Brother DCP-L2540DW: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Brother DCP-L2540DW right for you?

The DCP-L2540DW is the ADF-equipped version of Brother's 2014 compact laser all-in-one, with a 35-sheet feeder, Ethernet and a 30 ppm engine. It copies and scans stacks of pages without babysitting, which made it a home office favorite. ADF misfeeds appear as the rollers wear, and a rubber roller clean usually fixes them. Toner and drum are the cheap TN-660 / DR-630 pair.

Best for: Home offices that scan multi-page documents on a budget

Setting up the Brother DCP-L2540DW

Use Ethernet for the simplest setup or the LCD Network menu for 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi. The Full Driver & Software Package provides ControlCenter4 for scan-to-file and scan-to-email on Windows; Mac users can scan through Image Capture. Set a DHCP reservation so scan-to-PC keeps finding the printer.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the toner cartridge and drum unit, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Brother's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Brother DCP-L2540DW uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• TN-630 toner (1,200 pages)
• TN-660 high-yield toner (2,600 pages)
• DR-630 drum unit (12,000 pages)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications