Samsung CLX-3185FW: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Samsung CLX-3185FW right for you?

The CLX-3185FW was a compact colour laser all-in-one with Wi-Fi, fax and a small ADF, sold from 2010 into 2013. It is slow and the 150-sheet tray is tiny, but it was inexpensive and many are still used in home offices. Support is now legacy-only: the last drivers target Windows 8 and older macOS versions, although the Windows package generally still installs on Windows 11.

Best for: Home offices keeping an older colour all-in-one alive for light use

Setting up the Samsung CLX-3185FW

Get the CLX-3185 Series print and scan drivers from support.hp.com; install the print driver first, then the scan driver and Samsung Scan Manager. Wireless works on 2.4 GHz WPA2 networks only. If Windows 11 refuses the scan driver, use network scanning from the printer's panel (Scan to PC) with Samsung Easy Printer Manager running on the computer.

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 Samsung'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 Samsung CLX-3185FW uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• CLT-K407S black toner (1,500 pages)
• CLT-C407S / CLT-M407S / CLT-Y407S colour toners (1,000 pages each)
• CLT-R407 imaging unit
• CLT-W409 waste toner container

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