Verdict
HP’s LaserJet Professional MFP 3102fdwe is a compact and fast multifunction stuffed with helpful small workplace options. It delivers nice prints, scans and copies, and is usually fairly straightforward to make use of. Nevertheless, it’s not particularly low-cost for a mono MFP, and it doesn’t make up for it with low working prices. As with different HP printers denoted by an ‘e’, it would solely work with an web connection and HP’s personal consumables. That makes it onerous for us to advocate it.
Execs
- Neat, compact and straightforward to make use of
- Nice print and replica high quality, good scans
- Quick performer
Cons
- It’s important to signal as much as HP+
- Not particularly low-cost to run
- Want an web connection
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A four-in-one wi-fi MFPThe MFP 3102fdwe can print, copy, and fax in gray, and scan in full color -
Helps a toner subscriptionToner subscriptions can cut back the trouble of maintaining this printer in motion
Introduction
HP’s LaserJet Professional MFP 3102fdwe is a fairly well-specified laser multifunction peripheral (MFP), designed for small and residential places of work. It’s a mono system, so it may possibly solely print, copy or obtain mono faxes, however its scanner operates in full color.
This MFP helps each wired and wi-fi community connections. It’s also possible to use it to print from, or scan to, any USB drive inserted in a slot simply in entrance of the color touchscreen. It’s constructed to deal with common use, with HP recommending a month-to-month print quantity of as much as 2,500 pages. It’s quick, with a 33 pages per minute (ppm) velocity score.
Like all present HP printers ending with an ‘e’, the 3102fdwe is an HP+ system. This implies it should be registered on the HP+ service, that it received’t perform except it’s related to the web, and you can solely use it with real HP provides. The printer comes with a pre-installed black cartridge, rated for round 1,000 pages.
Design and Options
- Compact and sensible
- Principally straightforward to make use of
- HP+ limitations might be annoying
Mono laser MFPs aren’t identified for his or her appears to be like, however there’s not a lot incorrect with the LaserJet Professional MFP 3102fdwe on this division. It’s pretty squat and produced from tasteful white and darkish gray plastics. On the entrance left of the highest panel, a 6.9cm color touchscreen presents direct management over copies and options equivalent to USB prints and scans. It’s a straightforward display to make use of, though with copies specifically it typically feels as if operations take one or two extra faucets than ideally suited.
Squatting low above the printer’s 150-sheet paper output, the scanner is fitted with a 50-sheet automated doc feeder (ADF). This pulls by multi-page paperwork, letting you fax or copy them with out shuffling paper round, but it surely’s a disgrace it doesn’t assist duplex (double-sided) scanning. It’s also possible to elevate the ADF to make use of the scan platen, which is flush with its plastic encompass – this makes it a lot simpler to retrieve originals after you’ve scanned them.
Within the printer’s base, there’s a totally enclosed 250-sheet paper cassette, however there’s no bypass or multipurpose feed. If you wish to print headed paper or particular media, you’ll must load it within the cassette, which is a little bit of an inconvenience.
This, and the dearth of duplex scanning, are most likely the one slight letdowns. The printer itself does supply a duplex, which is crucial to saving paper and producing professional-looking studies and printouts.
Like most printer producers, HP has stopped delivery drivers with its merchandise, as an alternative pointing clients at an internet setup course of. This appears extra advanced than vital, with the freshly switched-on printer displaying a pairing code which you then must enter on-line. With this completed, you want to join HP+ and comply with its phrases earlier than HP will allow you to arrange your printer.
Personally, I’m unconvinced by the necessity for HP+ printers, which require that you just join the service, register them, and agree solely to make use of HP consumables for the lifetime of the printer. Thereafter, the system will solely work whereas it has an web connection – even for those who connect with it through USB.
This looks as if an pointless complication, notably on condition that it’ll render your printer ineffective every time your web connection goes down. The requirement for real HP provides may produce other implications for customers: throughout my testing, the 3102fdwe warned me that the (real) inserted provides weren’t speaking with the printer, and it refused to print. The message cleared once I eliminated and reinserted the toner, however printers will be annoying sufficient for customers with out imposing further hurdles.
Happily, there’s a non-HP+ various, the MFP 3102fdw, which is in any other case similar. With each units, you possibly can select whether or not to join On the spot Ink or purchase consumables your self.
Print Velocity and High quality
- Quick at the whole lot, besides high-resolution scans
- Sturdy print, scan and replica high quality
- Unimpressive working prices
In use, that is largely a powerful MFP. Whereas some laser printers impose a warm-up time for those who haven’t used them for some time, the MFP 3102fdwe sprung into life to ship a primary web page in as little as 9 seconds, no matter how lengthy it had been idle. Like different printers, its print speeds had been depending on the kind of job. Longer paperwork require an extended job preparation, so the primary web page took 34 seconds in our 20-page customary take a look at, and the MFP 3102fdwe peaked at solely 7.3ppm. Switching to a unique take a look at wherein we repeat a single web page 25 occasions, it peaked at a way more spectacular 27.8 ppm.
Advanced graphics normally sluggish printers down, however our single-page graphics take a look at reduce the preparation time, giving a greatest results of 25ppm over 20 pages. Examined with a extra advanced, multi-page doc, this dropped to 16ppm – nonetheless a good outcome.
The LaserJet Professional MFP 3102fdwe has a quick scanner when working at low resolutions appropriate for archiving and copying workplace paperwork. It may seize an A4 web page at 150 dots per inch (dpi) in 9 seconds, needing simply 20 seconds at 300 dpi. Solely on the most 1,200 dpi was it much less spectacular, needing a minute and 40 seconds to complete scanning a 10x15cm {photograph}.
This MFP combines fast scanning and printing to race by photocopies. It completed a single mono copy in 16 seconds and will full 10 single-sided pages in a powerful 37 seconds.
Fortunately, this nippy efficiency didn’t come at the price of high quality. All of our take a look at prints had been glorious by the requirements of a mono laser. The textual content was daring and really crisp, as you’d count on, however mono graphics and pictures had been surprisingly detailed and mercifully freed from the banding you typically get from cheaper laser printers. This nice high quality prolonged to photocopies, which had been near-perfectly uncovered, with no ensuing lack of element in gentle or darkish areas.
Whereas HP’s scan interface feels a bit overblown, I’ve few complaints about this MFP’s scan high quality. Doc scans had been once more glorious. At greater resolutions, the image was a bit extra blended. The Auto Publicity characteristic tended to over-expose the lightest shades in photographs, however with it off the outcomes had been excellent. Nevertheless, seen at 100% zoom I may see proof of digital processing, which may depart the outcomes wanting odd and synthetic.
Purchase your personal consumables, keep on with the high-capacity toner that lasts for 4,000 pages, and also you’ll pay round 2.5p per web page to print. That’s not particularly aggressive for a mono printer on this class, but it surely’s not outrageous. Alternatively, you possibly can signal as much as HP’s On the spot Ink service (which is separate from HP+), and select from toner plans protecting 50-800 pages per 30 days.
For inkjets and color lasers, these typically work out higher worth, offered you print at or close to the related month-to-month quantity, however they work much less effectively for a mono laser. At 2.25p per web page, solely the £18-per-month high tier presents any saving over shopping for your personal toner, though it does reduce down the trouble of buying provides.
Like all laser printers, the MFP 3102fdwe has comparatively excessive peak energy use – I measured 872 Watts whereas copying. This can be a results of heating up the fuser, which bonds the toner to the web page, but it surely’s extra typical to see a consumption of round 200W when printing. I measured 5W of standby energy use, dropping to only 1W in sleep mode – which is the place printers spend most of their time.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
If you’d like a small workplace all-rounder
This can be a stable MFP for small places of work that want quick prints, scans and copies. It delivers good outcomes throughout the board and is usually straightforward to make use of. It’s additionally compact, and relatively good to take a look at.
If you’d like an affordable, non-subscription possibility
HP+ membership does impose some restrictions, most importantly the necessity for a everlasting web connection. As well as, this isn’t a very low-cost MFP to run, even for those who signal it up for On the spot Ink.
Ultimate Ideas
With the HP LaserJet Professional MFP 3102fdwe, it’s onerous to keep away from the impression of a superb multifunction, hamstrung considerably by HP’s makes an attempt to guard its consumables gross sales. Set that to at least one aspect, nonetheless (or spend one other £20 or so on the 3102fdw), and this MFP nonetheless appears a bit too costly to purchase and run. It’s an excellent compact system that provides quick printing, scanning and copying, but it surely’s onerous to strongly advocate it.
In the event you’re set on a mono laser workplace MFP, I’d advocate Xerox’s B305DN – it’s uglier, but it surely’s simply as quick. It’s additionally cheaper to purchase, and considerably cheaper to run. Alternatively, try our greatest printer 2023 information for picks just like the HP Good Tank 5105 or Epson EcoTank ET-3850.
How we take a look at
Each printer we assessment goes by a collection of uniform checks designed to gauge key issues together with print high quality, velocity and value.
We’ll additionally examine the options with different printers on the similar value level to see for those who’re getting good worth on your cash.
Measured the time it takes to print with numerous paper
In contrast print high quality with different printers
Examined printing with monochrome and colored ink
FAQs
The best manner is to enter the setup menu, select WPS, after which observe the prompts to press the WPS button in your router. Alternatively, you possibly can select to manually add a community and supply its passkey. On LaserJets with no show, set up the HP Good app, which can information you thru connecting and putting in drivers in your units.
It stands for multifunction printer or multifunction peripheral. It mainly implies that the related mannequin has a scanner in addition to a printer, so it may possibly print, scan and replica. If there’s a fax modem (normally signified by a lowercase ‘f’ within the mannequin quantity), it’ll fax as effectively.
Some can, but it surely relies on the printer. The LaserJet Professional MFP 3102fdwe is black solely. You should purchase full-colour equivalents, however they’re larger they usually value extra.
Trusted Critiques take a look at information
Power consumption
Printing A4 mono velocity (single web page)
Printing A4 mono velocity (5 pages)
Printing A4 mono velocity (20 pages)
Printing A4 color velocity (single web page)
Printing A4 color velocity (5 pages)
Printing A4 color velocity (20 pages)
Printing A4 color photograph velocity (20 pages)
Scanning velocity take a look at (single web page)
