As computers have developed, so has the technology of the peripherals associated with them.  Going wireless is the modern day standard for most technology, and printers should definitely be included on that list along with your keyboards and mice.  Printer prices have come down nicely these days, especially for the types that can do more than just print.  Faxing, copying and scanning are now a snap with all-in-one printer models, some of which include some nice extra features as well.  Presented for your buying consideration here is our Dell V305W all-in-one wireless printer review.

The Dell V305w All-in-One WiFi Printer is an alternative model to the standard V305, offering wifi printing capabilities, as well as scanning and copying functions.  Set up of this printer is rather easy, depending on how your network is put together.  You simply insert the included CD-Rom install CD, and it will guide you through the steps.  At some point during the install, you hook up your laptop or PC to the printer via USB cable, a recommended part of the procedure.  It makes sure your printer is installed and ready for use via WiFi on your home internet network.  You can install it on laptops as well as desktop PC’s that are connected to the internet via ethernet.  Also, you can choose to hook your printer up via the included USB cable should you choose not to print wirelessly.

The problems can occur if you have a complex network or an item using the same IP address as the printer.  We’ve experienced communication problems with the printer due to this, but simply adjusting the right settings will get you printing wirelessly just fine.  The LCD control and options setting menu on the printer will assist you with that as well.  The included instructions and user manual are comprehensive as with many other Dell products.

A major gripe many people have with printers these days is a valid one; the ink cartridges run out fast and are expensive.  This printer’s cartridges cost around $15 for the remanufactured or refurb variety, with the real Dell cartridges costing more.  It’s up to you if you can risk getting the refurbs to save money. You can see the prices of the various Dell V305W ink cartridges.

We love the small LCD monitor on this printer which has a plethora of settings options.  The printer also does its own energy saving with a sleep style mode when not in use.  Also the included Dell Imaging Toolbox software has many great features for editing your scanned or snapped digital pictures.

Overall, the speed with which this printer prints is very satisfactory.  Its specs give it up to 25 pages per minute printing speed in B&W, with up to 18 ppm in color.  The quality is very good as well, but especially for black and white documents.  The V305W is rated at Up to 4800 x 1200 dpi (mono) and up to 4800 x 1200 dpi (color) Print Resolution.  We don’t consider this a top of the line color photo printing printer for your digital pics, but then again it’s intended more for document printing, scanning and copying jobs.

This printer also includes the popular technology seen today called PictBridge technology.  With this you can hook up many models of digital camera via their special connection cable, and print out digital photos straight from your camera.  It’s a very convenient additional technology to have on board.

Another con on this particular printer may be its lack of ethernet port, although it’s not a big deal if you’re printing wirelessly.  There’s also no support on the Dell V305W for any sorts of Apple Macintosh computers, so stick to this one if your network consists mainly of PC’s.  It’s currently priced at $129.99 at Amazon.com.  Keep in mind you will spend some good money if you print a lot, because of the need to replace ink cartridges.  You do have the option to set it to “draft mode” which will conserve ink.  The system has a nice alert to let you know your cartridges are low and will need to be replaced soon.  Even with this warning up, we’ve still been able to print several sheets out before needing to replace.

Our Dell V305W printer review bottom line is this makes a quick and efficient all-in-one printer for a home or small office, if you don’t need the fax or color printing capabilities.

See more info and prices for the Dell V305w All-in-One WiFi Printer.

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