HP M551dn: wired color reports with automatic duplex and temporary PIN release review

Where the M551dn earns its place

The HP LaserJet Enterprise 500 color M551dn is an earlier commercial color printer for a workgroup that already has a workable wired printing setup. Its useful combination is automatic two-sided printing, two supplied paper inputs and temporary PIN release through a compatible desktop driver. HP recommends 1,500–5,000 pages monthly. That is a more sensible planning range than its much larger 75,000-page maximum duty figure.

The exact US reference is CF082A#BGJ, which HP explicitly marks discontinued. Treat this as a configuration assessment for an earlier machine, with condition and software checks before any purchase. It is print only: the four-line color screen controls jobs, while the front USB port reads supported files. Neither feature gives it a document scanner, copier or fax.

The paper total needs a size attached

Its supplied inputs are a 100-sheet multipurpose tray and a 500-sheet main cassette. The original capacity basis is ordinary 75-g/m², 20-lb paper. Letter and A4 can use both inputs, giving 600 sheets in total when both are loaded for that purpose. Heavy or glossy material changes the usable stack, so that headline is not a universal media capacity.

Legal is the important exception. The original table leaves Legal blank for the main cassette; only the supplied multipurpose tray accepts it. Standard Legal input is therefore 100 sheets. The optional additional 500-sheet feeder accepts Legal, but an advertised 1,100-sheet maximum does not mean that feeder comes with a normal dn. Check photographs and the actual accessory list when assessing a used package.

Automatic duplex is a genuine dn feature, rather than an option borrowed from another suffix. The read sources establish the mechanism and desktop controls but do not establish its exact paper-size subset. This assessment consequently leaves specific duplex sizes unconfirmed. Match the job's paper size and type to the driver and original media instructions before relying on a particular two-sided format.

For ordinary main-tray loading, adjust the guides without bending the stack and confirm the displayed size and type. Letterhead orientation changes between one-sided and two-sided work. Envelopes belong in the multipurpose tray, with up to ten on the documented basis; they should be handled as a separate mailing routine, rather than automatically duplexed documents.

USB, Ethernet and an attended release routine

The computer USB connection is separate from the walk-up flash-drive port. Ethernet lets a suitable office network share the printer. Wi-Fi requires an optional wireless print server; the hardware integration pocket is an expansion location, not a promise that an authentication accessory is installed. The original comparison and US technical page disagree about Ethernet speed, so no particular network rate is promised here.

For a confidential desktop job, choose Personal Job in the compatible driver's Job Storage controls and configure the four-digit PIN. At the printer, open Retrieve Job From Device Memory, select the user and named job, then enter the PIN to release it. Personal Job is temporary and is deleted after printing; power loss also clears temporary jobs. It is useful for collecting a document in person, but it is not a permanent filing system.

Quick Copy and permanent Stored Job have separate optional-hard-disk requirements in the guide. The US page's listed 8-GB SSD should not be confused with the xh model's encrypted hard disk. Shared-network AirPrint may require a firmware update, and HP also lists Mopria. Those mobile routes are assessed separately from desktop PIN and duplex controls. Historical ePrint references do not establish that a cloud service still operates.

Supplies, installation and the final decision

HP rates one-sided Letter output up to 33 pages per minute in black or color, separately from 32 ppm on A4. These are declared speeds rather than our measurements, and they do not describe two-sided throughput. The original US box lists standard cartridges at about 5,500 black pages and 6,000 pages per color. Replacement black CE400X raises its declared yield to about 11,000; actual yield varies, and an earlier machine's remaining toner cannot be inferred from the original box specification.

The body is listed at 20.2 by 19.3 by 15.8 inches and 76.12 pounds, before allowing room for open trays and service access. HP identifies it as Class A commercial equipment. The technical page lists two regional electrical supplies and explicitly says it is not dual voltage, so inspect the actual machine's plate instead of assuming the US listing resolves its voltage.

Choose this configuration when wired color reports and attended PIN collection fit the office. Prefer a documented current color multifunction model when scanning, included wireless or straightforward present-day software support matters more. For an existing M551dn, confirming the driver, paper routine and installed options is the practical first step.