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We had a couple of the 4500CNs and they suffered similar problems. For the longest time I had hoped that one of the firmware updates to the internal JetDirect card would fix the problem. They didn't. The eventual the solution to the problem for us was pulling the internal jet direct card and connecting the printer up via the parallel port to an external fast ethernet print server. If you like the print quality/ paper tray diversity of the 4550, and can live with the long calibration cycle, higher cost-per-copy operation....this might be something to consider or give a try before totally replacing printer itself. Single port compact parallel-to-ethernet print servers like the one at the following two links can be a pretty cheap fix to a very annoying problem. http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?pfp=SEARCH&Ntt=print+servers&N=0&Dx=mode+matchall&Nty=1&D=print+servers&Ntk=All&product_code=313942&Pn=Express_EtherNetwork_Fast_Ethernet_Print_Server Only issue going with an external print server is that depending on the model you get and the features, you might loose the driver bi-directional communication (ink levels, etc). For us that wasn't a issue. As a side note,...we also purchased three of the lower cost HP 2550LN printers that have the same go-to-sleep lockup/have to power/cycle issue with their internal Jet Direct cards. Even had the internal jet direct module go defective on one. And in the 2550LNs, they are not removable. In that case I took the printer apart, unplug the built in ethernet port ribbon cable from the system board and again hooked up an external print server to the parallel port. Hasn't given us a wake-up/lockup problem since. As with anything, your mileage may vary but I wanted to share one possible solution. - Al -- =============================== Al Bray Systems Analyst University Services Michigan State University Phone: 517-355-0357 Ext. 161 Fax: 517-353-2024 email: [log in to unmask] >>> On 11/9/2006 at 12:19 PM, in message <[log in to unmask]>, John Gorentz <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > At 11:21 AM 11/9/2006, Peter J Murray wrote: >>Hello >> >>We are looking to replace an HP4550N with a new network color laser. We did > order a Dell 5110cn and received it yesterday, however the print quality is > horrible. Text is not dark, photos and color PDF printouts are blurry, the 5 > year old HP puts it to shame, and we are sending the 5110cn back. I even > called Dell and went through the diagnostics, and the technician just said, > you are exceeding the design limits of the printer, or something like that. > forums.us.dell.com confirms that the 5110cn is no good. >> >>Part of the reason we are replacing the HP is due to age, and another > annoying problem with it is that when it goes to sleep, printing to it won't > wake it up, so you have to turn it off and then back on to get it to wake, > and it takes around 5 minutes to warm up and calibrate. I suspect the jet > direct card might be bad, so if anyone has a spare jetdirect 610N they are no > longer using, let me know. >> >>So, I'm looking at another printer or fixing the problem with the HP4550N. > Any recommendations, either way? (we'd like to spend $1200 or less, and also > we'd like a printer that cheaper to operate per copy). > > I have no recommendations, but if you end up looking at one of the > Konica-Minolta Bizhubs for which MSU has a lease program > (http://copierprogram.msu.edu/Default.asp) I'd be interested in hearing your > evaluation of it. > > John Gorentz > W.K. Kellogg Biological Station