Brother HL-L2480DW: Ethernet duplex printing and flatbed capture review

The Brother HL-L2480DW fits a desk that needs monochrome duplex printing and occasional flatbed scanning or copying, without a document feeder. Its touchscreen, Ethernet and dual-band Wi-Fi make it a useful alternative to a print-only device when you handle individual originals. It is unsuitable for someone who wants to load a stack and have its pages scanned automatically.

The flatbed changes what this HL model can do

Do not classify it as print-only from the HL name. The exact US configuration combines a black-and-white laser engine with a color-capable flatbed scanner and standalone monochrome copying. A receipt, individual form or suitable page placed on the glass can therefore be captured without a separate desktop scanner. The physical paper output remains black-and-white even when the original is scanned in color.

The US online guide specifies a glass area up to 8.5 by 11.8 inches, accommodating Letter or A4 originals. The brochure gives a Letter reference. Neither describes a Legal-sized flatbed, even though Legal paper is accepted for output. The absence of an automatic document feeder is a real workflow boundary: several loose originals require repeated placement on the glass. If batches are common, the DCP-L2640DW is the more relevant comparison.

A touchscreen helps local access, with qualified destinations

The 2.7-inch color touchscreen provides local navigation and documented cloud-related routes. It can suit someone who copies at the printer or uses a configured destination repeatedly. The screen being color does not change the monochrome engine. Nor does the list of services establish that every scan destination works without an account, software or an internet connection.

Brother distinguishes software and service conditions in the brochure. Some scan destinations and included utilities are Windows-only. Web Connect and cloud functions require the stated internet and account arrangements. Identify the destination you will actually use before comparing a long list of possible features. For an occasional glass copy, the ordinary local operation may be more useful than most of those extras.

Wired and wireless connections are separate choices

The included interfaces are Ethernet, dual-band 2.4/5 GHz wireless and USB 2.0. A wired network can suit a permanent desk near a suitable connection, while wireless avoids routing an Ethernet cable to the printer's location. USB is an option for a compatible local computer. The best connection is the one supported by your actual devices and maintained network arrangement.

AirPrint, Mopria, Wi-Fi Direct and Brother Mobile Connect are documented mobile routes. Brother's Mac qualification says printing and scanning use AirPrint and that native Mac printer drivers are not provided. Check the current operating-system support before planning to replace an old USB-connected Mac printer with an otherwise identical cabling routine. Supported Windows Server network printing also does not imply that server scanning is included.

Automatic print duplex does not automate the glass

Brother declares up to 36 pages per minute for one-sided printing and lists automatic duplex for the US Letter, Legal and Folio sizes. A4 is among the ordinary printing sizes but is not established by that US duplex list. Choose a precise paper requirement if it affects the result rather than using the broad paper list to fill in a missing duplex capability.

The 250-sheet input tray and 100-sheet output capacity use the stated paper conditions. A separate single-sheet manual slot handles instructed special media, including an appropriate envelope. That slot does not create an unattended stack of envelopes, and the flatbed still needs you to position each original. The printer can remove two-sided output handling without removing every manual step in the document routine.

Use the lower body height carefully

The body measures 16.1 inches wide, 15.7 inches deep and 10.7 inches high, with a listed weight of 22.2 lb. Its lack of a feeder helps distinguish the physical format from a taller all-in-one, but a shelf still needs clearance to raise the scanner lid and reach the paper and service areas. The US electrical record specifies 110–120 V AC, 50/60 Hz.

The ordinary package includes an approximately 700-page starter toner cartridge and separate DR830 drum. Their declared yields have different test conditions. Brother recommends up to 2,500 pages per month, distinct from the 35,000-page maximum-duty figure. Shortlist the HL-L2480DW when individual-original capture, Ethernet and the touchscreen are useful. Compare the HL-L2465DW for a different flatbed configuration with a two-line display and no Ethernet, rather than treating their nearby names as the same hardware.

Sources: Brother US HL-L2480DW product record and the exact US brochure. This review uses documented functions, not hands-on speed or scanning-quality results.