By Ben Pate

If you've decided that networking the Dell 5210n printer you've just bought is a good idea, you're absolutely right. This printer and the Dell 5210n toner it comes standard with are designed for workgroup networks. This is proven by the toner cartridge's 10,000 page output capacity, the speed with which it prints pages and the list price, which at under a thousand dollars is nice for a laser printer delivering the kind of performance this one does.

How Much Can it Print? While the standard 250 sheet tray is acceptable for normal duties, you might consider adding a few optional trays to up its storage capacity. This is because it can actually hold over 2600 pages if set up right. Pair that up with its 200,000 page per month duty cycle, and chances are you won't see too much of the printer maintenance man. Indeed, the Dell 5210n acts like a team of tireless horses, pulling your print jobs along with little effort. All in all, this is a good unit for mid-size networked workgroups.

Interface Ports. The Dell 5210n laser printer comes standard with the latest USB and Ethernet ports, in addition to an optional wireless 802.11b/g networking adaptor. This will make it quite easy for the IT folks to place the printer into an already-existing workgroup network. Wireless is probably the next wave of networking technologies designed to make it even easier for workgroups to operate.

What's the Quality Like? With 1200dpi print quality, most documents will appear sharp and clear, with no bleariness or granularity on a printed page.

Memory. Memory in the 5210n is good, with a standard 64 megabytes available. This is expandable up to 576 megs, making it more-than-adequate for almost any business printing need. Plus, the memory is easily installed into the laser printer with little or no fuss.

Ease of use. This Dell workgroup laser printer offers high quality and high volume to mid-sized entities. It offers fast 40 pages-per-minute high-volume printing to medium workgroups. Its fast printing speeds can help any business improve its productivity. Other, more complicated print jobs, such as duplex, may reduce page output down to about 30 or so ppm. Because of the variety of interface ports on the printer, it can be pretty ease to hook up, too.

Toners and Maintenance. The Dell 5210n, like most Dell products, is set up with one year of 24/7 on-site service, if needed. That can be extended a further 4 years, for a fee. The Dell 5210n laser toner cartridge puts out 10,000 pages and optional cartridges can double that amount, which makes the Dell unlikely to see much in the way of service calls.

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