HP Color Laser MFP 179fnw review

A compact four-function printer for a light queue

The HP Color Laser MFP 179fnw suits a small office that needs occasional color output, a feeder for ordinary document stacks and an analog fax facility in one compact body. Its strongest practical distinction from a flatbed-only machine is the included 40-sheet document feeder. Ethernet, ordinary Wi-Fi and computer USB are also included.

Two limits should decide the purchase before its small size does. Automatic print duplex is absent, and HP recommends only 100–500 printed pages per month. The much larger 20000-page maximum duty figure does not replace that recommended working range. HP's exact U.S. 4ZB97A#BGJ page identifies this as discontinued equipment.

Legal documents use the feeder, not the glass

The documented feeder range reaches 216 × 356 mm, allowing full Legal originals. The flatbed maximum is 216 × 297 mm, suitable for Letter and A4. A Legal contract can therefore enter the feeder, but a requirement for Legal-size glass is unmet. This matters for bound or delicate originals that should not be fed.

Originals go face up in the feeder, with the guides adjusted to their width. The guide gives the feeder priority when it detects a loaded document, so remove the stack before working on the glass. Remove staples, avoid damaged sheets and keep the narrow feeder glass clean to reduce avoidable scan defects.

The established feeder workflow acquires ordinary one-sided originals. This assessment does not infer automatic two-sided or single-pass capture from the presence of an ADF. Choose expressly documented duplex-scan hardware when unattended capture of both faces is essential.

Computer scanning depends on the chosen route

The original guide explicitly separates the software paths. TWAIN can use a local USB connection or the network. WIA is the Windows USB route. HP MFP Scan has an actual Windows network setup, and Scan to WSD needs a compatible computer and correctly installed network WSD driver.

That supports a genuine desktop arrangement combining color printing, computer scanning, copying and the machine's separately connected telephone fax. Fax still requires the documented telephone-line setup; Ethernet does not replace that line.

Mac support in the guide is explained through AirPrint printing. It is not a promise of Mac scanner drivers. Similarly, the guide's HP Smart scan instructions describe using a phone or computer camera. Photographing a document with that camera does not prove that an application controls the printer's glass or feeder.

Plan for manual two-sided output

The manual's feature table identifies manual duplex as a Windows facility. Its printing section requires an appropriate driver, prints alternate pages first and then asks the operator to complete the job. A loose product-summary word such as “duplex” should not be interpreted as an installed automatic duplexer.

Letter, Legal and A4 fit the ordinary tray. The actual paper table ties its 150-sheet rating to 75 gsm paper and a 15.5 mm stack limit. Glossy, heavy and other special media have substantially smaller quantities; some require feeding one sheet at a time. The output bin holds 50 sheets, so even the ordinary input rating does not describe unattended output capacity.

Black-text and color queues behave differently

The U.S. declaration is up to 19 Letter pages per minute in black and four in color. The regional sheet's 18-page black figure refers to A4. Neither number is a measured result here, a two-sided speed or a scanning rate. Several color handouts can occupy the printer much longer than an equally short monochrome queue.

The exact U.S. page specifies 116A replacement toner, with declared yields around 1000 black and 700 composite-color pages. Introductory supplies are smaller. A preserved regional sheet lists 117A instead; match supplies to the actual regional machine. HP also discloses dynamic-security chip restrictions, so verify compatibility rather than assuming any mechanically similar cartridge will work.

Check the actual unit before installation

The body is approximately 16 inches wide, with extra depth needed for its extended configuration and access. The guide identifies separate 110–127 V and 220–240 V editions, rather than universal input. Inspect the rating label, current drivers and consumables for the offered unit. Treat old cloud-service and voice-assistant examples as historical references until independently confirmed.