Best Printers for Home Offices (And How to Fix Common Problems)

If you work from home in western Connecticut—whether you're in Litchfield County, Fairfield County, or over in New Haven County—you know that a good printer can make or break your day. Let's talk about which printers actually work well for home offices and how to fix the most annoying problems when they act up.

Our Top Printer Picks for Home Offices

Before we get into fixing problems, here are the printers we recommend most often to our customers. These are based on what we see lasting the longest and giving people the fewest headaches:

Brother Laser Printers (HL-L2350DW or similar models)

This is what we tell most people to buy. It's a black-and-white laser printer that costs around $120. The toner cartridges last forever—you might print for a year before needing a new one. It connects to your wireless network, so you can print from anywhere in your house. We see these running strong for 5-8 years without major issues.

HP OfficeJet Pro 9015e

If you need color printing and scanning, this is a solid choice. It's an inkjet, which means you'll buy ink more often than toner, but HP has improved their ink efficiency. Costs about $230. Good for printing photos of the grandkids or color documents. Works with both Optimum and Frontier internet connections without any fuss.

Epson EcoTank ET-2850

This one costs more upfront (around $280), but it comes with enough ink to last 2-3 years. Instead of cartridges, you pour ink into tanks. Great if you print a lot. We've set up quite a few of these for folks around Heritage Village in Southbury who got tired of buying expensive ink cartridges.

Canon PIXMA TR8620

A good all-around printer for about $180. Prints, scans, copies, and faxes if you still need that. The touchscreen is easy to use, which matters if you don't want to squint at tiny buttons.

How to Fix Common Printer Problems

Now let's get into fixing the problems that always seem to happen at the worst possible time:

Step 1: Printer Won't Connect to Your Network

This is the number one problem we hear about. Here's what to try:

• Turn off your printer completely. Unplug it from the wall and wait 30 seconds. Plug it back in and turn it on.
• Do the same thing with your Xfinity, Optimum, or Frontier router. Unplug it for 30 seconds, then plug it back in.
• Once everything is back on, go to your printer's menu (usually a button that says Setup or Settings).
• Look for Wireless Setup Wizard or Network Settings. Select your home network name from the list.
• Type in your WiFi password carefully. This is where most mistakes happen.

If you have your network name and password written down somewhere (and you should), this is when you need it. If you're not sure what your password is, it's often on a sticker on the bottom or back of your router.

Step 2: Printer Says It's Out of Ink But You Just Changed It

This drives people crazy. Here's the fix:

• Take the ink cartridge or toner out completely.
• Look for a plastic tape or strip that might still be on the cartridge. Sometimes there are two pieces of tape, and people only remove one.
• Check the copper contacts (the gold or copper-colored strips) on the cartridge. If they look dirty, gently wipe them with a dry cloth.
• Put the cartridge back in firmly. You should hear a click.
• Close all the doors and covers completely. Many printers won't work if a door is even slightly open.

Step 3: Paper Keeps Jamming

Paper jams are frustrating, but they're usually easy to prevent:

• Take all the paper out of the tray. Fan it like a deck of cards to separate the sheets.
• Don't overfill the tray. Fill it only about three-quarters full.
• Make sure the paper guides (the sliding plastic pieces on the sides) are snug against the paper but not too tight.
• Check that you're using the right paper. Cheap paper or paper that's too thick causes most jams.
• If paper is stuck inside, turn off the printer first. Then gently pull the paper out in the direction it normally feeds. Don't yank it backward.

Step 4: Print Quality Is Terrible (Streaky or Faded)

When your printouts look bad, try this:

• Run a cleaning cycle. Every printer has this option, usually under Maintenance or Tools in the menu.
• Print a test page. The option is usually right next to the cleaning cycle.
• If it's still bad, run the cleaning cycle one more time. Don't do it more than twice in a row because it uses up ink.
• For laser printers, take out the toner cartridge and gently rock it side to side. This redistributes the toner powder inside.

Step 5: Computer Can't Find the Printer

This usually happens after a Windows update or when you get a new computer:

• On your computer, go to Settings, then Devices, then Printers & Scanners.
• Click Add a Printer or Scanner. Wait while it searches.
• If your printer shows up, click on it and then click Add Device.
• If it doesn't show up, click "The printer that I want isn't listed."
• Try selecting "Add a printer using a TCP/IP address" and follow the instructions. You might need to look up your printer's IP address (it's usually printed on a settings page from the printer itself).

Sometimes the easiest fix is to just plug the printer directly into your computer with a USB cable. It's old-fashioned, but it works every time.

Step 6: Printer Is Printing Nonsense Characters or Gibberish

When your printer spits out pages of random symbols, here's what to do:

• Cancel all print jobs. On your computer, go to Devices and Printers, right-click your printer, and select "See what's printing." Then click Printer at the top and choose "Cancel All Documents."
• Turn off the printer and wait 30 seconds before turning it back on.
• Delete the printer from your computer (right-click it in Devices and Printers and choose Remove).
• Add it back again using Step 5 above.
• This usually happens because of a corrupted print driver, and reinstalling fixes it.

Step 7: Printer Works But Prints Really Slowly

If every page takes forever:

• Check your printer settings. Open the document you want to print and click Print. Look for a button that says Properties or Preferences.
• Make sure Print Quality isn't set to "Best" or "High" unless you really need it. "Normal" is fine for most things and prints much faster.
• Check if it's set to print in color when you only need black and white.
• If you're printing over WiFi and it's slow, try moving the printer closer to your router. Walls and distance slow things down.
• Make sure your printer has the latest firmware. Check the manufacturer's website and your printer model number.

A Few More Tips We Give to Customers

Here are some things that will save you trouble down the road:

Don't wait until you're completely out of ink to replace it. Most printers will warn you when ink is low. Order a replacement then, not when you're trying to print something important.

Print something at least once a week. If you let a printer sit for months, especially an inkjet, the ink dries up and clogs the print heads. Even printing a test page once a week keeps things working.

Keep your printer out of direct sunlight and away from heat vents. Heat is bad for printers and for ink.

Write down your printer's model number and keep it somewhere handy. You'll need it when ordering supplies or looking up help online.

What About All-in-One Printers?

People often ask if they should get a printer that also scans and copies. For most home offices, yes, it's worth it. The price difference is usually only $30-50, and you'll use the scanner more than you think. Just know that if the printer part breaks, the whole thing is out of commission. But that's pretty rare with decent models.

Frequently Asked Questions

**Q: Should I buy an extended warranty on a printer?** A: Usually no. Most printers either break in the first few months (covered by the regular warranty) or last for years. Extended warranties on printers typically cost almost as much as just buying a new printer if something goes wrong. Put that money toward buying a better printer instead. **Q: Is it better to buy cheap ink cartridges from Amazon or stick with the brand name?** A: We've seen it go both ways. The third-party cartridges are much cheaper, but maybe one in ten causes problems—either leaking or the printer not recognizing them. If you're comfortable with a small risk to save money, try them. If you need absolute reliability, stick with HP, Brother, Canon, or Epson cartridges. Never, ever refill cartridges yourself with those kits—we've seen more messes than successes. **Q: My printer is 8 years old and acting up. Should I fix it or replace it?** A: If it's a laser printer and you can find parts, fixing might make sense. If it's an inkjet, replace it. Inkjet technology has improved a lot in the past few years, and a new $150 printer will probably work better than spending $80 trying to fix an old one. Plus, new printers are much easier to connect to your phone and tablet. **Q: Can I print from my iPhone or iPad?** A: Yes, and it's easier than you think. Most new printers work with something called AirPrint. Just make sure your phone and printer are on the same WiFi network. When you want to print something, tap the share button (the square with an arrow) and look for the Print option. Your printer should show up automatically. If you need help setting this up, give us a call—we can walk you through it or stop by to set it up for you.