Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can it automatically print color Legal pages over Ethernet with 850 supplied sheets for 3,000 pages monthly?
Yes, with the complete original dtn tray package, compatible software and supported ordinary stock.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the standard dtn include Wi-Fi networking?
No. Wireless networking is an optional accessory.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the dtn’s extra feeder include a private-job disk?
No. Disk-dependent PIN storage remains optional.
Explore this need in the finder →The supplied feeder and duplexer define the dtn
The HP Color LaserJet 3800dtn combines the family’s automatic duplexer with an included 500-sheet third feeder. Its Q5984A package provides 850 ordinary input sheets altogether and embedded Fast Ethernet for compatible shared printing. Those physical additions distinguish it from the smaller or manually duplexed versions.
This is an earlier print-only configuration. It has no scanner, copier or fax, so a suitable office already needs its documents in digital form. The larger paper package solves an input requirement rather than adding multifunction capability.
Verify that the expanded package is still complete
The original dtn includes a 100-sheet multipurpose tray, a 250-sheet cassette and the extra 500-sheet feeder. Check all three on the actual offer. An earlier machine can retain its model label after accessories are removed or replaced.
The expanded arrangement can reduce ordinary-paper reloads or accommodate supported stock in separate trays. It remains subject to actual paper thickness and correct loading. The output bin’s capacity is a different number and should not be added to input capacity.
Original size marks support Letter, Legal and A4 ordinary paper in the supplied inputs. Envelopes use the multipurpose tray only, with a ten-envelope limit and specified loading direction. Special-media handling is therefore separate from the full 850-sheet ordinary arrangement.
Use automatic duplex with supported paper
The operating guide explicitly includes the 3800dtn in automatic two-sided printing. Its size-specific table names Letter, Legal and A4, within the documented paper-weight range. That supports a useful combined requirement: a specified ordinary size, automatic duplex and the included larger paper package.
Select the correct duplex and binding settings in a compatible driver. Letterhead orientation differs from simplex loading. The manual also excludes certain special materials, including labels, transparencies, cardstock and glossy film, from automatic duplex.
A page can briefly move into the output area before the printer draws it back for the reverse side. Wait until the sheet is complete before removing it; pulling during that movement can cause a jam. Automatic duplex describes the paper path, not permission to interrupt it.
Ethernet is included; wireless remains optional
The embedded Fast Ethernet server and USB computer connection provide the standard print routes. Gigabit and wireless network accessories are separate options. Neither the larger tray package nor the dtn suffix establishes an included radio or modern mobile-print protocol.
Check a suitable current driver and network arrangement before relying on an earlier unit. The original operating-system and protocol lists help identify the historical design but do not guarantee every present combination. Confirm that the software sees the duplexer and the actual installed trays.
Private-job storage is not part of the added paper package
HP’s stored-job and private PIN instructions require an installed hard disk. The original disk is optional even on dtn. Its larger supplied memory and paper capacity should not be mistaken for an included held-print solution.
A claimed disk-equipped offer needs verification of the actual hardware and retrieval controls. The configuration page can identify installed accessories; the supplies page answers a different question about consumables. Neither substitutes for checking the complete package.
Allow for a taller, heavier earlier printer
The extra feeder increases the dtn’s height and weight. Leave room to withdraw trays, reach cables and open service areas, and ensure the support surface suits the complete unit. Verify the actual regional electrical plate rather than treating the source’s alternative voltages as universal input.
The recurring recommendation is 1,500–5,000 printed pages monthly, separate from maximum duty. Check service condition and four-color supplies as well. The 3800dtn fits compatible wired color work when its included 850-sheet arrangement and automatic duplex are useful, with optional storage and wireless assessed separately.
Key details at a glance
| Color printing | Yes |
|---|---|
| Scanner | No |
| Copying | No |
| Fax | No |
| Flatbed scanner | No |
| Automatic document feeder | No |
| Automatic two-sided printing | Yes |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Supported PIN-release printing | No |
| Recommended monthly minimum | 1500 pages |
| Recommended monthly maximum | 5000 pages |
| Maximum monthly duty | 65000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 850 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 22 pages/min |
| Declared one-sided color Letter rate | 22 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 15.7 in |
| Unit-body depth | 17.7 in |
| Unit-body height | 22.2 in |
| Unit weight | 74.1 lb |
| Imaging engine | laser |
Use the exact model’s instructions for operating limits, supplied equipment and version differences.
Paper, software and setup details
Print-rate conditions
Original exact 3800 table specifies up to 22 Letter or 21 A4 ppm. Recommended recurring printing is 1,500–5,000 pages, distinct from 65,000 maximum duty. Shared guide also covers slower 3600 models, whose rates are not borrowed.
Paper handling
Included inputs total 850 ordinary sheets: 100 plus 250 plus included 500. Verify the third feeder survives in the offered package. Actual original table marks Letter/Legal/A4 in supplied ordinary inputs. Envelopes use Tray 1 only, up to ten, face down with specified orientation. Exact dtn has automatic Letter/Legal/A4 duplex within documented 60–120 g/m² range; labels/transparencies/cardstock/glossy film excluded. Letterhead orientation differs for duplex; do not remove a sheet during its temporary output/reversal movement.
Scanning arrangement
Print-only configuration without scanner, copying or fax. Host/accessory USB does not establish capture.
Computer and mobile connections
Computer USB and Fast Ethernet supplied; Gigabit, wireless server and parallel adapter optional. AirPrint, Mopria and standard Wi-Fi Direct are unestablished; optional accessories are not counted.
Supplies and declared yields
Four original cartridges Q6470A black, Q7581A cyan, Q7582A yellow and Q7583A magenta; original full-cartridge declaration and approximately 6,000-page yields at stated coverage do not establish remaining supplies or measured output.
Software and support
Compatible computer driver and actual installed options required. Original menu and stored-job instructions explicitly require installed optional hard disk for private PIN jobs; base package has no such disk. Management passwords and network protocols do not establish job-release hardware. Historical OS lists and software availability need checking.
Electrical edition and setup
Original North American Letter configuration, with separate low/high regional voltage editions; actual unit plate unconfirmed, so US mains unknown. Earlier original references do not prove exact model official-discontinuation status or stock. Check condition, driver and surviving accessories.
Sources for this assessment
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