Brother HL-2270DW: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Brother HL-2270DW right for you?

The HL-2270DW was the breakout budget mono laser of the early 2010s and a surprising number of them are still running in home offices. It prints 27 pages a minute with automatic duplexing and both Wi-Fi and Ethernet, which was unusual at its price. Owners mostly deal with the 'Replace Toner' lockout, which can be bypassed with the continue-mode setting in the menu, and with older Windows 11 installs that lose the driver. Third-party TN-450 cartridges work without firmware blocking on this generation.

Best for: Owners of a reliable old home mono laser who just need it to keep working

Setting up the Brother HL-2270DW

Install from Brother's Full Driver & Software Package rather than relying on Windows Update, which often maps this model to a generic driver. For wireless setup, hold the Go button sequence described in the manual or use the WPS button on your router; the printer only supports 2.4 GHz networks. If the printer drops off Wi-Fi after a router change, print the Network Configuration page (hold Go for about 5 seconds, press once more) to confirm its IP address.

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 HL-2270DW uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• TN-420 toner (1,200 pages)
• TN-450 high-yield toner (2,600 pages)
• DR-420 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