Brother denies using firmware updates to brick printers with third-party ink

Brother: Updates aren't behind degradation of quality or removal of features.

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[Chuckstar]

I encourage updating drivers. I am enthusiastic about such. The curious part to me was the firmware update. I use this printer over USB and have turned off the built in WiFi. I have seen no difference before and after.

I’m confused by this reply. You wouldn’t expect to see any change in output if they corrected something that had a low probability of damaging your machine, would you?

 

[Iskelderon]

HP does it, so it wouldn't be a surprise when other printer manufacturers also make their products worse after you've already bought them.

 

[Dark Jaguar]

I’m confused by this reply. You wouldn’t expect to see any change in output if they corrected something that had a low probability of damaging your machine, would you?

For that matter, if the printer's entirely offline, the need to properly "secure" the driver isn't so high. The device itself won't be a vector of attack. Now, it's possible still for that vulnerability in the driver to be abused by malicious programs you send a print job from, or for it to be part of a multi-chain attack, but in home use, once you've been compromised to start with (which would be needed to really take advantage of a vulnerable printer driver to a device that's entirely offline), well it's already game over.

I use a number of unusual devices who's drivers I can't really vouch are best practice secure. Things like chip programmers, a USB to Famicom Disk Drive reader, and other such things. I don't worry too much about the security of those things mainly because all those devices are offline and rather unlikely to be targeted in any case. With all that said, it's a risk/benefit analysis. The risk of not updating printer divers is a possible obscure vulnerability, while the reward is that you don't open it up to being directly taken advantage of by the device's own manufacturer, which frankly sounds identical to malware anyway.

Perhaps this is overblown in this specific case, but it can serve as a reminder that when it comes to printers, the "safest" bet is to simply keep them offline, connected direct by USB, and locking the drivers down while also never updating their firmware. If it's working correctly now, keep it that way.

 

[noraar]

F*cking Louis Rossmann, spreading FUD as usual (this time without even doing any due diligence to back up his claims).

I manage a number of Brother printers, both color and B&W and have had zero issues with 3rd party toner. I've definitely run into quality issues with 3rd party toner, but that is always a result of crappy 3rd party toner than the printer not accepting the 3rd party toner (this is usually more obvious on the color printers when I have different 3rd party toner mixed and matched).

 

[nevernow]

Except, actually it's literally not? ^^;; Ink, that is. Definitionally. Toner (in consumer available laser printers) is a fine (dry) plastic powder (that then gets electrostatically attracted and melted onto the substrate).

Total pedantry aside (sorrrry), when it comes to technical uses, even ink really isn't just readily interchangeable. Even something "simple" like with fountain pens, you'll see issues with different inks. Various screen printing inks (where the viscosity wouldn't work in many other things you'd expect to be using ink with)... plastisol is really quite different from both acrylic (paint) and water based printing ink, and then in turn from discharge ink (really a heat activated chemical dye remover). Then it comes to inks in something as technical and specific as various digital print heads. Then things like DTF/DTG inks. UV inks. Eco solvent/solvent dye inks. Dye sublimation inks. Various varnishes you can run as ink. There are inks you can run through a reasonably appropriate printhead that will clog if you don't print daily, and will eventually clog either way.

Even "Gutenberg's ink" wasn't... "just ink". It was an invention using oil based ink (based on contemporary progress with oil based paint) that had better wetting and transfer properties and achieved dark black prints, as opposed to the more commonly used water based inks of the time that were poorly suited to letterpress.

I mean there's an expectation that with third party ink or toner, they'll "get it right" for the appropriate printers. But... "getting it right" involves having the correct ratios of solids milled to the correct fineness, or the correct dye chemistry that will stay consistent and not fuck up the print head (especially if reacting with previous ink used), and the correct liquid medium chemistry to carry it, in the case of ink. Different inks dry faster, perform differently with multiple colors, etc, and it quickly affects print quality even when it runs through the printhead just fine, some of which can be compensated for with slower printing, different patterns, etc. I use third party inks, but also... ink isn't just ink.

This was an interesting read. Thanks. I'm still convinced this is a Gillette blades situation, but I can admit it has its complexity.

 

[alexandroid]

I would not call Louis Rossman just "a YouTuber". He is a long standing advocate for consumer repair rights and has done a lot more concrete things than videos on YouTube. Shame on Ars author and editors for letting this article in this form. His wiki links to two user reports and a GitHub thread about firmware changes progressively blocking more vendors.

Could it be a mistake? Yes. Could Brother be lying and downplaying? Also yes. I appreciate Ars spreading the awareness but this looks like a PR damage control attempt without much evidence digging either way. "He said, she said".

A bunch of people here saying that their printer works fine - did you pay attention that the original claim was specifically for color laser printers, and possibly specific models which received and installed firmware updates? It would be helpful if you post your firmware version and confirm if it matches the one on the wiki or not.

 

[King_V]

Goodness, don't throw your laser cartridges away, recycle them.

I didn't know they had this program, thanks for the link!

 

[Dark Jaguar]

I didn't know they had this program, thanks for the link!

There's also a program for recycling car batteries, and many places will gladly take in your old battery for a little off the price of the new because they're surprisingly cheap and easy to "refresh".

 

[King_V]

There's also a program for recycling car batteries, and many places will gladly take in your old battery for a little off the price of the new because they're surprisingly cheap and easy to "refresh".

That one I did know about. The "core charge" that you get back with batteries (also alternators, starters, and brake calipers, off the top of my head.

But, I know that thanks to years of having older vehicles.