Ricoh Aficio SP 3400N: Setup, Drivers, Ink and Common Problems

Is the Ricoh Aficio SP 3400N right for you?

A 30 ppm Aficio-era mono network laser that many small offices are still running fifteen years on, valued for its simplicity and cheap 5,000-page toner. It has no wireless, no duplex and no mobile printing, so it belongs on a wired network with a print server or a directly connected PC. Driver support is the real issue now: the original packages are archived, and Windows 11 usually needs the PCL6 Universal Driver or a generic PCL6 driver instead.

Best for: Small offices keeping a reliable older wired mono laser in service

Setting up the Ricoh Aficio SP 3400N

Print a configuration page from the panel's List/Test Print menu to get the IP address, then add the printer in Windows as a Standard TCP/IP port and choose the Ricoh PCL6 Universal Driver rather than searching Windows Update. On macOS, add it by IP with the Generic PostScript or Generic PCL driver, since Ricoh no longer publishes a signed macOS package for this model. If print quality has faded evenly across the page, the photoconductor is the usual culprit at this age, not the toner.

1. Unbox and prepare. Remove every piece of shipping tape and packing material, install the toner cartridge and drum unit, and load paper in the tray.
2. Join your Wi-Fi. Keep the printer close to the router for setup. Most printers only connect to the 2.4GHz band, so if your router broadcasts one merged network name you may need to split the bands temporarily. See our Wi-Fi guide if it will not join.
3. Install the setup app. Use Ricoh's official app rather than a driver you found on a search result — third-party driver sites are the most common source of printer malware.
4. Add the printer. On Windows 11: Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Printers & scanners › Add device. On macOS: System Settings › Printers & Scanners › Add Printer.
5. Print a test page and run a scan if this is an all-in-one, so you find any problem now rather than when you are in a hurry.

Ink, toner and supplies

The Ricoh Aficio SP 3400N uses the following consumables. Match the number exactly when you buy: the same printer family often uses several different cartridge numbers by region.

• Ricoh SP 3400HA high-yield toner (5,000 pages)
• SP 3400 photoconductor unit (20,000 pages)

High-yield (XL) versions almost always cost less per page if you print regularly. On third-party ink and toner, read our honest assessment first, and note that some manufacturers push firmware that rejects non-original chips.

Full specifications