Last Updated: February 18, 2021 (Refresh Now)

Brother HL L2300D Monochrome Laser Printer with Duplex Printing

Last Updated: February 18, 2021 (Refresh Now)
7.3
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
999
Old Reviews
194
Unverified
63
Spam Test
PASS
No
USB
2
NUMBER OF USB PORTS
Yes
WIFI

Review Analysis - 742 recent, verified reviews

Detailed Mode
Print Quality
 430
print, toner, printing, prints, brother
+77%
-23%
comment
" ...  The printer is fast and small enough for our small home office area. ... When you send the doc to the printer it is fast to come out and prints fast.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I'm totally satisfied with the purchase of this printer. ... I have had no negative issues thus far with my printer.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The best little printer. ... I find the toner lasts a good while too, even the smaller one that comes with it. ... It can do regular paper fine or one side cardstock fine.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Economical to print. ... No more running to the store every time I need to print.  ...  "
comment
" ...  A relatively standard laser printer - good print quality and relatively easy to set up. ... The toner cartridge that came with the printer lasted for somewhere between 100-200 pages before needing to be replaced. ... This is incredibly disappointing performance from a laser printer and would not make me inclined to purchase a similar product from Brother in the future.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Setup process takes about 5 minutes and printing quality and speed are good enough for me. ... What's nicer is that now I can print 2 sides without manually flipping the papers. ... Printer software downloading and config are smooth too. ... I will see/update how many papers the original cartridge can last, and will try the trick if needed.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I've bought and worked with many printers over the years, and I must say, if you are looking for a reasonably priced laser printer, this is it.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Great black and white printer for small home offices.  ...  "
Ports
 89
cable, printer, come, include, included
+13%
-87%
comment
" ...  They don’t give usb cable. ... When you buy this printer, don’t forget to get usb cable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Has no wireless or ethernet.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Also didn't come with a USB cable, so I had to go get one to finish setup.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I'm giving this product a 1 star review because it's absolutely ridiculous that it requires a USB cable but does not provide one with the printer.  ...  "
comment
" ...  And I purchased the 25 ft printer cable two minutes ago.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Doesn't come with a USB cable needed for setup which is absolutely stupid.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This printer does not come with the usb connecting cable !  ...  "
comment
" ...  Unfortunately, brother fails to disclose on the product page that you have to have a USB cable to set it up - and not any of the modern, garden variety USB cables, but the old school behemoths that one rarely finds on new products.  ...  "
Product Reliability
 80
printer, brother, print, stopped working, lasted
+64%
-36%
comment
" ...  Going on 2 years.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Last one lasted for years until  ...  "
comment
" ...  A few months in and no problems.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I purchased my first one a few years ago for a shared work computer. ... Then last year I bought one for another work computer.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I love how quickly the machine warms up and it hasn’t jammed once in 4 months of use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This product is cheap and reliable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Add on to go with ancient but reliable brother 2240?  ...  "
comment
" ...  I've had Brother copiers before, and the quality remains the same.  ...  "
Cables
 75
printer, usb, cord, come, include
+13%
-87%
comment
" ...  My expectation then is that if it only works with a wire, that it should come with that wire. ... Including multiple cables for multiple connection types would unnecessarily contribute to environmental waste." ... More waste is created in us having to order cables separately. ... The wire required is a USB-A to USB-B.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Include the required cable or GIVE A WARNING so we can buy ahead.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It is completely useless unless you purchase the USB cord separately.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Was also missing cable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Not having the usb cord when buying the product is extremely inconvenient. ... I went back to the product description and it says that the usb cord is not included in the fine print.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Unfortunately, I discarded all of my old 1.0 connectors many years ago.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Most disappointing was that it did not come wit USB cable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This model has no cable nor wireless connection.  ...  "
Ease of Use
 56
easy to set, setup, easy to use, set, easy to install
+98%
-2%
comment
" ...  It's that simple.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It easy to setup.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Tech support was friendly.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Easy to set up and works with Mac 10.15 (Catalina).  ...  "
comment
" ...  so easy for me to set up and use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Simple to use and fast!  ...  "
comment
" ...  Plug and ply, easy to set up.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It was easy to set up.  ...  "
Setup
 52
setup, easy to install, set, easy to set, printer
+88%
-12%
comment
" ...  Set up was very quick and easy, even for a retired guy like me that isn't too fond of technology.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It easy to setup.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Setup is easy.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Plug and play with no troubleshooting.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Plug and ply, easy to set up.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Easy to setup but you will need a extra $3 USB cable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Easy to install, easy to use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Easy to setup, comes with software, manual, and toner out of the box.  ...  "
Price
 47
money, value, reasonable, paid, beat
+89%
-11%
comment
" ...  if the price is $20 cheaper, definitely a good choice.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Best price and quality.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Does well for the price.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The price is very reasonable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Great product and value  ...  "
comment
" ...  You can't beat the price of the L2300.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The price is reasonable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It's pretty good for the price I got it for but the only issue you need to be aware of is that if you want to connect this to an ASUS AC3100 router as an USB printer you need to utilize the lpr protocol.  ...  "
Wifi
 40
printer, wi fi, wifi capability, print, printers
+38%
-63%
comment
" ...  They didn’t stay no WiFi printing !  ...  "
comment
" ...  An equivalent wifi printer is just 10-20 dollars more expensive!  ...  "
comment
" ...  Also, no WiFi?  ...  "
comment
" ...  you'd think a printer without wifi capability would ship with a necessary connection but no, you'd be wrong about that very specific thought.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This is unbelievable I don’t even understand why they make printers that’s don’t have WiFi?!  ...  "
comment
" ...  The printer is not wi-fi but I knew that.  ...  "
comment
" ...  There is NO WAY TO CONNECT TO WIFI.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Me ha tomado dos horas instalarlo y todavia el wifi no esta conectado.  ...  "
Device Compatibility
 36
printer, connect, wireless, print, pc
+56%
-44%
comment
" ...  Only problem is no network: I connect both printers to Apple Airport's which works fine for Macs and also use "handyPrint" on my Mac to provide AirPrint for iPhones.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I'm running this directly to my PC.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It was super easy to connect my MacBook to and I was up and running in just a few minutes.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It connects via USB.  ...  "
comment
" ...  As long as you have it hooked up to a dedicated print server on your network any pc's in your home can access it.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It works flawlessly out of the box with Win10.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It’s very nice but it has to be hard wired to the computer.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Easy to set up no wi fi issues compatable with Apple  ...  "
Software Platform
 27
printer, print, error, print server, windows xp
+37%
-63%
comment
" ...  They stepped me through a procedure that was supposed to cause a factory reset, but the printer returned to it's error state.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I've installed this on both my mac and my pc and the mac works fine but the PC won't print using my printer. ... The troubleshooter does nothing, and the included software is worthless for diagnosis.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Not compatible with chrome book so I sent it back.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I am only on my 3rd toner cartridge and now every time I go to print I get an error message saying the cover is open.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Does not seem to work with Linux machine.  ...  "
comment
" ...  After a few months of use the printer will get a low toner error code and after replacing toner the error will never go away and the printer will be useless and have a annoying beeping sound that will never go away no matter what. ... Just got of the phone with tech support and they couldn't give me the steps to clear this error code over the phone.  ...  "
comment
" ...  But to sell a printer without the interface cable is just annoying and petty.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I have Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge.  ...  "
Drivers
 21
drivers, printer, windows, downloaded, brother
+62%
-38%
comment
" ...  The software will continue to load and install your printer. ... This installed a built-in driver which only supports the basic functions of the Brother machine.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It simply does the job, doesn't have issues with expiring "ink/toner" and plugs right in and prints on windows 10 with no drivers or anything.  ...  "
comment
" ...  it was simple to install the driver and even simpler to print.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Virtualised Windows XP and 2000 (XP driver) work correctly on both O/S's.  ...  "
comment
" ...  No need to install any drivers.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Downloaded and installed the drivers, turned on the printer and plugged it into the PC.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I didn't need to load a driver, used the printer cable from the other printer, loaded paper and printed a list from an app that I use frequently.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Update to my review: it worked with MacBook Air 10.14 after having installed the "Full software" version of the Drivers.  ...  "
Returns
 18
returning, soon, replacement, replace, else
+6%
-94%
comment
" ...  2 1/2 years old and I have to replace it.  ...  "
comment
" ...  returning to buy something else.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I guess I'll try another manufacturer next time.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Except that they don't send one! ... This is a terrible, terrible product and I will be returning as soon as possible.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I bought 2 and neither of them have them so I have return them altogether/  ...  "
comment
" ...  Stopped working 6 days after the 30 day return date.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Sent it back.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Have to return.  ...  "
Fit
 16
sheet, papers, paper tray, jam, toner cartridge
+56%
-44%
comment
" ...  Perfect size that fits under my home office desk.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Love the size, no rough edges, sits in its little corner until I am ready to use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I went two years with this printer before running into any sort of problem and it was an easily fixable paper jam.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The best investment I’ve made for my school papers, planner inserts, legal documents, and other random projects.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Two were purchased because I use letter and legal-sized paper and did not want to switch back and forth.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I so like that the paper is stored in a closed compartment.  ...  "
comment
" ...  - never had a paper jam  ...  "
Marketplace
 15
another, shipping, seller, order, manufacturer
+40%
-60%
comment
" ...  I refused to pay that and ordered one from Amazon for $6.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Sold as new.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Do not order from this seller  ...  "
comment
" ...  I guess I'll try another manufacturer next time.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I have never been so disappointed in an Amazon purchase.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I'm an online retailer, so I ship a lot of stuff.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Shame on the manufacturer.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This is probably the worst purchase I have made in Amazon.  ...  "
Capacity
 12
office, use, one, dorm, wifi
+83%
-17%
comment
" ...  Suitable for home use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This is just what I needed for my home office.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Using in a Home office.  ...  "
comment
" ...  For a home office, it's a reliable workhorse.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Great for Dorm use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I love it so much, my daughter brought one for her home office.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Now all of the computers in my house can access it via our home wifi.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I use it in my home office and find it meets my needs very well.  ...  "
Overall performance
 12
speed, quiet, job, quality, price
+92%
-8%
comment
" ...  For a home office, it's a reliable workhorse.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It's fairly fast and quiet.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I am only about 50 pages in, but quality, speed, all there.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Simple to use and fast!  ...  "
comment
" ...  Does an excellent job.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Worked great and solid performance.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It does its job and it does a good job at its job.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Speed is awesome for such a cheap price and like the old one never jams.  ...  "
Scan Quality
 10
scan, printing, fax, scanning, feeder
+50%
-50%
comment
" ...  The ONLY option is to download iprint&scan from the app store and then you can only print pictures and PDFs.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Paper feeder does not know how to pull only 1 sheet at a time and instead pulls a bunch of papers so you end up feeding it one sheet at a time.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Add was misleading because it Reference a scanner. ... It has no scanner.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This copier only has a document feed?  ...  "
Cable Length
 10
come, cable, usb, wire, included
-100%
comment
" ...  My expectation then is that if it only works with a wire, that it should come with that wire. ... The wire required is a USB-A to USB-B.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Because there is no cable.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Only works if you have a cord and it doesn’t come with said cord.  ...  "
comment
" ...  However the usb wire is not included.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The cord didn’t come in package.  ...  "
comment
" ...  NO CABLE INCLUDED .  ...  "
comment
" ...  Does not include the cord that is needed either. ... At least include the cord .   ...  "
comment
" ...  Didn't come with required cable?  ...  "
Size
 10
size, compact, office, simple, home
+100%
comment
" ...  Perfect size that fits under my home office desk.  ...  "
comment
" ...  And, finally, I not just like its appearance, size, and shape, but I love it!  ...  "
comment
" ...  Simple and small.  ...  "
comment
" ...  And it's small and compact.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Got it to travel with because of its size.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Nice form factor and looks great in the office.  ...  "
comment
" ...  - compact, stylish design  ...  "
comment
" ...  cheap, high quality output, small.  ...  "
Build Quality
 8
broke, top, parts, little, enough
+50%
-50%
comment
" ...  One of the parts broke after a few weeks.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Essentially, it's a useless 50 pound piece of plastic covered in little articulated bits that are constantly trying to break off, a real confluence of world-class bad ideas.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It should include all the material needed for the product to work.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This kind of thing is on reason why we have so much plastic garbage.  ...  "
Volume
 7
high volume, toner, print, monochrome, low volume
+71%
-29%
comment
" ...  the unit works well for monochrome printing but i recommend that you restrict its use to a low-volume use.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Excellent and economical for it's intended purpose of printing a high volume of monochrome documents.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Low price, fast, does not excessively us toner, can withstand high volume.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Been using it for two years now, normal volume printing.  ...  "
comment
" ...  It's reliable and consistent and the toner seems to last for a long time--we always go with the high volume toners and they go and go.  ...  "
Sleep Tracking
 7
print, wake, goes to sleep, tech, printer
+71%
-29%
comment
" ...  Great print quality, sleep mode a bit slow to wake up.  ...  "
comment
" ...  i only gave a 3/5 for sleep mode and tech support because I have no experience with either.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Unlike some other users, I have had no problem trying to print something once per week through WiFi while waking it up from sleep mode.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I’m impressed with how quickly it prints after being in sleep mode.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I haven't paid any attention yet to sleep mode.  ...  "
Storage
 7
well, tray, nice, drawer, would
+86%
-14%
comment
" ...  Nice deep paper tray.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Streamlined design looks nice on shelf.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Ink comes in large tube (instead of tiny bottles).  ...  "
comment
" ...  I so like that the paper is stored in a closed compartment.  ...  "
Design
 7
white, need, look, black, size
+86%
-14%
comment
" ...  Does exactly what it is design to do.  ...  "
comment
" ...  And, finally, I not just like its appearance, size, and shape, but I love it!  ...  "
comment
" ...  Streamlined design looks nice on shelf.  ...  "
comment
" ...  If all you need is black and white, this little puppy is more than alright.  ...  "
comment
" ...  - compact, stylish design  ...  "
Controls
 6
press, power, hold, go, times
+17%
-83%
comment
" ...  Press and Hold the Power button until the machine turns off ... Press and Hold the Go button until step 5 ... Press the Power button ... Press the Go button 5 times  ...  "
comment
" ...  i tried to use the power on/off button but it was unresponsive. ... i also found out that you need to hold down the on/off button to get the unit to power off.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The on and off button requires sometimes a dozen tries to get it turned off .  ...  "
comment
" ...  - would prefer to quick-press for power-off instead of long-press  ...  "
Power Consumption
 5
small, printer, know, hold, button
+40%
-60%
comment
" ...  Also will not power off on it's own  ...  "
comment
" ...  Power down again, and pray.  ...  "
Delivery
 5
shipping, product, fast, use, ready
+80%
-20%
comment
" ...  Fast shipping also.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Shipping time was great (as usual).  ...  "
Cleaning
 5
cleaning, dirt, cheap, tried, told
+60%
-40%
comment
" ...  Got this at a dirt cheap price and really useful .  ...  "
comment
" ...  - the design naturally prohibits dust build-up inside the printer  ...  "
comment
" ...  One day, I finally told myself that I did not want to waste my precious time cleaning clogged cartridges and having my hands dyed black every day, so I decided to gather the little money I had and buy a better printer.  ...  "
For Running
 4
pc, easy to set, easy
+100%
comment
" ...  Was up and running in 10 minutes  ...  "
comment
" ...  It is easy to set up and get running.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I'm running this directly to my PC.  ...  "
Picture Quality
 4
paper
+100%
comment
" ...  This time only used the bubble jet for the pictures.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The attached picture was printed on HP premium paper (heavier than regular paper)  ...  "
comment
" ...  B&W text or photos.  ...  "
ISP
 4
ethernet, network
+25%
-75%
comment
" ...  this is not wireless.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Has no wireless or ethernet.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Also, not network compatible (meaning no ethernet to connect it straight to your network).  ...  "
For Kids
 3
work, daughter
+67%
-33%
comment
" ...  it works perfectly for school work  ...  "
comment
" ...  Purchased to support our kids in virtual school activities.  ...  "
Apps
 3
os
+100%
comment
" ...  Click on downloads and the website automatically determines what OS version you have installed.  ...  "
comment
" ...  Software is probably the best around.  ...  "
comment
" ...  This is massive help as both O/S's are used for specific obsolete software tasks .  ...  "
Color
 3
white, black, need
+100%
comment
" ...  I wish it was color but I can deal with black and white.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The one I got is different color. ... Ask the color if you mind it.  ...  "
Door
 3
open, toner, print, plastic, enough
+67%
-33%
comment
" ...  Close the Toner Door  ...  "
comment
" ...  I can print on heavy stock through the pass through door without a problem.  ...  "
CD/DVD
 3
use, rom, laptop, included, software
-100%
comment
" ...  It also enclosed a CD which also doesn’t work with a laptop.  ...  "
comment
" ...  What I think is that giving everyone a CD-ROM is extremely outdated and THAT is the waste here.  ...  "
comment
" ...  The CD Rom included with the unit doesn't list Windows 10, which is what I have, so it's useless.  ...  "
Drying
 3
dry, cartridges, would dry, toner, tired
+33%
-67%
comment
" ...  The replacement ink cartridge I bought to have on-hand for whenever it ran out of ink was never opened.  ...  "
comment
" ...  I use it on occasion and I hated that my ink would dry out so I went with this option. ... I hated paying $20-$30 for ink and it would dry out.  ...  "
Bluetooth
 3
wifi, wireless, printer, print
-100%
comment
" ...  Does not print via Bluetooth and or wifi!!  ...  "
comment
" ...  This is NOT Wireless/Bluetooth printer.  ...  "
USB
 3
include, separately, included, b
+33%
-67%
comment
" ...  Why they don't include a USB chord is beyond me .   ...  "
comment
" ...  purchased this to only realize it does not include the USB required.  ...  "

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Inactive Reviewers
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Specifications

Connectivity
USB:  No 
Number of USB ports:  2 
WiFi:  Yes 
No
USB
2
NUMBER OF USB PORTS
Yes
WIFI