Your needs, this model
Does it fit your priorities?
Can I print monochrome A4 duplex documents over Ethernet at 9,000 pages monthly, with 350 included sheets and a declared Letter speed of at least 42 ppm?
Yes, with earlier models enabled. The documented tray and multipurpose feeder support A4, automatic duplex is included, and the 10,000-page recommended maximum fits that workload.
Explore this need in the finder →Can the base MS421dn provide scanning and copying over USB?
No. It is explicitly print-only monochrome hardware; the USB computer port does not provide a scanner or copier.
Explore this need in the finder →Can I plan 12,000 monthly printed pages because its maximum duty cycle is 100,000?
No for that selected recommended-volume requirement. Lexmark recommends up to 10,000 monthly pages; the separate duty ceiling is not the routine planning range.
Explore this need in the finder →A higher-volume wired monochrome reference
The Lexmark MS421dn fits a wired workgroup producing routine black-and-white reports, forms and two-sided documents. Its higher recommended monthly range and declared Letter rate are useful distinctions from smaller models. The supplied paper arrangement remains a 250-sheet main tray and a 100-sheet multipurpose feeder, so extra throughput should be considered alongside the real refill pattern.
The exact US part is 36S0200, marked discontinued by Lexmark. Use this earlier reference to identify a real machine's configuration, regional supplies and options. It does not establish current stock, an offered unit's condition or warranty coverage. Similar MS and B variants can differ in wireless hardware and toner limits, while MX names identify different multifunction equipment.
Use the recommendation for routine workload
Lexmark recommends 1,000–10,000 printed pages per month and separately declares a 100,000-page maximum duty cycle. The recommended range is the useful routine planning figure. A much higher ceiling is not permission to treat the printer as suitable for that many pages every month; refill frequency, consumables and the pattern of jobs still matter.
The one-sided Letter rating is up to 42 black pages per minute. Automatic print duplex is separately 21 Letter sides per minute. These are manufacturer declarations rather than measurements from this article. Neither number establishes the speed of every application, complex file, specialty medium or series of short jobs. Keep a minimum one-sided Letter requirement separate from a need for automatic two-sided output.
Paper size, weight and input work together
Letter, Legal and A4 are positively supported in both the tray and multipurpose feeder, and in the automatic two-sided print path. The original guide limits duplex paper to 60–90 gsm, while the main tray supports 60–120 gsm and the alternate feeder 60–216 gsm. A heavier sheet accepted in the alternate input does not automatically qualify for automatic duplex.
The combined standard input is 350 sheets at the specified 20-pound or 75-gsm basis. That consists of two separate sources, useful when the office alternates ordinary pages and suitable specialty media. Envelopes use the multipurpose feeder's one-sided routine with matching size and type settings. Check the actual medium before depending on the headline capacity for a particular job.
One optional 550-sheet drawer takes maximum input to 900 sheets. It is not supplied as part of the base arrangement. Tray linking uses matching paper size and type settings and the guide's linking setup. Confirm installed hardware and software settings before assuming that an expanded package is ready to use.
Connect computers and mobile devices correctly
The base printer includes USB Type-B for a computer and gigabit Ethernet for shared networking. The original cable instructions explicitly identify that computer interface; a separate Direct USB field should not erase it. The exact US record marks wireless absent from the standard configuration. A nearby wireless model's radio is not an included feature of MS421dn.
AirPrint and Mopria are documented through a suitable shared network. An office phone can use Wi-Fi while the printer remains wired to that network. That arrangement differs from a directly cabled USB computer. Check current application and driver compatibility, and separately verify the exact submission and release workflow if confidential PIN printing is essential.
Print-only scope, supplies and placement
The maker's support classification explicitly identifies MS421 as print-only monochrome laser hardware. It has no scanner, document feeder, copier or fax. The two-line monochrome OLED panel provides settings and status; it does not change the output engine or add document capture. Choose physical multifunction hardware when originals need scanning at the device.
Supplied toner is declared at 3,000 standard pages under ISO/IEC 19752. US replacement choices include 56F1X00 at 20,000 pages, 56F1H00 at 15,000 and 56F1000 at 6,000, with regular 56F0XA0 also rated at 20,000. The imaging unit is separate and has its own declared estimate and usage conditions. Match region and Return Program terms without turning yield into a current cost figure.
The body is 15.7 inches wide, 14.7 deep and 10.2 high at 30.9 pounds before extensions and service clearance. Check the actual electrical label and cord. Choose this reference when the wired mono routine and recommended range fit, while treating optional paper and any different wireless configuration as real package decisions.
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 | Yes |
| Automatic two-sided scanning | No |
| Single-pass two-sided scanning | No |
| Color scanning | No |
| Instructed envelope handling | Yes |
| Apple AirPrint | Yes |
| Mopria printing | Yes |
| Recommended monthly minimum | 1000 pages |
| Recommended monthly maximum | 10000 pages |
| Maximum monthly duty | 100000 pages |
| Included ordinary-paper capacity | 350 sheets |
| Declared one-sided mono Letter rate | 42 pages/min |
| Unit-body width | 15.7 in |
| Unit-body depth | 14.7 in |
| Unit-body height | 10.2 in |
| Unit weight | 30.9 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
Manufacturer maximum 42 one-sided Letter pages/minute black, with 21 Letter sides/minute automatic print duplex. Actual file/job processing is separate; no measured speed or quality claimed.
Paper handling
Included 250-sheet main tray plus 100-sheet multipurpose feeder, combined 350 at 20 lb/75 gsm. Both inputs support Letter, Legal and A4; all three sizes support automatic print duplex. One optional 550-sheet drawer raises maximum to 900, but is not included. Envelopes use the multipurpose feeder in a separate one-sided routine.
Scanning arrangement
Explicitly print-only monochrome laser hardware. No paper scanner, copier, fax or document feeder; generic driver or software lists do not add hardware.
Computer and mobile connections
Standard USB Type-B computer interface and gigabit Ethernet. Exact US wireless No; no standard Wi-Fi radio or peer route assumed. AirPrint/Mopria work through suitable shared network. The Direct USB No field does not remove the separately listed Type-B computer port.
Supplies and declared yields
Supplied toner declared at 3,000 pages under ISO/IEC 19752. Exact US 56F1X00 extra-high 20,000, 56F1H00 high 15,000, 56F1000 standard 6,000; regular 56F0XA0 also 20,000. Separate 56F0Z00/56F0ZA0 imaging unit estimated at 60,000 with three average Letter/A4 pages per job and about 5% coverage. Match regional and Return Program conditions; yield is not a live cost calculation.
Software and support
Original exact-model guide documents AirPrint and Mopria through suitable shared networking. Check current drivers and applications. Confidential PIN release is not established by the read operative sections, so verify the exact protected-job workflow before relying on it.
Electrical edition and setup
Exact US part and body measurements established. Nominal mains input is not established in the read sources; inspect the actual rating label and correct cord. Body measurements exclude working access and any extended paper guides.
Sources for this assessment
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