HP LaserJet Pro 400 Color M451dw: wireless color printing and automatic duplex review

The M451 configuration that combines wireless and automatic duplex

The HP LaserJet Pro 400 Color M451dw includes both a wireless network connection and automatic two-sided printing. That combination distinguishes it from M451nw, which requires manual duplex, and M451dn, which has no built-in wireless. The exact US product is CE958A#BGJ, explicitly marked discontinued by HP. This review addresses the documented 110–127-volt, 60-Hz US edition rather than assuming every regional unit has the same electrical hardware.

This is a color print-only laser. It has no scanner, copier or fax and cannot acquire a document from either a glass or a feeder. Its two-line text display controls printing and settings; display type should not be confused with the color capabilities of the print engine.

HP lists up to 21 Letter pages per minute for black and for color, with 20 A4 pages per minute in the original comparison. Those figures do not describe measured performance here. Use the recommended monthly range of 750–2,000 pages when assessing a routine workload; the separate 40,000-page maximum duty cycle is a different specification.

Three standard interfaces, with distinct mobile arrangements

M451dw includes USB 2.0, 10/100 Ethernet and 802.11 b/g/n infrastructure Wi-Fi. USB provides a direct compatible-computer queue. Ethernet or router Wi-Fi can make the printer available on a local network. The original wireless installation instructions say to disconnect the Ethernet cable before wireless setup and describe WPS or a temporary USB-assisted transfer of network settings.

AirPrint is documented for a network-connected printer, and the original guide notes that firmware may need updating. HP's current mobile matrix explicitly lists M451dw with AirPrint and Mopria Print Service. These support a useful phone-to-network-printer routine, but the actual application and device still determine which controls appear. The mobile plan here does not borrow confirmed duplex controls from a separately installed computer driver.

The US specifications also name HP Wireless Direct. HP's original connection document includes the M451 family and compatible iOS AirPrint devices for direct printing without a router or Internet connection. This legacy mode is retained under its own name, with firmware and setup verification. It is not tagged as Wi-Fi Direct and does not qualify a requirement specifically selecting that different protocol.

Automatic duplex has size and media limits

The included paper inputs hold 50 ordinary sheets in multipurpose Tray 1 and 250 in Tray 2, giving 300 sheets. The original model comparison and detailed table identify the optional third drawer as 250 sheets. It is not part of the standard capacity, irrespective of an accessory photograph or a misleading feeder-guide title on a general support page.

The original paper matrix confirms Letter, Legal and A4 for both included inputs and automatic duplex. On a compatible Windows driver, select the two-sided option under Finishing. The Mac procedure uses its own Two-Sided binding controls. Choose the route actually supported by the computer and verify a representative document rather than assuming an old operating-system list covers a current installation.

The original guide allows automatic duplex on 60–160 g/m² paper, whereas the product field lists an upper value of 163. This review retains the conservative original allowance. Heavier input acceptance is not an unrestricted duplex promise. Envelopes, labels, transparencies and the guide's Tough type are specifically excluded from automatic duplex.

Legal paper extends Tray 2 approximately 2.5 inches beyond the front of the printer. For envelopes, the original Tray 1 table allows up to ten, face up with the top toward the product. Select the exact size and type and print one side. Ordinary-sheet capacity does not describe a full tray of envelopes or thick presentation stock.

Check the actual cartridge and security function

The replacement family is 305A: CE410A black, CE411A cyan, CE412A yellow and CE413A magenta. Higher-yield black is 305X CE410X, currently declared at approximately 4,000 pages under ISO/IEC 19798. Each color replacement is approximately 2,600 composite color pages under the same standard. Original introductory cartridges were approximately 1,400 pages and should not be counted as full replacement cartridges.

There is a maker-source discrepancy for standard black: historical printer specifications say approximately 2,200 pages, while the current exact CE410A cartridge page says approximately 2,090. Neither figure becomes a settled universal yield here. Content, cartridge state and usage still affect actual output, and no current cost per page is calculated.

The documented network password, WPS pairing PIN and secure management connection are not proof of held-document PIN release. That print-release capability remains unconfirmed in this assessment. A buyer requiring confidential documents to wait at the machine should verify a genuine release procedure rather than relying on a general security feature list.

Where this earlier model makes sense

The body is approximately 15.9 inches wide, 19.1 deep and 12.7 high; operating trays and service access need more space. Current and original weights disagree, so weight is left unknown. M451dw fits an earlier color-print setup needing included infrastructure Wi-Fi and approved computer-driver automatic duplex, when scanning is handled elsewhere and software, electrical configuration and the individual machine's condition can be checked before use.