Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can the normal tn print ordinary Tabloid over Ethernet with 850 sheets and temporary PIN-held jobs?
Qualifies with earlier references enabled, a compatible computer driver, available RAM and RAM disk Auto. The exact tn includes the 500-sheet third input and 32 MB; the original minimum for temporary Private Job is 32 MB.
Explore this need in the finder →Does the standard tn automatically duplex those wide pages?
Fails automatic duplex. The duplex accessory is optional on tn; the three inputs do not turn paper automatically.
Explore this need in the finder →Can a USB-only computer connect directly without an upgrade?
Fails included USB. The normal interfaces are Ethernet and legacy parallel; an optional interface or converter is not presumed.
Explore this need in the finder →A three-input network printer for wider documents
The HP LaserJet 5100tn offers a useful combination for a prepared wired office: ordinary A3 and Tabloid printing, an included 10/100 Ethernet interface and three paper inputs totaling 850 sheets. Its normal 32-MB configuration also meets the original minimum for temporary PIN-held computer jobs. The automatic duplexer remains an additional accessory.
HP's exact US product page identifies Q1861A#ABA and marks the model discontinued. This earlier review covers that documented low-voltage configuration, without promising current stock, a surviving unit's condition or compatibility with a present-day computer. The complete original use guide was checked separately from the preserved multilingual start guide.
Establish the actual wired computer route
The included Jetdirect print server provides 10/100Base-TX Ethernet. The original setup connects a twisted-pair network cable with the printer off and checks the port's 10 or 100 link indicator after startup. Printing a configuration page also produces the tn's Jetdirect configuration page, which supplies the real address for the compatible computer setup.
The period Mac instructions, for example, use that address for LPR printing where appropriate. Those actual steps establish an earlier computer-driver arrangement rather than a modern driverless promise. Check a usable driver and a successful document from your real host and network before depending on this machine.
IEEE 1284 parallel is another included interface for a suitable legacy computer. Standard USB is absent; a USB interface listed among optional accessories does not become an included port. Neither wireless options nor the dtn's embedded-Web-server package establishes Wi-Fi Direct, AirPrint or Mopria for this tn. Printer-management features are also separate from document capture.
Use the included 500-sheet input with the right settings
The tn includes the front 100-sheet input, the 250-sheet lower input and the additional 500-sheet input. At the original 20-lb/75-g/m² basis they total 850 ordinary sheets. Actual lower-input tables support Letter, Legal, A4, A3 and 11-by-17-inch Tabloid; the front instructions and size range support them as well.
That capacity for a selected ordinary size assumes all relevant inputs contain it. Mixing sizes divides the total among them. Set the 250-sheet tray's size dial and toggle switch separately from its blue rear and side guides. Keep the corners flat below the tabs; the dial changes sensors rather than moving the guides.
On the 500-sheet input, release and position its rear and width guides, then set its size dial and toggle switch. When loading a full stack, match the tension lever to the symbol in its indicator window. Configure the job's size/type to agree with the paper. Ordinary lower-input media are 60–105 g/m², and thicker stock or environmental conditions can reduce capacity.
Temporary PIN jobs use the documented RAM feature
The original guide explicitly permits Private Job without a hard disk using available RAM, with at least 32 MB of installed memory. The tn includes 32 MB, so this narrow temporary feature qualifies with the compatible computer driver and sufficient working memory. Larger or complex jobs may need more memory; HP recommends adding a disk for moderate or heavy use.
Select Private Job and a four-digit PIN in the actual driver. At the printer, select the user and job under Private/Stored Jobs, enter the four digits through the value and selection keys, then choose copies and release. The RAM-disk configuration defaults to Auto in the original controls and must be available for the arrangement.
Use distinct job names: a new job with the same name can overwrite a prior one. Private jobs delete after release, and power cycling deletes temporary jobs. Permanent Stored Job requires the optional hard disk and is excluded from the standard package. This routine is not a claim of encryption, unlimited capacity or permanent archiving.
Paper capacity does not include automatic page turning
The tn does not include the automatic duplexer. An 850-sheet supply therefore does not satisfy unattended two-sided printing. The dtn has different included hardware, and the family guide's duplex instructions apply only with that mechanism installed and configured.
Up to ten supported envelopes use the front input face up with the postage end toward the front of the tray, away from the engine. Open and extend the rear output, choose the envelope settings and keep the stack beneath the guide tabs. Do not print both sides of envelopes. The machine has no scanner, flatbed, document feeder, copier or fax.
Check the physical assembly and keep duty separate
Original rated speed is 21 one-sided Letter pages per minute, separately 22 A4. The technical sheet lists a 65,000-page maximum monthly duty; no separate recommended range was established. Those declarations are not tests or a guarantee of a used unit's working speed.
The original width is 18.7 inches and the three-input arrangement weighs 75 pounds without the cartridge. Brochure dimensions contain inconsistent metric values, and the guide drawings include opening clearances; exact closed depth and height remain unconfirmed here. Measure the actual assembly, allow trays, covers, cables and ventilation, and inspect its 100–127-V, 50/60-Hz plate and exact toner supply before installation.
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 | Yes |
| Maximum monthly duty | 65000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 850 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 21 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 18.7 in |
| Unit weight | 75 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
Actual original feature page explicitly declares 21 one-sided Letter ppm, separately 22 A4. Generic configuration introductions say 22 ppm without naming paper size and are not treated as Letter speed. Original technical sheet declares 65,000-page maximum monthly duty; no separate recommended monthly range established. No measured result or duplex speed inferred.
Paper handling
Exact tn includes front 100 plus lower 250 plus included 500-sheet third input, total 850 ordinary 20-lb/75-g/m² sheets. Letter, Legal, A4, A3 and Tabloid supported; full selected-size count assumes all relevant inputs contain it. Lower ordinary range 60–105 g/m²; thicker stock reduces capacity. Set 250-sheet size dial/toggle switch separately from blue guides. On 500-sheet input, set rear/width guides, size controls and full-stack tension lever to indicator symbol. Keep corners flat under tabs and match size/type job settings. Automatic duplexer is optional. Up to ten front envelopes use face up/postage end toward tray front, rear open and extended; never both sides.
Scanning arrangement
The actual original 5100 hardware is a monochrome print-only printer without a document scanner, flatbed, feeder, copy function or fax. The laser/scanner name in technical engine descriptions is not document capture.
Computer and mobile connections
Exact tn includes Jetdirect 10/100Base-TX Ethernet and IEEE 1284 parallel. Original network setup connects twisted pair with printer off, checks 10/100 link indicator and prints the Jetdirect configuration page for actual address. Compatible computer driver required. USB and wireless interfaces are optional, without presumed converter or upgrade. Mobile/driverless routes remain unconfirmed; dtn Web-server DIMM not included by inference.
Supplies and declared yields
Original technical-sheet ordering lists C4129X; the later original guide ordering instead prints C4129J. This source difference is retained, so verify the exact supply and local compatibility before purchase. The guide declares average 10,000 pages at historical 5% text coverage, print density 3 and EconoMode off. No invented ISO basis, current supplied-cartridge remainder, price or cost per page.
Software and support
Exact tn includes 32 MB, meeting the original minimum for temporary RAM-based Private Job. Use a compatible computer driver, available RAM and enabled RAM disk (original default Auto); complex jobs may need more memory. Driver assigns four-digit PIN; actual panel selects user/job and enters PIN to release. Private jobs delete after release and temporary jobs at power cycle; repeated names can overwrite. Permanent Stored Job needs optional hard disk; moderate/heavy use also recommends one. No encryption, permanent storage or current-driver guarantee.
Electrical edition and setup
Exact US Q1861A#ABA identity/discontinued plus documented 100–127-V, 50/60-Hz edition; verify actual plate and do not convert separate high-voltage version. Original width 18.7 inches; normal assembly with included 500-sheet input weighs 75 lb without cartridge. Exact closed depth and height remain unconfirmed: brochure metric dimension cells conflict, tn rear projection differs from generic brochure depth, and guide height arrow includes raised-cover outline. Allow tray/rear/cover/cartridge/cable access and original ventilation of 2.4 inches left and 3.9 right.
Sources for this assessment
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