Third-party status
DisputedDisputed: Brother denies blocking; some owners report rejections
Brother says its updates do not block third-party toner. Critics say some updates do. We found no dated report of a block on the HL-L2460DW itself, so the status is Disputed.
What to do now
- Keep a working setup by not updating firmware until reports on the new version appear.[1]Brother recommends updating. We have not verified an auto-update off switch on this model.
What to buy instead
- Genuine Brother TN830 / TN830XL. Always accepted.
- Compatible TN830XL from a seller with a firmware return policy. Ask what happens if an update rejects it.
- Account required
- No
- Cartridges
- Brother TN830 / TN830XL toner, DR830 drum
- Blocking firmware
- None reported
- Last checked
Also applies to: Other TN830 printers such as HL-L2400D, HL-L2405W, HL-L2420DW, HL-L2465DW, HL-L2865DW and MFC-L2820DW (per a seller's list).
Third-party and remanufactured cartridges
- Brother says its firmware updates do not block third-party ink or toner, and repeats this on its own US support site.[1][2][3]
- In March 2025 Louis Rossmann accused Brother of using updates against third-party toner. Ars Technica found the claims rest mostly on owner posts it could not confirm.[1][4]
- myCartridge, a seller, says its TN830XL uses its own chip and that a future firmware update could change how the printer reads it.[5]
Brother account and subscriptions
- We found no Brother statement that the HL-L2460DW needs an account or subscription to print. Brother's product page offers genuine toner as an option.[6]
Firmware that blocked cartridges
- Brother's guide recommends keeping firmware up to date. We found no firmware version tied to a toner block on this model.[7]
- Critics say Brother removed older firmware from its download site, which makes rollback hard.[4]
To see your version, print a printer status report or open the printer's web page. Compare it with the firmware list.
Workarounds that sources back up
- Keep a working setup by not updating firmware until reports on the new version appear.[1] Brother recommends updating. We have not verified an auto-update off switch on this model.
What does not reliably work
- Rolling back firmware: critics say older versions are no longer offered for download.[4]
What to buy instead
- Genuine Brother TN830 / TN830XL. Always accepted. Shop
- Compatible TN830XL from a seller with a firmware return policy. Ask what happens if an update rejects it. Shop
These are plain store links. We earn nothing from them today. Disclosure.
What we could not verify
- Any dated owner report of a third-party TN830 block on the HL-L2460DW.
- Whether newer TN830 chips are authenticated, as critics claim for other models.
- An on-printer setting to stop automatic firmware updates.
Know something we missed? Dated sources beat opinions. Corrections go on the page with a date.
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Sources
- Ars Technica: Brother denies using firmware updates to brick printers with third-party ink (published Mar 5, 2025)
- The Register: Brother denies dirty toner tricks (updated Mar 7 and 11) (published Mar 6, 2025)
- Brother USA support: Toner Error (read Oct 21, 2026)
- Tom's Hardware: Brother accused of locking down third-party cartridges via firmware updates (published Mar 4, 2025)
- myCartridge (toner seller): Brother TN830XL smart chip and firmware guide (read Oct 21, 2026)
- Brother USA: HL-L2460DW product page (read Oct 21, 2026)
- Brother online user's guide: update your machine's firmware (HL-L2460DW) (read Oct 21, 2026)