HP MFP 3101fdw All In One: In-Depth Review and User Opinions

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP 3101fdw is an all-in-one monochrome laser printer intended for small office and home office use. As an MFP (multi-function printer), it provides printing, copying, scanning and faxing capabilities in one compact device.

Some key features of the HP 3101fdw include:

• Print speeds up to 31 pages per minute
• 50-sheet automatic document feeder for the scanner
• Built-in Ethernet and wireless networking
• Support for mobile printing via the HP Smart app
• 2-line LCD control panel
• 250-sheet main paper tray
• Automatic two-sided printing
• 35,000 page monthly duty cycle

With its space-saving design and variety of functions, the HP 3101fdw is aimed at small businesses, home offices and individuals looking for an affordable monochrome laser all-in-one printer. This review will take a closer look at the design, print quality, scanning, connectivity and other features of this MFP.

Design and Build Quality

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw has an attractive and compact design that looks great in any home office or small business environment. It has a relatively small footprint, measuring only 16.5 x 16.1 x 12.3 inches, so it doesn't take up much desk space.

Despite the small size, the printer feels very sturdy and durable thanks to its solid plastic construction. The top lid and paper tray have a smooth black finish that resists scratches and fingerprints. The buttons on the control panel are also well-built and respond nicely when pressed.

Overall, the build quality is excellent for the price. The printer doesn't feel flimsy or cheap. All the parts fit together tightly with no gaps or wiggle room. The paper tray slides in and out smoothly, and the scanning lid opens and closes with a satisfying "click."

One downside is that the printer only comes in black. There are no color options available. However, since it's meant for office use, the basic black look blends into most environments.

In summary, the design and construction quality of the HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw are very good considering its affordable price point. It should hold up well to daily use in either a home or small business setting. The compact size is also a nice bonus for those short on space.

Print Quality

The HP LaserJet Pro MFP M428fdw delivers excellent print quality and fast print speeds. It has a print resolution of up to 1200 x 1200 dpi for crisp, sharp text and vibrant graphics.

The printer uses original HP Toner cartridges that produce consistently high-quality prints. Blacks are deep and rich, while colors are bright and saturated. Printouts have a professional matte finish that looks great for documents.

Print speeds are fast at 28 pages per minute for black and white, and 24 pages per minute for color. A 50-page automatic document feeder helps maximize efficiency for scanning and copying multi-page documents. First page out time is quick at just 7.9 seconds for black and 8.8 seconds for color.

Overall, the laser technology, high print resolution, and original HP toner combine to deliver professional, lab-quality printing right from your desk. Text is razor-sharp even at small font sizes, while graphics and images print cleanly with no noticeable graininess or banding. It's a reliable printer for any home or small office.

Scanning

The HP MFP 3101fdw offers excellent scanning capabilities with a resolution up to 1200 x 1200 dpi. You can scan documents and save them directly to a variety of file formats including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, PDF, and more.

The included scan software makes it easy to scan from the printer screen or your computer. There are options for single page scanning as well as multi-page documents. The automatic document feeder can scan up to 35 pages per minute, allowing you to digitize stacks of papers quickly.

One nice feature is the ability to scan directly to email, shared folders, cloud storage services, or your local computer. The printer software integrates with services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Evernote, and more. You don't need to save the files locally before uploading somewhere else.

Overall, the scanning functionality delivers crisp, clear scans at a fast speed. The file format and destination flexibility makes it simple to digitize paperwork for archiving or sharing. If you need to convert paper documents into digital copies, the HP 3101fdw performs very well.

Copying

The HP Laserjet Pro MFP M3101fdw produces fast, clear copies. It can deliver a first copy in as little as 8.5 seconds. The maximum copy speed is up to 21 pages per minute.

The printer uses a high-quality laser printing process to produce sharp text and vivid colors in copied documents. It can copy at resolutions up to 600 x 600 dpi for crisp details.

The printer includes a built-in document feeder that can hold up to 35 sheets. This allows you to easily copy multi-page documents. It supports automatic two-sided copying so you can copy both sides of a two-sided original.

The M3101fdw also supports collated copying when copying multiple sets. This automatically sorts the copies so each set comes out arranged in the correct page order, saving you from manually shuffling pages around.

Overall, the M3101fdw provides fast, high-quality copies for your home office or small business needs. The automatic document feeder and two-sided copying add important productivity benefits.

Faxing Capabilities

The HP MFP 3101fdw delivers reliable fax performance thanks to its 33.6 kbps modem speed and 200 speed dials. It can store up to 100 pages in memory, ensuring you don't miss any important incoming faxes if the printer runs out of paper.

Fax resolution goes up to 300 x 300 dpi for crisp text and images. The printer also supports delayed sending so you can schedule faxes to be sent at a later time. This can be especially handy for sending faxes to international numbers during regular business hours.

Overall, the fax capabilities of the HP 3101fdw are very good for a printer in this class. While the modem speed is not lightning fast, it should be more than enough for most small office uses. The ability to save incoming faxes to memory is a big plus, and the print quality of sent faxes is reliably good.

Connectivity

The HP MFP 3101fdw offers excellent connectivity options with both wireless and wired capabilities.

For wired connectivity, it has a high-speed USB 2.0 port to connect directly to your computer. The USB connection allows for fast and reliable data transfer speeds when printing documents or scanning to your PC.

This printer also includes dual-band WiFi (2.4GHz and 5GHz) for wireless printing and scanning. Connecting to your wireless network is straightforward with the HP Smart app or through the touchscreen display.

Once connected over WiFi, you can print from anywhere in your home and access printer functions from mobile devices using the HP Smart app. The dual-band wireless provides extended range and faster speeds compared to single band WiFi.

Speaking of mobile devices, the HP MFP 3101fdw fully supports mobile printing capabilities. You can print directly from your smartphone or tablet using the HP Smart app for iOS and Android. Some of the supported printing features include document and photo printing, scanning documents into your device, and accessing printer settings remotely.

With its wired, wireless, and mobile connectivity, the HP MFP 3101fdw gives you flexibility in how you access the printer functions and connect your various devices. The connectivity options make it easy to print, scan, copy, and fax from anywhere.

Software

The HP MFP 3101fdw comes with HP's Smart Printer software that makes printing and scanning very easy. You can print from your computer directly to the printer without any drivers needing to be installed.

The scanner software allows you to easily scan documents or photos directly to your computer or to cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive. There are options to enhance scanned images and convert them to different file types like PDF or JPG.

HP also provides an app you can install on your smartphone or tablet to wirelessly print from and scan to your mobile device. The app lets you monitor printer status and ink levels too.

Overall the software options HP provides are robust, user-friendly and enhance the functionality and capabilities of the printer considerably. The wireless printing and scanning features afforded by the software are a huge convenience benefit.

Security Features

The HP LaserJet MFP 3101fdw has several robust security features to keep your data and documents protected.

• Encryption - It supports encryption protocols such as IPsec, SNMPv3, and HTTPS to encrypt data sent over networks. This prevents sensitive data from being intercepted as it travels to and from the printer.

• Authentication - The printer offers various authentication methods like LDAP authentication, PIN code, and device certificates. This allows only authorized users to access the printer and print confidential documents.

• Secure cloud connectivity - The printer can connect to cloud services securely using protocols like OAuth. This enables safe storage and retrieval of documents from cloud repositories.

• Firewall - An embedded firewall provides protection from malicious attacks and intrusions by restricting access. This keeps the printer secure from network vulnerabilities.

• Firmware verification - Firmware is digitally signed by HP to prevent installation of compromised or altered firmware. This protects the printer from malware infections.

• Secure erase - The printer can permanently erase stored data on its hard drive securely when needed. This ensures deleted documents are completely wiped to prevent data leaks.

• Job retention - Sensitive print jobs can be stored in the printer's memory with a PIN for secure retrieval. This prevents unauthorized access to confidential documents.

• Security management - Administrators can easily configure and monitor security settings remotely using the HP Embedded Web Server. This allows centralized control over security policies.

Conclusion

The HP MFP 3101dfw is a feature-rich all-in-one printer with a lot going for it. Here's a quick rundown of the pros and cons:

Pros: - Fast, high-quality printing with a speed of up to 26 ppm - Duplex printing capability - 300 dpi scanner with automatic document feeder
- Easy wireless setup and connectivity - Supports mobile printing via Wi-Fi direct and HP Smart app - Toner Save mode helps conserve toner

Cons:
- Lack of touchscreen display - Manual document feeder for copying and faxing - No Ethernet port

Overall, the HP MFP 3101dfw is an excellent home office printer for those seeking an affordable wireless all-in-one with robust print capabilities. While the lack of a touchscreen and manual document feeder are a bit disappointing, the print quality and wireless connectivity make up for it. For most home office tasks like printing, scanning and occasional copying, the 3101dfw gets the job done. Unless you need specialty features like faxing and Ethernet connectivity, the HP MFP 3101dfw is easy to recommend as a high-value choice.