OKI B401d: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the OKI B401d right for you?

A tiny USB-only mono LED printer from OKI's B400 family, the B401d is still in service on plenty of reception desks and home offices. It has automatic duplex, which was unusual at this price, but no network port at all. The two-part consumable system means faded or streaky output at high page counts is usually the image drum, and drums for this model are becoming harder to find.

Best for: Home offices and reception desks with a single directly connected PC

Setting up the OKI B401d

Connect by USB and let Windows install its inbox driver, or download OKI's PCL driver if you need duplex and paper-type options. To share it on a network, connect it to a PC or a small USB print server and share the queue, since there is no Ethernet. On macOS the printer may only be usable through a generic PCL driver, as OKI no longer ships signed drivers for this model.

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 OKI'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 OKI B401d uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• OKI B401 black toner (2,500 pages)
• B401 image drum (25,000 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