Epson EcoTank ET-2870: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Epson EcoTank ET-2870 right for you?

The ET-2870 is a warehouse-club variant of the ET-2850 bundled with additional 522 ink bottles, aimed at shoppers who want several years of ink in the box. The printer itself is the same duplexing 150-sheet all-in-one, so driver behaviour, paper handling and the eventual waste ink pad warning are identical. The extra ink is only an advantage if you print regularly; bottles that sit opened for years can thicken.

Best for: Club shoppers buying a long-term family printer with bundled ink

Setting up the Epson EcoTank ET-2870

Set up exactly as an ET-2850: fill the tanks, wait through the initial charge, then join 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi with Smart Panel. If your retailer's model code is not on the Epson support page, the ET-2850 driver works. Keep unopened spare bottles sealed and in a cool cupboard until needed.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the ink bottles (fill each tank to the upper line), and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Epson's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Epson EcoTank ET-2870 uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Epson 522 Black
• Epson 522 Cyan/Magenta/Yellow ink bottles

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications