Canon imageCLASS LBP162dw review

A compact network printer for monochrome office pages

The Canon imageCLASS LBP162dw is an earlier print-only reference for a small desk or shared work area that needs automatic two-sided monochrome documents. The exact U.S. specification sheet identifies item 2438C006. It has no scanner, copier or telephone fax, so its small chassis makes sense when those tasks already have another solution.

Its connection choices are more flexible than a USB-only personal printer: USB, Ethernet, Wi-Fi and a direct wireless mode are documented. The wired interface is 10/100Base-T Ethernet, however, rather than Gigabit. That distinction should remain visible even when a seller groups all wired office printers under a generic network label.

Separate the native driver from mobile printing

Canon's actual computer-printing procedure starts with the installed printer driver. Open the application's print dialog, choose this printer, inspect Preferences or Properties, apply the settings and send the job. Before printing, the machine's paper size and type should match the loaded drawer. This preparation matters especially when changing from ordinary Letter paper to Legal or a special medium.

UFR II LT and the documented PCL options are native driver choices. The original reference lists particular Windows and Mac generations; it does not prove that every later computer has a suitable driver. Confirm the exact computer environment before relying on an older unit for a replacement workstation.

AirPrint is a separate route. The actual guide describes Apple devices on the same LAN, a direct connection and a supported Mac connected by USB. Its USB example applies to the Mac, not an iPhone cable arrangement. Enable the printer's AirPrint and IPP settings, and use an application that offers AirPrint. Canon cautions that available settings and paper sizes vary by application, so a mobile print button is not a promise of every native-driver control.

Useful duplex support, with real paper limits

The operating paper table explicitly supports automatic two-sided output on Letter, Legal and A4. It also limits the permitted paper types. Ordinary paper and the eligible lighter heavy-paper category can duplex; envelopes, labels and the heavier categories cannot be treated the same way. Select the correct type rather than forcing a thick or coated item through an ordinary-paper setting.

The standard Letter capacity is 250 sheets at 20 lb bond. Although the specification sheet also describes a one-sheet bypass, Canon still declares a 250-sheet maximum. This review therefore does not turn the separate bypass into a 251-sheet headline. The operating table lowers drawer capacity for heavier stock, so the ordinary-paper number is not a universal stack limit.

Envelope handling is another place where the operating instructions add useful detail. The drawer table permits ten envelopes, while the bypass handles one item. Neither source permits automatic two-sided envelopes. For occasional correspondence, choose the actual envelope size and type and follow the loading instructions rather than interpreting the normal drawer capacity as an envelope quantity.

Three supply numbers that describe different things

The supplied toner is rated at 1,000 pages. Replacement Cartridge 051 is rated at 1,700 pages, while 051 H is rated at 4,100 pages. The consumables chapter specifies ISO/IEC 19752 on A4 at default density for the toner declaration. Those replacement figures are not the amount supplied with a new printer, and none establishes what remains inside a used one.

Drum 051 is separate from the toner cartridge. Both supplied and replacement drum declarations are 23,000 pages under a two-sheet intermittent A4 test. That is a different test basis from toner yield. Keep both replacement items in a supply plan; no current price or measured cost per page is assumed here.

Size, speed and the workload decision

Canon declares up to 30 one-sided Letter ppm and 24 Legal ppm, with a recommended monthly volume of 250–2,500 pages. The Legal figure should not replace the Letter speed, and the monthly recommendation is more useful for routine planning than an unsupported maximum-duty claim. Actual job time will also depend on preparation, settings and the document.

The operating manual gives a body of 14.625 inches wide, 15.875 deep and 8.875 high. These fractional-inch figures agree with its metric measurements more closely than the brochure's inconsistent rounded inch row. Its quoted 15.4 lb excludes toner and drum, so this review leaves loaded weight unknown. Allow room for loading and servicing. Choose LBP162dw for its documented local or network monochrome workflow when scanning and color output are not requirements.