HP Color LaserJet Pro 4201dw Wireless Color Laser Printer, Best-for-Office (4RA86F)

First of all, the negative reviews for this product were left by people who din't rate the product, but rated the shipping or were mad because they can't read a product description and thought this was a multi-function printer, which it is clearly not. The lowest one-star review was from a reviewer who didn't know what they were doing. A simple google search produced an answer to solving the power saving issue, straight from HP's web site I'll explain that at the end of this review.This printer was purchased for use in an office environment running primarily macs with a few microsoft surface pros in the mix. Initial configuration is done via the touch screen on the printer itself. It's very simple and you can choose a setup wizard type scenario (self-managed) or more of a manual mode for IT people who want to set up a static IP. I chose the latter. After the quick initial setup on the printer touchscreen, the rest was done on a macbook pro and involved downloading the setup software from HP. The install wizard is as easy as it gets to connect via wifi or ethernet. If you want to access settings again at a later time or tweak specific options, you can access the printer in a web browser via its IP address/default url for the embedded web server in the instructions if you didn't set a static IP (which you always should). Adding the printer to other networked computers is as easy as going into your OS's control panel/system preferences printer settings and adding the printer which should show up on your network.Print quality is great. We replaced an old HP 4700dn color laser which cost significantly more at the time of purchase and see no different in quality. Print speed is also solid. The pull out paper tray is the only thing on this that feels a little cheap. Otherwise it's a hefty printer that seems well-built.To mitigate or eliminate the auto-shutdown mode, go to Network - Wired- IPv4 Configuration (if you did this already in the initial touch screen setup using the IT-managed option, skip to the next part.) Select Manual IP, and make it something like 192.168.2.109. Change the last 3 digits to suit your needs depending on IP addresses already in use. Then, go to Settings- Power Management - Shutdown Mode, set it to 8 hours just because and, most importantly, check the "Disable shutdown when ports are active" box. I can confirm that this will completely eliminate this issue when the printer is connected via ethernet and has a static IP, and possibly for USB connections as well. Feel free to comment if it works for wifi only connections.

I've used many different printers. This one was a bit difficult to connect wirelessly. I had to turn 5G off to connect one computer, but turn it on to connect another, and then turn it back off to use it. And some reviewer said they only got 30 pages from the black cartridge. I print two-sided booklets with almost full-page coverage, and I printed 1200 pages with the original black cartridge. And the good thing is, it kept printing even after it said it had no more pages to go. The black print got lighter, but I got to choose if I wanted to accept that or not. It didn't just shut down. And ... I installed after-market cartridges that were not HP, and it took them. It prompted me that they were not HP, but it still accepted them. That's a plus. I hope HP is listening. I don't think I'd buy a printer that forced me to buy their own supplies. I have other HP printers and I've used other brands. For the money, hands down, this is the best one I've experienced. It takes whatever I throw at it. Small envelopes, letter envelopes - it prints them without wrinkles! Cardstock? I routinely use 65 lb. with hardly any curl. I also use 110 lb. with less curl than I've ever seen with any other printer. I just put the printed 110 lb. cardstock aside with a little weight on it, and in a little while, there's no curl at all. It prints labels. I also like the custom templates that I can save to remember my settings for whatever job - booklets on plain paper - booklet covers on cardstock - two-sided that flips on the short edge - two-sided that flips on the long edge - I just save the template by my own custom name and there's no guessing next time. Oh, did I mention that the print quality is great? Graphics and pictures on plain paper look better than I've seen with other printers. This is a great printer ... after you get it to connect to the network.

This is my 4th HP color laser printer. They've all been pretty good.On this one, the print quality is excellent but that's about it. The engineering and design is abhorrent in every way.The menu and input system is, perhaps, the worst designed interface known to man. I'm not exaggerating. Whoever designed the input dial and menu system should not be working in their field. The dial is clumsy and terribly inaccurate. If you're trying to input a network password, you'll go absolutely mad. It's baffling to think that an entire team of engineers signed off on the input dial as acceptable. Deeply, deeply frustrating. I hope they abandoned this idea in future printers.Additionally, the printer has a terrible record of losing its internet settings at random. Even when the printer doesn't go to sleep, network settings are still lost.The dated blue face is also totally baffling as it doesn't cue into anything and makes your printer stand out when it doesn't need to.Paper jams are more frequent than in previous Color Laser Jet printers I've owned.Update 2/17/25 : This printer is still as crappy as ever.Another reviewer had the gall to say that most negative reviews on this printer are overblown and then subsequently lists the highly technical way he fixed his printer from losing its internet connection. The negative reviews are spot on. Do not buy this printer.

Great, fast color printing. Toner lasts a long time (although incredibly expensive), great wireless, Bluetooth and direct wireless or wired connections which make it very convenient. Plenty of options and easy to use. I do wish it had a scanner tho in hindsight. Still would recommend…been a workhorse of a printer.