HP LaserJet 4301fdw
Stellar, but for one issue…
03/11/2024 12:33
The LaserJet Pro MFP 4301fdw is an EXCEPTIONAL printer.
The features and functions are everything one would want in a color laser (we hate inkjets):
The scanner provides great resolution and options for usb and email.
The printer provides excellent precision and color representation.
The copier works as expected with minimal quality bleed.
The fax... I guess is there... lol.
The toner cartridges are small, but expect them to meet their estimated life.
The printer itself is a beast, the build quality is solid.
Mopria print service is supported.
There are two minor issues and one huge negative (which alone makes this unit one I can't recommend, unfortunately):
1. The HP Smart is finicky in allowing mobile printing. I've had just as many failures as successes when trying images or pdfs. Some of this could be setup or configuration (I need to ask my IT-pro husband to help look, but I wanted to write this as a normal user who likely wouldn't have that level of help). It prints fine otherwise though, so this isn't too bad, since I'm always on a laptop too.
2. The on-screen printer menu is a bit convoluted. I didn't setup wifi upon first config (more on why in the next item), and to get there was a bit strange afterwards. SIgn-in to the printer using a code inside the housing was required.
As noted, the above are minor points; this one isn't:
3. The reason i can't recommend this is that the printer will actively try to prevent you from using 3rd party toner, while pricing theirs 3x higher. HP lost a lawsuit in the past about this on InkJets, and I'm surprised they'd do this with LaserJets now. During setup I did see this, and the one thing I asked my husband to help with was to block all home IPs from reaching HP update servers. The config says the firmware is from mid-2023, so hopefully this will prevent that service from preventing my selection of toner as new options become available. And while just blocking it from the network entirely, the ability to mobile print or scan to email would be lost. For anyone without those requirements, it would work fine as an externally offline/LAN printer.
It's one thing to disclaim that the quality of print will not be guaranteed without official HP toner, but quite another to actively try to block any competition. For this, and this alone, the printer cannot be recommended - a first for me. If HP stopped this practice tomorrow, this would change to a 5 star review with full recommendation.
LissieB
Winter Garden , Spojené státy americké
Age: 45
Gender: Female