Best Printer: Canon, Epson or HP? 3k Maximum Budget

[Motortrend]

I'm pretty proud of myself today for successfully un-bricking my network multi-function printer and saving it from becoming e-waste.

Several days ago, the printer randomly decided to update its firmware over the internet. I'm not even sure it can do that. But evidently, it didn't succeed and I only found out about it when the printer just inexplicably dropped out of the network. Rebooting it a number of times didn't fix it and aside from the printer only accessible via USB, nothing else worked... not the scanner/copier, nor the WiFi.

After diving into a few YouTube rabbit holes, I was able to figure out how to program a new firmware directly onto the flash memory.

But there was a catch...

I couldn't find the exact flash binary dump for my printer, which is an Epson L3150. What I did stumbled upon was one for the L3250, hosted off a sketchy website. But with nothing to lose, I downloaded it, fired up the flash programmer, and wrote the image directly on the chip.

Bingo! It came alive. I had to reconfigure the WiFi and change out the printer drivers on our PCs.... and despite the printer identifying itself as a different model (L3250 instead of an L3150), everything was working.

The L32xx is a generational upgrade to the L31xx but otherwise, they are practically identical.

Tear down and extraction of the logic board near the back of the printer


This is the W25Q128JV flash chip where the printer firmware is stored


Backing up the corrupted firmware before erasing (best practice), writing the new firmware, and verifying that it has a 1:1 copy of the new firmware.


This is the BEFORE video.... it had a strange boot-up and power-down procedure. It is plainly visible in the video that the WiFi did not initialize.


This is the AFTER video.... You will note that it's now doing a lot more during boot-up before eventually connecting to the WiFi

Good job. Is there any risk that the firmware not from the manufacturer could contain malware?

[oj88]

Is there any risk that the firmware not from the manufacturer could contain malware?

There's always that risk. I wouldn't ordinarily do it. But the thing is, the printer is dead anyway. I don't think I can make it any worse. Besides, as soon as I got the printer back online, I was able to update it to a more recent firmware using Epson's own firmware update utility (Epson Software Updater or ESU).

So, if somehow the firmware I used was tainted, to which I didn't see any evidence that it was, it's all been overwritten now.

[LOLZ]

Besides, as soon as I got the printer back online, I was able to update it to a more recent firmware using Epson's own firmware update utility (Epson Software Updater or ESU).

You are probably better off extracting the firmware from the ESU and flashing that directly (if possible) as some of the more sophisticated malware can survive the firmware upgrade procedure.

Pacific Rim timeline: Information for defenders from a braid of interlocking attack campaigns – Sophos News

[oj88]

You are probably better off extracting the firmware from the ESU and flashing that directly (if possible) as some of the more sophisticated malware can survive the firmware upgrade procedure.

I spent several hours looking for a way to extract the firmware image binary from the Epson .exe file. I even tried looking for it in program temp folders and such while the updater was running... all to no avail. There's just very little public information out there, if at all, to go about these things. This is more of a "you're on your own" type of deal.

The bin file I downloaded was extracted from the flash memory of an actual unit. I know this because everything about the source printer was also copied to mine.... printer stats, ink pad life, and even the serial number. So, do I think it's a compromised bin file? Possibly, but I highly doubt it.

Regardless, if stuff hits the fun, I have both Pi Hole and OPNsense+Zenarmor watching my back in the event it starts "calling home". But insofar as what the printer is accessing on the web, all my logs indicate that the printer is behaving normally.

[Motortrend]

You are probably better off extracting the firmware from the ESU and flashing that directly (if possible) as some of the more sophisticated malware can survive the firmware upgrade procedure.

Pacific Rim timeline: Information for defenders from a braid of interlocking attack campaigns – Sophos News

Quite sinister.

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I spent several hours looking for a way to extract the firmware image binary from the Epson .exe file. I even tried looking for it in program temp folders and such while the updater was running... all to no avail. There's just very little public information out there, if at all, to go about these things. This is more of a "you're on your own" type of deal.

The bin file I downloaded was extracted from the flash memory of an actual unit. I know this because everything about the source printer was also copied to mine.... printer stats, ink pad life, and even the serial number. So, do I think it's a compromised bin file? Possibly, but I highly doubt it.

Regardless, if stuff hits the fun, I have both Pi Hole and OPNsense+Zenarmor watching my back in the event it starts "calling home". But insofar as what the printer is accessing on the web, all my logs indicate that the printer is behaving normally.

Just continue to be vigilant.

[oj88]

Just continue to be vigilant.

So far so good.

A fortunate outcome of all this is that the firmware change essentially converted my EoL/Discontinued Epson L3150 into a more current L3250 model. From what I can tell, apart from certain cosmetic changes, the hardware between the L3150 and L3250 are essentially identical. But with the new firmware, my printer can now use Epson's Smart Panel mobile app, which the L3150 firmware did not support.

This is a stark reminder that manufacturers hold the prerogative to declare products obsolete at will, even when a simple firmware update could extend their lifespan by enabling support for newer software features.

[Motortrend]

So far so good.

A fortunate outcome of all this is that the firmware change essentially converted my EoL/Discontinued Epson L3150 into a more current L3250 model. From what I can tell, apart from certain cosmetic changes, the hardware between the L3150 and L3250 are essentially identical. But with the new firmware, my printer can now use Epson's Smart Panel mobile app, which the L3150 firmware did not support.

This is a stark reminder that manufacturers hold the prerogative to declare products obsolete at will, even when a simple firmware update could extend their lifespan by enabling support for newer software features.

Convenient way to achieve product end of life.

[LOLZ]

This is a stark reminder that manufacturers hold the prerogative to declare products obsolete at will, even when a simple firmware update could extend their lifespan by enabling support for newer software features.

Not as bad as HP breaking cartridges with firmware upgrades or Canon with their entry level non ink-tank units being blocked from having their waste ink counters from being reset(ironic that their G(1/2/3/4)010 series gets the functionality - the whole service tool really- added to their firmware through a firmware upgrade) requiring the use of the programmer. After all it costs money to maintain software but to actively develop software to break existing functionality is outright hostile,

[oj88]

Not as bad as HP breaking cartridges with firmware upgrades or Canon with their entry level non ink-tank units being blocked from having their waste ink counters from being reset(ironic that their G(1/2/3/4)010 series gets the functionality - the whole service tool really- added to their firmware through a firmware upgrade) requiring the use of the programmer. After all it costs money to maintain software but to actively develop software to break existing functionality is outright hostile,

Oh, HP is evil in that regard.

I used to own a Canon MP258 and back then, I was paying premium for their ink cartridges (which is a printehead+cartridge combo). I could've had it converted to CISS but rumor has it that since the printheads are part of the cartridge and practically disposable, they don't last long enough to make the conversion to CISS worth it. I got rid of it then got the Epson EcoTank. Been happy ever since, apart from the firmware hiccup I had recently.

At any rate, I have all the tools necessary to keep this Epson running for the foreseeable future. I have the adjustment program to reset the waste-ink pad counter. Not to mention the abundant replacement parts available online, and not the least of which, I can now flash it back to the original L3250 firmware image in case Epson decides to introduce new features I don't want in future firmware updates.