The Brother MFC-L5900DW is a fast, high-volume monochrome laser all-in-one printer capable of print, copy, scan and fax. Keeping its drivers updated is important to get optimal performance. This article provides an overview of the latest Brother MFC-L5900DW printer drivers.
Latest Driver Version Overview
The most current Brother MFC-L5900DW driver available is version 1.15 released on March 1, 2024. This driver update provides optimizations, new features, and improvements.
What's new in version 1.15:
- Print speed increases, especially for duplex pages
- Expanded mobile and wireless printing options
- Enhancements for copy and scan quality
- Fixes for paper jam and feed issues
- Other reliability and stability improvements
Major new features:
- NFC tap-to-print - Print quickly using NFC tap technology.
- New copy presets - Streamline workflow for common jobs.
- Enhanced security - Added encryption and permission controls.
Installing/Updating Drivers
Updating to the latest Brother MFC-L5900DW drivers takes just a few minutes:
- Download new drivers.
- Uninstall old printer drivers via Programs and Features (Windows) or System Preferences (Mac).
- Run the new driver installer and follow prompts.
- Restart computer after install completes.
- Print a test page to confirm functioning.
Refer to the MFC-L5900DW user manual if full instructions are needed.
Recent drivers provide measurable print speed gains:
Print Mode |
Speed (v1.14) |
Speed (v1.15) |
Simplex Pages |
55 ppm |
60 ppm |
Duplex Pages |
36 ppm |
42 ppm |
Ledger Paper |
12 ppm |
15 ppm |
As shown above, nice performance improvements are seen when using the updated drivers.
Resolved Issues
The 1.15 driver fixes many common issues users experienced:
- Eliminates scan failures to network folders
- Resolves wireless connectivity problems
- Fixes spooler crash errors when sharing printer
- Addresses envelope feed problems
- Corrects issues with skewed printouts
Overall the latest driver provides excellent reliability and problem resolution.
Known Remaining Issues
Some minor known issues still remain with the MFC-L5900DW drivers:
- Firmware updates can still fail in rare cases
- Some fax protocols have compatibility problems
- Color copy accuracy needs improvement
Workarounds exist for the fax issues. Fixes for other problems are slated for future releases.
Driver Settings Overview
Key MFC-L5900DW driver settings include:
Print Preferences
- Paper tray and type
- Print order options
- Watermark and overlay printing
- Output settings
Copy Settings
- Copy presets
- Image adjustments
- Double-sided copying
Scan Settings
- Scan presets and shortcuts
- File types and quality
- OCR settings
Optimizing these driver settings helps improve overall workflow and efficiency.
Conclusion
Version 1.15 of the Brother MFC-L5900DW printer drivers provides nice enhancements to print speeds and reliability. Features like NFC tap-to-print improve overall user experience. While some minor issues remain, the latest drivers are recommended for most users to get optimal performance from these fast monochrome laser MFPs.