Epson Stylus Office BX305FW: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Epson Stylus Office BX305FW right for you?

The Stylus Office BX305FW was the European budget fax all-in-one of 2010, using DURABrite pigment Fox cartridges and offering Wi-Fi and a 30-sheet ADF to sole traders at a very low price. It was slow and basic but reliable, and some are still in use. Age brings dried pigment black, worn ADF pads and the waste pad warning, and Windows 11 needs the legacy Epson package for scanning and faxing.

Best for: Sole traders keeping a 2010 budget fax all-in-one going

Setting up the Epson Stylus Office BX305FW

Install the archived driver, Epson Scan and FAX Utility from epson.co.uk/support before connecting. Wi-Fi needs a 2.4 GHz WPA2 network and is set up from the mono LCD. Run a nozzle check after any idle spell before replacing cartridges.

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 Epson'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 Epson Stylus Office BX305FW uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Epson T1285 Fox multipack
• Epson T1281 Black

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