Brother MFC-J1010DW: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Brother MFC-J1010DW right for you?

The MFC-J1010DW is Brother's cheapest current inkjet all-in-one with fax, aimed at homes that need a basic printer-copier-scanner for under 130 dollars. It uses small LC404 cartridges, so ink costs per page are high compared to the INKvestment models, and the 150-sheet tray and 20-sheet ADF are modest. Automatic duplex and a color LCD are nice inclusions at the price. If it sits unused for weeks, run a cleaning cycle before important prints to avoid missing black lines.

Best for: Families wanting a cheap all-in-one with fax and duplex

Setting up the Brother MFC-J1010DW

Brother Mobile Connect on a phone handles Wi-Fi setup, scanning and ink ordering. On Windows, install the Full Driver & Software Package for the scanner driver; Macs can use AirPrint for both printing and scanning. Keep it on a 2.4 GHz network and run Print Quality Check from the LCD if colors are missing.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink cartridges, 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 MFC-J1010DW uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• LC404BK black ink (750 pages)
• LC404C/M/Y color ink (750 pages each)

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