Product Reviews

An Ethernet network port used to signal that a printer was for business users only, but the rise of home networks has seen this feature become increasingly common on home devices. At £92 including VAT, Lexmark's E120n is aimed at home users who need an affordable mono printer. It has a wired Ethernet port, but there's also a Hi-Speed USB connection for those without a network.

The E120n doesn't feel like an entry-level printer. Its black and silver plastics look smart and fit together well. The shallow printer isn't deep enough to accommodate A4 paper, so its plastic 150-sheet paper tray projects from the front. A tough flip-up lid allows for easy paper loading and protects the paper stack from dust. On top of it is a multipurpose feed with the capacity for a further 15 sheets.

More expensive network printers have an LCD and can be configured via a menu. The E120n makes do with five status LEDs and two buttons, but we found it easy to set up. The first job is to open its rear and front compartments to remove some packaging material, and plug it into the network.

Most broadband routers

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have DHCP servers to allocate IP addresses automatically to network devices, so Lexmark has configured the E120n to receive a network address automatically. Lexmark's installer is a little more complex than the one used for its inkjet printers, but the Suggested option set up the printer with no trouble.

The E120n performed well in our tests, printing the first copy of our formal letter in 10 seconds and going on to finish 50 copies in two minutes and 45 seconds. It took slightly longer to spool our 50-page draft test, taking three seconds more to finish the job. We allowed it to enter power-saving mode, from which it was able to wake and deliver a single-page letter in 19 seconds.

We were impressed with the E120's print quality. Its text was dark black, with crisp outlines. It produced evenly spaced shades in our grey band test, and a smooth progression from dark to light on our greyscale pattern. Graphics were clear and legible with minimal banding. Like many affordable mono lasers, the printer's dithering was a little coarse, giving the edge of diagonal lines a slight jaggedness.

The E120n uses a 2,000-page toner cartridge, which costs nearly £50. You can replace its drum for around £32 including VAT, but it's unlikely many home users will print more than its rated 25,000 pages. Even so, toner costs work out at a high 2.4p per page; many inkjet printers are cheaper to run.

The E120n is the most affordable network laser printer we've seen, and we're impressed with its high specification and performance. We wouldn't expect to see features such as web configuration and PCL printing on an entry-level printer. It's a great buy for light use in the home.