Samsung ML-2571N Laser Printer
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- Black Print Speed: 25 ppm
- Output Type: Monochrome Printer
- Technology (Detailed): Laser
- Printer Type: Workgroup Printer
- Max Resolution (BW): 1200 x 1200 dpi
- Total Media Capacity: 250 Sheets
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Good Universal Network Laser Printer
Pros
Fast (24 ppm) Universal Network Laser Printer
Cons
Changes IPs constantly, PostScript prints scanned files in reverse image, intermittent Toner fusing problem
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
I would still buy this printer. Despite the problems, overall, it is a very useful network printer. If Samsung would fix these problems, the printer would be ideal.
My printer model is the ML-2571N/XAA
I like the universal nature of the laser printer. It has several interfaces and can handle most operating systems. It has 3 different interfaces (USB 2.0 high speed, IEEE 1284 Parallel, RJ45/Ethernet Base 10/100 TX). It can handle Postscript printing and PCL printing. The printer can either run as a ethernet/networked printer, a USB connected printer or a parallel connected printer.
Printing seems to work fine, but i have noticed that the laser ink can be rubbed off sometimes. I'm not sure if this is a fuser temperature problem or possibly a paper problem (I notice this mostly on printed envelops and labels).
I have had a problem with printing scanned documents using the post script interface. The scanned documents print in reverse (total black for white and white for black). It makes the printed page look like it is black printed with white ink. The only way around this that I stumbled upon is to reduce the file size with Adobe Acrobat and then it will print correctly. This seems to only be a problem with Postscript on the printer. The Windows samsung native interface and the Windows PCL drivers do not show the same problem; however, if you are on an Apple Mac, then you are going to be using the PostScript language to talk to this printer and so this might be a factor.
The only other problem that is annoying is that the network printer seems to jump around the network. I haven't diagnosed the problem entirely, but it seems like the printer gets a new DHCP address every time the old one expires. Unlike my other Laser printer (HP LaserJet 5si MX), which has been at the same IP address forever, the samsung changes IP addresses everyday. This is a problem for Windows XP users that use the network interface to the printer. Before Windows XP Service Patch 3 came out, you could use Apple's Bonjour service to locate the printer on the network. However, something in the Service Patch 3 breaks the printers ability to find network printers by name, so you're stuck using an IP port to the printer. This will force you to update your printer's IP port with the correct IP address. Samsung gives you a tool for this called SetIP; however, the tool finds the printer, but appears to not be able to change the IP address for the port. This might have worked in the past, but it certainly doesn't work for Windows XP Professional with Service Patch 3. You can bypass this by using SetIP to fix the IP address, but you will need to turn off DHCP discover on the printer (use the web interface to do this).
The windows driver comes with the ability to do manual duplex printing. What I mean by this is that you can choose to print a document on both sides (duplex) and the printer driver will handle printing the even pages first, then it prompts you (on the screen) and shows you how to remove the pages and re-insert them in the printer and press the "Cancel" Key on the printer to start printing the other side. It works quite well.
You can manually do duplex on Mac and Linux, but you have to handle reversing the document and printing the even/odd pages by yourself. The Windows driver duplex ability is much easier and built-in.
There is not many indicators on the printer to tell anything. It has one button that covers (Job Cancel, Job Continue and Print a Demo/Configuation Page) and one light (green) that when solid green tells you it's online/powered on and when it's blinking green that it's receiving data. Another light (red) that tells you if it's got an error (like paper jam) it's solid red, or blinking red if it has a manual print job (continue a print job), or it's toner is low.
The printer has a Status utility (I use on Windows most), that allows you to see the status of the printer (it gives more information than just the one red LED light). The printer also has a Web Administration Page, with which you can use a web browser to change settings on the "networked" printer.
I've used the printer with Windows XP, SUSE Linux and Mac OS X (10.4 & 10.5) and it works well with all three.
It comes with drivers for PCL6, CUPS, Postscript and SPL.
I like the universal nature of the laser printer. It has several interfaces and can handle most operating systems. It has 3 different interfaces (USB 2.0 high speed, IEEE 1284 Parallel, RJ45/Ethernet Base 10/100 TX). It can handle Postscript printing and PCL printing. The printer can either run as a ethernet/networked printer, a USB connected printer or a parallel connected printer.
Printing seems to work fine, but i have noticed that the laser ink can be rubbed off sometimes. I'm not sure if this is a fuser temperature problem or possibly a paper problem (I notice this mostly on printed envelops and labels).
I have had a problem with printing scanned documents using the post script interface. The scanned documents print in reverse (total black for white and white for black). It makes the printed page look like it is black printed with white ink. The only way around this that I stumbled upon is to reduce the file size with Adobe Acrobat and then it will print correctly. This seems to only be a problem with Postscript on the printer. The Windows samsung native interface and the Windows PCL drivers do not show the same problem; however, if you are on an Apple Mac, then you are going to be using the PostScript language to talk to this printer and so this might be a factor.
The only other problem that is annoying is that the network printer seems to jump around the network. I haven't diagnosed the problem entirely, but it seems like the printer gets a new DHCP address every time the old one expires. Unlike my other Laser printer (HP LaserJet 5si MX), which has been at the same IP address forever, the samsung changes IP addresses everyday. This is a problem for Windows XP users that use the network interface to the printer. Before Windows XP Service Patch 3 came out, you could use Apple's Bonjour service to locate the printer on the network. However, something in the Service Patch 3 breaks the printers ability to find network printers by name, so you're stuck using an IP port to the printer. This will force you to update your printer's IP port with the correct IP address. Samsung gives you a tool for this called SetIP; however, the tool finds the printer, but appears to not be able to change the IP address for the port. This might have worked in the past, but it certainly doesn't work for Windows XP Professional with Service Patch 3. You can bypass this by using SetIP to fix the IP address, but you will need to turn off DHCP discover on the printer (use the web interface to do this).
The windows driver comes with the ability to do manual duplex printing. What I mean by this is that you can choose to print a document on both sides (duplex) and the printer driver will handle printing the even pages first, then it prompts you (on the screen) and shows you how to remove the pages and re-insert them in the printer and press the "Cancel" Key on the printer to start printing the other side. It works quite well.
You can manually do duplex on Mac and Linux, but you have to handle reversing the document and printing the even/odd pages by yourself. The Windows driver duplex ability is much easier and built-in.
There is not many indicators on the printer to tell anything. It has one button that covers (Job Cancel, Job Continue and Print a Demo/Configuation Page) and one light (green) that when solid green tells you it's online/powered on and when it's blinking green that it's receiving data. Another light (red) that tells you if it's got an error (like paper jam) it's solid red, or blinking red if it has a manual print job (continue a print job), or it's toner is low.
The printer has a Status utility (I use on Windows most), that allows you to see the status of the printer (it gives more information than just the one red LED light). The printer also has a Web Administration Page, with which you can use a web browser to change settings on the "networked" printer.
I've used the printer with Windows XP, SUSE Linux and Mac OS X (10.4 & 10.5) and it works well with all three.
It comes with drivers for PCL6, CUPS, Postscript and SPL.
