HP LaserJet Pro M404dw: monochrome duplex with wired and wireless choices review

A monochrome printer with a choice of wired and wireless setups

The HP LaserJet Pro M404dw is the wireless automatic-duplex configuration in this print-only family. HP's exact US page identifies W1A56A#BGJ and marks it discontinued. It makes monochrome pages; it has no document scanner, copier or fax. A phone application can offer other document tools, but those tools do not create scanner hardware inside this printer.

The reviewed electrical configuration is the documented US 110–127-volt, 50/60-Hz edition. HP separately lists 220–240-volt hardware and explicitly says the product is not dual voltage. Before installing an older or imported unit, confirm its actual regional product label rather than relying only on the M404dw name.

Its included connection options are USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, dual-band infrastructure Wi-Fi and genuine Wi-Fi Direct. The infrastructure radio is documented for 2.4 and 5 GHz. Choose the arrangement that fits the actual devices and network rather than treating every wireless term as the same connection.

Office Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi Direct serve different routines

For shared office printing, either Ethernet or infrastructure Wi-Fi places the printer on the local network. Computers can use a compatible installed driver, and HP documents AirPrint and Mopria network printing for mobile devices. The mobile device must be able to reach the printer through the required local network or subnet. A separate guest network or isolated access point should be checked before assuming discovery will work.

Wi-Fi Direct instead provides a nearby peer connection without an office router or Internet connection. The original guide explicitly includes compatible Apple devices using AirPrint, as well as supported Android print solutions. Enable Wi-Fi Direct at the control panel and select the intended printer connection. The presence of a Bluetooth Low Energy setup feature does not establish an unrestricted Bluetooth document-print protocol.

The review keeps those print routines separate from the full computer-driver setup. In particular, the original Mac instructions warn that automatic-duplex controls available in an HP driver might not be available through AirPrint. The confirmed driver duplex settings are therefore not assigned to every mobile queue.

Three ordinary sizes are positively approved for automatic duplex

The original paper table explicitly maps Letter, Legal and A4 to the included feeds and duplexer. With an actual compatible computer driver, the M404dw can automatically print both sides of those approved ordinary sheets. Choose the correct size, media type and binding setting. Paper accepted through an input is not automatically approved for every two-sided application or heavy stock.

Normal included capacity is 350 sheets: 100 in the multipurpose tray and 250 in the main tray, using the original 75 g/m² capacity basis. The optional 550-sheet accessory is excluded from that total. If a particular unit has an extra drawer installed, verify it as a separate part of the seller's configuration.

The specific guide restricts envelopes to Tray 1, despite a broader media list on a product page. Load up to ten face up with their short postage ends entering first, and select the correct envelope size, Envelope media type and manual feed. Labels also go through Tray 1. These are separate loading procedures, not reasons to promise automatic duplex for labels or envelopes.

Security headings do not include every private-print component

The original guide documents PIN-protected Personal Jobs, but its setup requires a dedicated rear USB 2.0 storage device with at least 16 GB free. A compatible driver and configuration are also necessary. The actual standard box list does not include that dedicated storage drive, so the reviewed default configuration does not satisfy a PIN-held print requirement.

If that function matters, check the complete storage and driver arrangement on the intended unit. A rear host socket is not itself storage, and a printer administration password is different from holding an individual document until the user releases it. The cloud or pull-print headings in promotional material should not be read as proof that the required added equipment is present.

Use realistic workload and regional cartridge expectations

Current exact US specifications give up to 40 Letter pages per minute by default and separately up to 42 in HP High Speed mode. The latter may require a firmware upgrade. Matching here uses the default 40 Letter rate. HP recommends 750–4,000 printed pages monthly, distinct from its 80,000-page maximum duty cycle. These are maker specifications rather than measured review results.

The Americas supply family is 58A CF258A, approximately 3,000 pages, or 58X CF258X, approximately 10,000 under ISO/IEC 19752. The original table explicitly assigns different supplies to other regions. HP also states that dynamic security uses new or reused HP chips and can block non-HP chips after firmware changes. Check the correct regional cartridge and actual installed toner instead of assuming a nominal replacement yield remains available.

The closed body is approximately 15 inches wide, 14.06 deep and 8.5 high. Allow additional space for tray use and service. Conflicting published weights remain unknown in this review. For an earlier monochrome printer, M404dw provides useful connection flexibility and confirmed computer-driver duplex, provided its print-only role and actual setup meet the office's needs.