good. The wireless functionality permits me to locate the printer anywhere in the house. Overall, a great value.
  
  
• A+ from a Mac User
  By A1A14W8BDLCUYZ on 2008-05-17
  I read a ton of reviews about different lower priced laser printers and found this to be the best choice - and it seems I made the right decision. The price was great and though I have only had it for a month or so, I love it so far.
  I can't speak for how it lasts over the years but the wireless install was super easy, Im on a Mac with OS 10.5. Took me about 10 minutes and had no problems at all. The speed and quality of the prints is great as well.
  
  It is a bit noisy on start up and while printing but that does not bother me. Cant beat it for the price.
  
  Highly recommended!
  
  
• Easy Wireless Setup
  By A1TBUNE8M3X5MM on 2008-01-26
  I have read several reviews on this site and others complaining about the setup and I wanted to set the record straight.
  
  This was the easiest wireless printer I have ever setup. I had zero problems and everything worked on the 1st try. If you are capable of reading the manual and following instructions then you will have no problems.
  
  I am very happy with my purchase. Cheap price, fast startup time, low noise, and I love being able to place this in any room of my home.
  
  Don't let the other negative comments stop you from buying this printer.
  
  
• excellent wireless printer, terrible wireless setup
  By AJ7QGZ9FBWQLP on 2008-01-29
  Being a computer GUY, I never pay attention to negative reviews about wireless setup, but this was the WORST wireless install I have ever had:(
  It took me 8 hours to get this thing going, but it works great. Issue is, the printer has 2 mac addresses, one for the wireless adapter and one for the ethernet. NOWHERE in the setup/users manual does Brother tell you this. If you are not computer savvy, BEWARE OF THIS PRINTER. You should set the ip address to a static address in the network configuration for both your router/access point AND the network configuration for the printer. If you don't do this, you wont have any way to access the settings if something should go wrong on the install. Calling Brother's customer service won't do you much good. I am still waiting for a call back from the HEAD TECH GUY:( It is a little loud, but I can live with that considering that I paid $130 for it delivered. This is a great wireless printer for a home network. We have 6 computers at home and were constantly buying print cartridges for the FREE printers that came with the kids DELL's (WHAT A JOKE)... The high yield toner costs $60 and with the toner saver on, you can get close to 5000/6000 pages.
  
  
• Fine printer, but wireless install is a chore
  By A3S3VA0MTSS86A on 2008-02-14
  I got this printer to have wireless printing with my macbook pro (10.4.11). After many tries of getting the printer to play nice with my network (Airport Express), it continued to fail to find the network after restarting as required by the driver installation. Brother website has no additional information that will help a mac user.
  
  I did not try customer service for additional support. I'll try tomorrow. Otherwise it is going back to office max.
  
  I would not purchase again, as Brother is not worth the time or the money.
  
  
• Not great for Macs
  By A2C3T2W9RI3Y60 on 2008-05-05
  For the life of me, I could not get the WiFi element to "see" my wireless network set up through my Apple Airport Extreme. As a result, I had to return this printer.
  
  
• Oh Brother!
  By A2BL1ZST2W1C1L on 2008-01-24
  Like others, I've been wasting time with trying to set this printer up. Brother makes great printers, but lousy software!
  
  Even basic operations like printing the network configuration page do not work as documented. Perhaps it's just a bad printer...
  
  WEP/WAP wireless setup should be trivial. This one reminds me of setting up first generation wired network printers years ago!
  
  
• Great value, wireless set-up works
  By A3QVNPIDWY8ZLL on 2008-02-02
  I'm not normally a contributor to product reviews, but chose this printer after reading the reviews so thought I had should contribute for future buyers. Overall I have to say I had a good experience with this printer... the wireless set-up was relatively painless... I set it up on a Mac and while it took two attempts, it was far better than other wireless devices I have tried to connect to the network. Given the price and feature set, this is a printer I would buy again.
  
  
• Great printer, easy setup
  By A12F5NNG83E6MY on 2008-02-15
  I love this printer. I did not experience any of the setup problems described in some of the reviews. I have an older wireless router that is not "one-push" capable, and I am not a techie. I just followed the instructions on the CD, used the recommended setup method (which is to connect it with a cable to the wireless router when setting it up and then disconnect it before installing the printer driver on the individual computers), and everything worked the first time on both my desktop and laptop computers, which both connect wirelessly to my home network. The speed and quality of the printer are very good too and it does not take up too much space and fits neatly under a low shelf on my desk. I am very please with this purchase.
  
  
• beware of the wireless network settings
  By A2AKN57NZ30ZSS on 2008-03-21
  wireless network doesn't work. configuring it once and detected all wireless connection in the area. unfortunately, it failed to connect to mine. Since then, wireless detection fail completely regardless of reset or any possible attempt to change the setting. I guess unless the ROM memory is erased and re-program by the factory, the networking of this printer is dead once it is not configured "properly" the first time. One can argue that USB still works, and I do acknowledge this. But, why would anyone consider paying extra for this "network" printer if USB is all one needs.
  
  OK printer, great price, wireless network sucks. I'd suggest Brother to "fix" networking part and make it more user-friendly to avoid lots of returns.
  
  
• Rock solid printing solution
  By A13MTSHVS8QWHA on 2008-04-17
  This is our 3rd Brother laser printer (including one multi-function printer/fax) and all three have been rock solid. Adding this printer to our wireless network was very easy and all of our computers (all Apples running OS X, 10.5) found it and configured the drivers automatically.
  
  The printer is fast and with very good output quality. Replacement toner is relatively inexpensive and we get a lot of copies out of these printers between toner or drum replacements.
  
  I have recommended Brother's printers to others and without exception have heard back only positive comments.
  
  
• Expensive toner
  By A3FV1MW4PJMP1S on 2008-05-28
  While both HL-2140 and HL-2170w are cheap, the total running cost is not as low as they appear. The main problem is that Brother does NOT offer real high yield toner for HL-2140 and HL-2170w.
  
  While other "High Yield" toner print more than 6,000 pages, TN360's capacity is only 2,600 pages.Each page will cost you 2 cents while real high yied tonners like TN570 and TN 580 less than 1 cent, excluding paper and depreciation of the printer. In addition, the users of TN570 and TN580 have the choices between genuine and recycled toners.
  
  If you print a large number of pages, I would recommend other models
  
  
  
• Easy setup, great printer so far
  By A130NAHUL45JWB on 2008-02-12
  After reading some of the reviews, I was a bit hesitant to buy this printer. However, I needed a replacement for an HP printer with a verticle papertray that constantly jammed. I've usually purchased HP, but HP printers in the same price range as this brother had terrible reviews and I wanted a network capable printer. I received this printer last week and finally got the nerve today to try and set it up. Setup was incredibly easy. I downloaded the latest drivers as suggested by several reviewers here. I had no problems installing the printer on my network. I followed the instructions for a peer to peer network, typed in the IP address when prompted, and xp connected to the printer without a problem. I'm thrilled. Now to see how the printer works over the long haul.
  
  
• Great printer, moderately difficult setup
  By A1HKXGEYHA41SN on 2008-02-29
  Like other reviewers I had issues with my setup - and I'm very proficient in networking. Fortunately I had my WEP keys, router password, and SSID on file. If you don't have these keys you will need significant patience.
  
  I don't believe the "One Button Setup" works if you have high security enabled on your router - meaning the SSID is not broadcasted, the connectivity to your router requires a positive match on the MAC address, and/or you are using WAP/WEP keys. This all means the printer simply cannot "find" your network - just as you would hope an intruder wouldn't. If it does, your security needs to be tightened.
  
  I was irritated that NO WHERE on the box or printer is there any mention of the MAC address. That would have helped me a lot. Instead I spent even more time thumbing through the setup guide trying to determine how to get the printer to spit it out. I think it's 3 hits of the blue button to get the current config settings.
  
  Here is my recommendation: As the previous user with multiple printers stated, read the setup instructions but go directly to the CABLE setup method. Plug one cable into the printer and the other into one of the empty slots in the back of your router. If that means having to temporarily move the printer to an inconvenient location, so be it. That's what I had to do after tinkering with it for 2 hours!
  
  Once connected, using the setup CD and knowing the SSID and WEP keys made connecting this little gem very simple. Don't forget you may have to add the MAC address to your router to authorize 2 way communication as a final step.
  
  That was the chore, but I do think it was a very worthwhile exercise. I've been using this printer now for several weeks and have already run about 250 pages with no jams and beautiful prints. The resolution on this is to be seen to be believed - and that's only using 600 dpi. The ability to print from anywhere in the house far outweighs any short-term setup issues for me.
  
  The primary reason why I went back to printing via laser was because like everyone else, I'm tired of buying ink cartridges. I truly believe they must evaporate. I hardly use any color and it still begs for more. The second reason is that I was sick of not being able to use a highlighter on any inkjet prints without the ink completely smearing across the lines.
  
  Go ahead and give this machine a try - but do price shop since I've seen some excellent bargains lately. The worst case is that you temporarily cannot use it wirelessly - but that would likely be the same no matter what make or model you purchased.
  
  
• Thanks for all the comments!!!!
  By A1P70MC7XXRFX8 on 2008-03-19
  I read on here about problems earlier users have had setting up wireless. Well, I did exactly what was suggested on here (especially hooking up a wired connection first) and had 4 wired and wireless PC's up in about an hour, all now on wireless. Printing is flawless and I'm really happy. Should be LOTS cheaper than the ink jets I've been using for text only.
  
  
• Inexpensive but agravating
  By A36YK9Y34NE7BI on 2008-06-25
  After reading the glowing reviews, I decided to purchase this printer since there was an awesome deal on it ($88). I was pleased with the features, the Mac support and the price.
  
  As a network administrator, I set up network printers quite often, but the process on this unit is unnecessarily complicated. Certainly it's much more involved than HP and Canon network printers. I had to reset it twice just to get it to pull an IP addy from the router. Furthermore, I needed this printer to have a static IP address, but every time it is rebooted it loses its IP and has to be re-setup. Boo!
  
  Also, the energy usage is simply unacceptable in this day and age. 430W at peak? Ridiculous.
  
  My grandpa always used to say "dance with the one what brung ya." I have decided that I will stick to HP from now on.
  
  
• A good deal.
  By A2FYOOQ42WWVX1 on 2008-01-26
  The HL-2170w printer was easy to set up over my wireless network. I just followed the instructions. I have had a previous bad experience with another brand of wireless printer, so I was pleasantly surprised at the ease of setup of the HL-2170w.
  
  The print quality is very good at 600 DPI.
  
  I am happy with the purchase. It feels like a lot of printer for the money.
  
  
• AdHoc network installation
  By A1JQ3BAPVGTW on 2008-03-24
  I have no wireless network. I wanted only to be able to print from one of three laptops from anywhere in the house without carrying computer to printer and plugging in USB cable. Initial installation failed. The manual does not seem to cover this particular contingency so I went online and found explicit instructions in the FAQ. The printer works well usually finished printing by the time I walk to the printer.
  
  
• Just read the manual for easy setup
  By ANJNTRCUQA8I4 on 2008-03-30
  I've had this printer in my home for a week now. I'm totally satisfied with the print speed and quality. It is noisy while printing but is quiet when its inactive. I haven't had any paper curl problem.
  
  Don't let the negative reviews regarding setup discourage you from purchasing this printer. I had no problems getting it connected wirelessly to my home network of 1 desktop and 2 laptops. I used the method recommended in the setup guide, which is to connect the printer to the router with a cable while setting it up.
  
  I believe the negative reviews stem from people trying to install the printer on a encrypted wireless network when they don't know the encryption method or key. You'll need to know if your wireless network is open (unencrypted), WEP, or WPA. If its WEP or WPA, you'll need the password to connect to the network. If you know these, you'll have no problem with installation.
  
  
  
  
• Some install tips...please read.
  By A2L9EICT9AZ9AN on 2008-11-23
  I saw this printer and just had to have it.
  
  I've been wanting to get a wireless printer for some time. I have a laptop, my daughter has a laptop, and I have a desktop. BUT, I could not print on anything beside the desktop. Unless I shared out the printer and left my PC on ALL THE TIME....I didn't want to do that. Also, the idea of just having to plug this into a socket and not running any CAT5 was great.
  
  So I started looking around for a wireless printer. I checked HP's site, since I've had good luck with their products. Well, they did not have a laser printer with wireless. I just couldn't find one. And I wanted to stay away from inkjet technology. I wanted something that was FAST.
  
  Well, I saw this printer on sale and thought it was perfect. So I went ahead and bought it.
  
  First off, let me tell you, I've been playing with computers my whole life and have been working in the IT field for most of my adult life. I tried to set this up myself without reading directions. Folks, let me save you some time, scan the documentation and USE THE INSTALL DISC. If I had only used the disc, I could have saved myself 2 hours worth of time.
  
  I attempted to just install it via a downloaded driver and the utility found on Brother's website. Forget it...just use the disc.
  
  Very important, you have to plug the unit into your router, then run the CD. Once you get the printer on your LAN, you configure the wireless portion. Then once you have set up the wireless portion, REMOVE THE LAN CABLE. It's kind of weird, but it WILL NOT pick up an IP via wireless until you remove the LAN cable. Once you remove the cable, if you have setup the wireless correctly, it will be on the network.
  
  Also, if you are confused as to what wireless setup you may have, go to your router via configuration page and check the settings. I use WEP, but wasn't sure if it was shared or open....I definitely have a key, but nothing seemed to work, until I verified that it was "open". Once I selected the correct settings and removed the lan cable, it showed up. I used a ping command to verify it was on the network. Once I saw the ping, I knew it was good.
  
  So far, this is a great little printer. I have set it up on my wireless network. Anyways...thanks for reading my review. I hope that it helps
  Take care!
  
  
• No Problems to Set Up
  By A36JORW3Q8F56A on 2008-02-05
  Took about five minutes to do a wireless setup.
  I used the so-called "using a network cable temporarily" method, followed the steps in the manual and had no problems. I have an older Linksys wrt54gs router without any "easy set-up buttons" -- maybe that was a plus.
  Also, you are instructed to connect the temporary cable at a mid-point in the proceeding (steps 8,9).
  USB printers - wireless or not - always seem to want cables connected at a mid-point in their set-up. This could be where people have problems. I did not have to key in any network parameters which is a godsend.
  
  Aside from set-up, the printer is definitely fast. Also, noisy. And documentation is a little thin and comes in non-paper form (a CD which automatically copies the doc files to your computer which then show up in your "all programs" menu. I am still trying to figure out how to change the sleep interval. I want it to sleep as fast as possible to cut the noise down. Also, in wake mode, the printer causes the house lights to flicker from periodic heating operations - apparently. Have the same problem with my copier.
  
  
• Great Printer for the Price!
  By A2IWVVREQVVM5H on 2008-05-15
  This is a nice compact printer only standing about 7 inches high. I recommend setting up the wired connection first. After that's done, the wireless setup is a breeze. It prints quickly and looks great. The only downside is that you have to manually feed the paper if you want it double-sided, and it can be kind of tricky to get the printer to pull from the manual feed. Also, there is no manual feed tray, so you have to hold the page in the slot until it pulls it in. Other than that, this is a great printer for the price!
  
  

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