Description
The Xerox B230/DNI is a compact monochrome laser printer for home offices and small teams. It prints and does nothing else: the specification lists print only functionality, with no scanning, copying or fax. Xerox specifies a 250 sheet input tray, automatic two sided printing, a resolution of 2400 x 2400 dpi, 256 MB of memory, and connectivity over wireless, Ethernet and USB. The unit weighs a listed 15 pounds and measures 16.5 inches deep by 17.4 inches wide by 12.3 inches high.
Before going further, this listing carries a significant error that a buyer needs to know about, and it is covered in the next section rather than buried.
The Description on This Listing Is for a Different Printer
The product title on this listing is for the Xerox B230/DNI, a black and white laser printer. The description text underneath it is written entirely about the Xerox C230, which is a color printer. It opens by naming the C230 Color Printer, describes it as a color printer for fast, nimble offices, quotes print speeds of up to 24 letter pages per minute and 22 A4 pages per minute, and cites a recommended monthly print volume of up to 1,500 pages along with a 1 GHz dual core processor.
Those figures belong to the C230, not to the B230. This review does not apply them to the B230, and neither should you. Where the description and the specification block disagree, the specification block is the one attached to this product code, and the product title is what determines what actually ships.
The practical consequence: if you want a color laser printer, this is not it, and the Xerox C325 or the Xerox C410 are the color models in this family. If you want a monochrome printer, the B230 is the correct product and the description text should be disregarded entirely. Confirm the model code B230/DNI on the box before accepting delivery.
What the B230 Actually Is
Monochrome, print only, and compact. That combination suits a specific buyer well: someone who prints documents in volume, does not need color, and either has a separate scanner or does not scan at all. Removing the scanner from a printer removes the most common mechanical failure point and a good deal of size, cost and complexity.
The 250 sheet input capacity is standard for this class and means a full ream of paper does not fit; you refill roughly every half ream. The media size range runs from 3.9 by 5.83 inches, which is postcard size, up to 8.5 by 14.17 inches, which covers letter and legal. Automatic duplexing is listed as standard, which is worth having: it halves paper use on long documents without any manual page flipping.
Resolution is listed at 2400 x 2400 dpi. On a laser printer, that figure describes the addressability of the imaging system and is more than sufficient for text, tables and simple graphics. There is 256 MB of onboard memory, which handles the page buffering a printer of this class needs.
Connectivity
The product title specifies wireless, and the specification block lists one Ethernet port and one USB port. Having all three is the right arrangement for a small office: wireless for laptops and phones, Ethernet for a fixed, reliable connection that does not depend on the wireless network, and USB as a fallback for direct connection.
Note that the included components field lists only the printer and a power cable. No USB cable and no network cable are listed, so budget for whichever you need. There is an LCD display for status and settings.
Highlights
- Monochrome laser printer, print only, with no scan, copy or fax functions.
- 250 sheet standard input tray, one tray.
- Automatic two sided printing.
- Listed resolution of 2400 x 2400 dpi with 256 MB of memory.
- Media handling from 3.9 x 5.83 inches to 8.5 x 14.17 inches, covering letter and legal.
- Wireless, Ethernet and USB connectivity with an LCD status display.
- Listed weight of 15 pounds, dimensions 16.5 x 17.4 x 12.3 inches.
- Ships with the printer and a power cable.
Things To Consider
Beyond the description mismatch above, the specification block has its own errors:
- A maximum color print resolution of 2400 x 2400 dpi is listed for a black and white printer.
- Copy speed and copy resolution fields are populated on a print only device with no copier.
- The controller type field reads “Android” and the compatible devices field reads “Smartphones”, neither of which describes the printer’s actual interfaces.
- Ink color is listed as Black while the printer ink type field correctly reads toner. This is a toner based laser printer, not an inkjet.
On consumables, which is where laser printers cost money: this listing does not state which toner cartridge the B230 takes, whether a starter cartridge ships in the box, what its yield is, or whether the drum is integrated into the cartridge or supplied as a separate unit. All four are important for running cost, and none can be answered from this page. Before buying, look up the cartridge part number and yield for the B230 specifically, check current cartridge availability, and establish whether a separate drum is required. Printer purchases are decided over years by consumable cost, not by the price on the box. Our toner cartridges category covers what the equivalent consumables look like across brands.
Two further points. There is no stated print speed for the B230 anywhere in reliable form on this listing; the 36 ppm figure appears in a copy speed field on a device with no copier, and the 24 ppm figure in the description belongs to the C230. Do not plan around either. And no recommended monthly duty cycle is given for the B230, so if you print heavily, get that figure from Xerox before committing.
Who Should Buy It, and Who Should Not
Buy the B230/DNI if you print black and white documents regularly, you do not need scanning or copying, and you want a compact machine with duplexing and wired plus wireless connectivity. For a home office that prints invoices, letters, contracts and forms, a print only monochrome laser is cheaper to run and less likely to break than an all-in-one, and removing the scanner is a feature rather than a compromise.
Do not buy it if you need to scan or copy, in which case an all-in-one such as the Xerox B315 is the right shape. Do not buy it if you need color. And if your priority is high volume monochrome output, a larger workgroup machine such as the Brother HL-L5000D is built for that duty. Our laser printers category covers the range.
