Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer

Brother HL-L2405W Laser Printer
4.2
Based on 89 customer reviews
9
1
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Customer Reviews Summary

The Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer has generally received positive feedback from users across different platforms. Many customers appreciate the printer’s affordability, ease of setup, and efficient printing capabilities. The most frequently mentioned strengths include its compact design, high-quality print output, and fast printing speed. However, some users reported difficulties with the wireless setup and a lack of certain features such as duplex printing. Overall, the printer is considered a good value for money, particularly for those who need a reliable monochrome printer for home or small office use.

PROS

  • Affordable Price: Many users highlight the printer’s reasonable cost as a significant advantage. It is often praised for delivering good performance without a hefty price tag. A customer on Amazon mentioned, “For such a cheap laser printer, this actually works extremely well.”
  • Easy Setup: A majority of users found the setup process to be straightforward, especially when following the quick start guide or using the printer’s app. One reviewer noted, “I was able to set up the printer in just a few minutes using the mobile app.”
  • Fast and Quiet Operation: The printer’s speed and quiet performance are appreciated by several customers. A user stated, “The printer is quiet and prints very quickly, which is great for a home office environment.”
  • Good Print Quality: Customers frequently commend the quality of the prints, noting that text documents come out clear and sharp. As one reviewer put it, “The print quality is great on small fonts and heavy glossy stock.”
  • Compact Design: The printer’s small footprint is another plus point, making it ideal for users with limited space. One customer said, “This printer is compact and fits nicely on my desk in my home office.”

CONS

  • Difficult Wireless Setup: A common complaint among users is the challenging wireless setup process. Many found the instructions inadequate and had to resort to online tutorials or tech support. A user mentioned, “The Wi-Fi setup is an archaic and arduous process, and the manual was not helpful.”
  • No Duplex Printing: Several customers were disappointed to find that the printer does not support automatic duplex (double-sided) printing. One user commented, “This machine is not capable of automatic two-sided printing, which was a dealbreaker for me.”
  • High Initial Power Draw: Some users reported that the printer’s initial power draw can be quite high, causing issues if connected to a shared or near-capacity circuit. A reviewer pointed out, “The initial power draw to spool up the system is immense, and it tripped my breaker every time.”
  • Connectivity Issues: A few customers experienced difficulties with the printer maintaining a stable connection, particularly over Wi-Fi. One reviewer noted, “Even after following all the instructions, the printer failed to connect reliably to my network.”
  • Lack of Ethernet Port: Some users assumed the printer would have an Ethernet port for a wired connection, but it does not. A disappointed customer stated, “I guess I’m old school. If something advertises WiFi, I assume it has the basic Ethernet port. It does not.”

Who Should Buy?

The Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer is ideal for individuals or small offices that require a reliable and budget-friendly printer for black-and-white document printing. It is especially suitable for users who do not need advanced features such as color printing or duplex printing and are looking for a compact, efficient device to handle everyday printing tasks. This printer is perfect for those who prioritize simplicity, speed, and cost-effectiveness over a broader feature set.

Do Users Recommend This Product?

Overall, users generally recommend the Brother HL-L2405W for its affordability, print quality, and ease of use once set up. However, they caution potential buyers about the challenging wireless setup process and the lack of features such as duplex printing. For those who can manage the setup or prefer using a USB connection, the printer is considered a worthwhile purchase that delivers on its promises for basic monochrome printing needs. Users who require more advanced functionalities or easier connectivity options might want to consider other models.

Check it out on Amazon

See the latest pricing for Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer with Mobile Printing, Black & White Output | Includes Refresh Subscription Trial(1), Amazon Dash Replenishment Ready on Amazon

Overview

Product Page: HL-L2405W | PrintersAIOs | PrintersAIOsFaxMachines | By Brother
Click on the link above to go to the official product page and get more detailed information about the product.

Customer Reviews

Updated on December 24, 2024

Showing 110 reviews of 89 reviews.

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LEEApril 17, 2024

WI-FI set-up is an archaic and ardous process.

REVIEW: Brother HL-L2405W Wireless Compact Monochrome Laser Printer.

The Brother HL-L2405W replaced model HL-L2305W. Although the HL-L2405W is the new and improved version, Brother did NOT improve the WI-FI set-up connectivity. Reviewers have identified the set-up as their biggest problem / complaint / frustration. If you don’t have patience and some problem solving skills, this could be a BIG problem in setting this laser printer up.

The Brother HL-L2405W has almost no printed instructions on how to set-up the WI-FI connection. Instead, Brother refers their customer to their website for a USER MANUAL. I found the USER MANUAL to be poorly written and difficult to follow. Since the WI-FI set-up connection is one of the most important feature of this wireless laser printer, I found it mind-boggling that Brother couldn’t hire a competent technical writer to write an understandable USER MANUAL for customers who aren’t computer geeks.

Since the Brother USER MANUAL was gibberish to me, I had to watch several YOUTUBE videos on how to set-up the older model HL-L2305W. I have several devices that are WI-FI connected, but connecting the Brother was the most difficult and frustrating that I’ve encountered.

The syncing of my WI-FI router to the Brother HL-L2405W using the WPS button on the router didn’t work for me. Instead, I had to manually enter my WI-FI password which was a slow, archaic, and arduous process. The Brother accepted my WI-FI password, the WI-FI light glowed steady, and I found the Brother on my System Setting “Printers and Scanners”. I thought I was good to go for printing. I was WRONG.

My computer showed the print job was in process, but the Brother wouldn’t print anything. I double checked everything and everything looked good. I was perplexed. I thought I might have gotten a faulty printer so I was prepared to return it back to AMAZON.

As I went through my problem solving process, I remembered a possible fix. Turn off or unplug the router, the computer, and the Brother HL-L2405W; wait a few minutes and turn on or plug in all the devices. This was my last hope to get it to work. As soon as I plugged in the Brother, the printer made the distinctive “start up” sound and I knew it had worked and I could print.

AFTER going through the arduous set-up, once I got it set-up, the Brother printer has worked flawlessly. I even was able to print from my iPad. I don’t print often so this $120 printer is worth the price. I deducted one-star for the pain and suffering inflicted on me in the WI-FI set-up.

NOTE: There is a printer port in the Brother for a printer to computer USB connection. There is no printer cable included. If you decide to use a printer cable, you will have to go the the Brother website and download a driver, but one of the benefits of a wireless connection is that NO driver is necessary so the Brother can print from different WI-FI devices like laptop, iPhone, iPad, etc.

BowlingdudeFebruary 25, 2024

Good printer for the price, but the transient power draw is extremely high.

Great printer, great price.

Pretty easy to setup. I didnt have any issues, but my parents…well…maybe Iphone setup is slightly different? Dont know. They didnt have as easy of a time.

The only draw back I have with the printer so far is that the initial power draw to spool up the system is IMMENSE. If you put this printer on a breaker that is actively used or or near capacity, it will trip the breaker. I put this on a 15amp circuit, but I have two computers running on that circuit, and it it trips it everytime. So I estimate this thing pulls 8 Amps during its wakeup phase, with peak over 12amps.

Amazon CustomerMarch 1, 2024

manual wireless is pretty easy

I saw all the reviews that talked about trouble getting wireless working, so I went directly to the manual approach. Connect the printer to the wifi using the printer controls (tedious, but easy — I hope you have a short wifi password:). Then went to ‘Add Printer’ on my Windows 10 and Mac and clicked through. Could not have been easier. Windows and Mac include the drivers. No need to mess with Brother install software or downloading drivers. Maybe it was easier because it is a newer model, or maybe just because I didn’t bother even trying the Brother software.

(I’ve only had it a brief time. Will add more later after exercising it.)

Bruce MillerMarch 16, 2024

Was expecting the worst

After reading reviews I anticipated a grueling installation, but other than wasting 2 hours trying to get USB working without success, I found the wifi printing setup straightforward and quick (following the few tips posted here). Works great wireless and easy to print using the Brother Mobile Connect app ( I also installed the Mopria app for Android and iPrint and Scan app, not sure they are helpful but all I know is everything works now). I can print pdf and jpegs (even photos with lousy quality but works). The wifi settings are saved with power down, btw.

Update:

The printer connects Wi-Fi even in closed cabinet far from router. It also wakes up from deep sleep within seconds and prints immediately. It does prefer PDF’s using the Mobile Connect app displaying most recent PDF automatically. Even happier since getting.

Mark MFebruary 4, 2024

No Duplex printing on this machine.

This machine is not capable of automatic two sided printing (as stated in the product description on Amazon), only manually reinserting the pages! Considering sending it back.
If you want duplex printing this is not the machine for you

Richard PeetApril 19, 2024

Great laser printer

Bought this printer for use with Linux / windows and iPhone. It has worked great with all three. I am using it with its WiFi connection and the printer is tucked away in a distant room from the router. I am completely satisfied.

john christieFebruary 23, 2024

as advertised, reasonably priced

works perfectly, plug in, load ink and paper and off you go…how could it be any better?

Doc HollidayMay 2, 2024

Just arrived and installed under 5 minutes – so far so good

Replaced an old HPK5400 inkjet that finally quit. This unit arrived – unboxed & installed in > 5 min. Some tips (Note I’m running Windows 11) :
* Followed the included quick set up guide to load the cartridge
* I used the old printer cable from the HP (see pic) – it works fine
* With printer connected to the PC – went to setup.brother.com, provided the model & DL ONLY the driver & install pack
* Ran the exe. for this driver pack, then opened Printers and Scanners on Win 11
* The printer was there – ran a test page and voila – it’s ready and printing
– I’ve printed 5 pages so far, print quality is great on small fonts, Also tested with heavy glossy stock same good results
– This is my first Brother machine – I read a lot of reviews and they were clearly least complaints
* Note majority of complaints were setting up the wireless print function
* The laser cartridge print output consistently got high marks and that was a key need for me
– I did not connect the wireless feature as it’s just for my office, but will update when I do if it’s painful or if something else goes wrong – Hope this review helps prospective buyers

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WoodyMarch 7, 2024

Compact, Unobtrusive

For simple one-side B&W documents you can’t beat this printer. It is pretty quiet and the laser prints are sharp and clean, no bleeding. I had been using a Canon compact printer for years, but when it finally conked out on me that was the last straw. I decided to go with a Brother printer due to their reputation.

Of course this printer is much bigger than my Canon printer, probably 3-4 times as big, but it is relatively light weight and fits nicely on my desk in my home office. I would not recomend it for traveling tough. One thing I don’t regret about the Canon is that I was constantly buying ink for the printer. At $20 a pop it was not cheap. Also the whirling, grinding sounds that printer use to make when warming up, sometimes lasting a few minutes, was really frustrating and nerve-wracking. Not to mention the clogged heads when the printer was left idle for too long which use to waste a lot of expensive ink.

This printer warms up in a couple of seconds and is very quiet. No clogged heads to worry about since its a laser printer. Connecting to my computer was a breeze. Brother really made it easy. No need to insert a complicated CD disk, or download long and tedious PDF instructions. You do have to download an app that takes you step by step in the installement process. It took me maybe 10 minutes(or less) and I was off and printing. The app did a great jobs connecting the printer to the rest of my network. No issues there.

Having used cartridge printers before, I’m pretty sure I won’t have to replace the cartridge on this one for a while. Brother has an automatic refill app, but I won’t be using it because my printer volumne is just too low.

John Wilkerson Jr.March 16, 2024

Great printer in all respects.

I bought this printer and found setup to be quite easy. There was an app for andriod that handled everything on the phone. The only thing I had to do on the printer was to press the power key.

Print quality is great. It is much faster than my old HP laserjet. It’s quiet for a laser printer.

No issues with the deep sleep mode. When there is a print job, it wakes up immediately and begins printing.

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