Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can the earlier base 2420 print ordinary Legal pages from a compatible USB computer with 350 sheets?
Qualifies with earlier references enabled. Its included 100-sheet front and 250-sheet lower input both support ordinary Legal paper; use the real compatible driver and cable.
Explore this need in the finder →Does selecting Print on Both Sides make the base 2420 duplex automatically?
Fails automatic duplex. This configuration needs manual stack reloading through Tray 1; the d and dn mechanisms are separate configurations.
Explore this need in the finder →Can its included 32 MB hold a Private Job for four-digit PIN release?
Fails the included PIN check. The actual manual requires 48 MB for job storage, so an optional memory upgrade would be needed.
Explore this need in the finder →A direct computer printer with clear upgrade limits
The HP LaserJet 2420 fits a verified compatible computer that needs monochrome Letter, Legal or A4 documents from a normal 350-sheet input. The base package includes USB and parallel computer connections. It does not include automatic duplex, an Ethernet server or enough standard memory for the original PIN-held job feature.
HP's exact US product page identifies Q5956A#ABA and marks the printer discontinued. This assessment covers that documented low-voltage edition as an earlier reference, without assuming stock, condition or current software support. HP's original US configuration table separates it from the 2420d with duplex and the 2420dn with duplex plus networking. Shared family features are not automatically standard on the base unit.
Confirm the USB installation on your actual computer
The included Hi-Speed USB 2.0 interface is a computer connection, not a front socket for printing files from a flash drive. Use a correct USB cable and a genuinely compatible printer driver. The period Windows procedure installs software before connecting the cable, warns against attaching parallel and USB simultaneously and explicitly excludes Windows NT 4.0 from USB use.
The printer supports PCL 6, PCL 5e and PostScript Level 3 emulation. Historic operating-system lists and a surviving language specification do not guarantee a usable present driver. The original direct-PDF provision needs at least 128 MB of printer memory, above this base model's 32 MB; it is not promised as an included shortcut.
Optional JetDirect Ethernet or wireless servers remain upgrades. No Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint or Mopria route is established for the standard package. A computer sharing its printer is also different from having an included embedded Ethernet interface.
Count the two included inputs accurately
The normal front Tray 1 holds 100 ordinary 20-lb/75-g/m² sheets and Tray 2 holds 250, giving 350. Letter, Legal and A4 are explicitly named for the lower tray and fit the front tray's range. A separately purchased 500-sheet feeder cannot raise this base configuration's included capacity.
Extend the front support for longer paper, center the stack under the guide tabs and let the guides touch without bending it. The lower tray needs guides set to the real size, paper flat at all four corners and below its height tabs. Push down to lock its metal lift plate before putting the tray back.
Ordinary one-sided letterhead goes face up with its top toward the printer in Tray 1, or face down with its top toward the user in Tray 2. Driver Alternative Letterhead mode changes the required orientation when the matching media type is selected. Match the actual source, size and type rather than relying on a familiar loading habit.
Two-sided pages require attended reloading
The base 2420 has driver-assisted manual duplex. In the original routine, select Print on Both Sides in the compatible driver's Finishing controls, print the first sides and remove blank paper from Tray 1. Reload the printed stack into Tray 1 blank side up with the top edge first, and press Select if the panel requests it.
Every second-side batch must use Tray 1, and jobs exceeding its capacity require repeated handling. This is not automatic turning. The driver option's name does not establish a duplex mechanism, and the automatic unit in the d or dn package is not assigned to this base model.
For up to ten supported envelopes, use Tray 1 face up with the stamp end first, or the short-edge flap first when present. Open the rear output and fully extend its support to reduce curl, then choose the real envelope settings. Do not print both envelope sides.
PIN release also depends on the actual memory
The original manual requires 48 MB for its proof-and-hold and Private Job features. This base model includes 32 MB. Its standard configuration therefore fails a PIN-release requirement even though the shared manual describes a genuine four-digit release procedure. Extra memory and third-party CompactFlash solutions are not included here.
The hardware is print-only, without a scanner, copier, flatbed, feeder or fax. The declared one-sided speed is up to 30 Letter pages per minute, separately 28 A4. A 75,000-page maximum monthly duty is not a recommended workload; that recommendation remains unknown. These are manufacturer declarations, not tests here.
The unit body is 16.7 inches wide, 15.7 deep and 10.2 high. The guide specifies 33.5 pounds without the cartridge, a different basis from the brochure's 36-pound figure. Allow access beyond the body and verify the 110–127-V, 50/60-Hz rating plate. Original Q6511A and Q6511X replacement yields do not reveal an installed cartridge's remainder or a current running cost.
Key details at a glance
| Color printing | No |
|---|---|
| Scanner | No |
| Copying | No |
| Fax | No |
| Flatbed scanner | No |
| Automatic document feeder | No |
| Automatic two-sided printing | No |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Supported PIN-release printing | No |
| Maximum monthly duty | 75000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 350 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 30 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 16.7 in |
| Unit-body depth | 15.7 in |
| Unit-body height | 10.2 in |
| Unit weight | 33.5 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
Exact 2420 guide and US original declare up to 30 one-sided Letter ppm, separately 28 A4. No measured or duplex speed is asserted. Maximum monthly duty is 75,000 pages; no recommended monthly range is established.
Paper handling
Base 2420 includes 100-sheet Tray 1 and 250-sheet Tray 2, giving 350 ordinary 20-lb/75-g/m² sheets. Actual normal tables name Letter, Legal and A4; the optional 500-sheet tray is excluded. Match size/type/source, keep below tabs and lock the lower lift plate before reinsertion. Ordinary one-sided letterhead is front face up/top toward printer or lower face down/top toward user; Alternative Letterhead mode requires duplex orientation. Manual duplex uses driver Print on Both Sides, then Tray 1 only with blank side up/top first and Select if prompted. Up to ten instructed envelopes use front face up/stamp end first, short-edge flap first when present, rear output open and fully extended. No automatic duplex or two-sided envelopes.
Scanning arrangement
Actual original hardware is a monochrome print-only printer. No scanner, flatbed, automatic document feeder, copier or fax is included. Printer-management e-mail alerts and third-party forms software do not add document capture or a telephone fax modem.
Computer and mobile connections
Included Hi-Speed USB 2.0 computer interface and IEEE 1284B parallel; exact network provision is stated separately for this configuration. Use the correct cable and actually compatible computer driver. Original direct Windows installation calls for software before cable connection and forbids simultaneous USB and parallel cables; Windows NT 4.0 does not support USB. Historic Mac, Windows and network lists do not promise current compatibility. Optional wireless/Gigabit servers, Bluetooth and the period Mobile Print Driver are not included Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint or Mopria.
Supplies and declared yields
Exact US original lists Q6511A at 6,000 and Q6511X at 12,000 standard pages with ISO/IEC 19752 footnote. Earlier 2004 guide describes the same counts at historical 5% text coverage; those are different source declarations, not an invented new test. An original cartridge-in-box listing does not establish the installed cartridge remainder or present included full yield. No current price or cost per page is calculated.
Software and support
The base 2420 includes 32 MB, below the original 48-MB prerequisite for proof-and-hold and genuine four-digit Private Job PIN release. Optional added memory and third-party CompactFlash secure-printing solutions are excluded. Direct PDF 1.3 also requires at least 128 MB and is not included at the base memory. PCL 6/PCL 5e/PostScript 3 and manual duplex require an actually compatible computer driver; period lists do not establish current compatibility.
Electrical edition and setup
Exact US Q5956A#ABA identity plus original 110–127-V, 50/60-Hz edition, separate from 220–240-V hardware; inspect the actual rating plate and do not convert voltage. Closed body is 16.7 W × 15.7 D × 10.2 H inches. Guide weight is 33.5 lb without the print cartridge; the brochure lists 36 lb on a different, unlabelled basis. Fully open doors/trays require up to 26.6 W × 28.7 D inches, plus suitable access and ventilation.
Sources for this assessment
Find a printer for your routine.
Match color output, scanning, connections and paper handling, then compare the exact models.