» NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch

NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch Reviews

Customer Rating:
Summary: I really wanted to like this device...
Comment: It looks great - sleek modern design and all. Straightforward and simple setup went smoothly. My need for this device was as a wireless ethernet bridge - I did not need or test any USB printer functions. Initially, it worked. I could ping into and through the device, and all seemed well.

But after a short time, an hour or so, it would stop working. Connecting directly to the unit with a cable, its status screens indicated all was working, but no wireless connection would work. Rebooting the device would sometimes get it back on line, but several times only a complete reset and setup would get it working. I attempted various combinations of starting routers and other devices, but this unit never worked reliably.

Maybe I just had a bad unit, but I returned it and got a Linksys WRT54GL router, flashed it with the open source Tomato OS and set it up as a wireless bridge. Works great - and costs $30 less.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Wouldn't recommend it, but it's so useful
Comment: It seems like a good buy at full price, but there are a couple of vendors selling it recertified for less than half.

I wanted to connect two printers for my PC and a Linux portable I usually connect with wireless. Netgear's instructions only include Windows, but documentation shows Win 2000 and XP connects via lpr, so it should work for Linux and Mac, no? Trick is the queues are "L1" and "L2", not "LPT1" and "LPT2"--or "P1" and "P2", as the Windows connection would indicate. Once I found that (from someone's web page, not Netgear's site) my Deskjet 812C works fine from both, without having to have the Windows PC turned on for the portable to print through. Now I just need to see if my little Samsung laser printer works as well, and I'll be good.

And the four-port switch built in means you can turn off wireless and use it as a wired print server, and that you could connect several computers with only wired NICs to your wireless network.

Just a few hoops to jump through to get started, and you shouldn't need to do that more than once.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Very reliable and easy to use.
Comment: I have set up two of these for family members. My 81 year old mother has no problem using it as an access point or printing to either of two Canon printers. Same goes for my son except one of his printers is an HP Lasrejet. Neither one has ever had it lose connection with the router. Set up was easy IF you FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. Jump ahead and you will likely have problems.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: No issues setting it up
Comment: My setup: Canon i455 printer, Linksys WRK54G (something like that) wireless router, windows XP.

First, you should know that some printers may not work with this print server. Go to the netgear website, choose the "support" option on the page, and then search on the model number of this print server. They give a list of supported printers. I found the list while I was searching for other software and documentation for the print server, and I thought you should know. Mine is not listed, but it worked anyway. I think that your printer should be USB-compatible for this print-server to work. Also, I think you need a wireless router, too. I am not sure, so please check the documentation.

I bought this print server because it had the best price (I bought for 35.00 refurbished) and seemed to have pretty good reviews. When I got the print server, I didn't get any documentation or software with it, so I immediately to the Netgear website and downloaded the install instructions and the software.

The first time through, the software was not able to get an IP address, so I tried to fake it. I don't remember much from networking class, but I double-clicked my wireless networking system tray icon (I use windows XP), clicked the support tab, and got my ip address and subnet mask from there. To fake it, I took the last three numbers of my IP address, e.g. xxx.xxx.xxx.yy--the ones with yyy, and then added 20 to it. I used the subnet mask that was listed in my "support" tab for the linksys router.

It seemed to work okay until I got to the "setup computer with the print server" part. My computer didn't see the print server. I started over from the beginning, and voila, everything worked as it should. If yours doesn't work right away, you may just want to wait 5 minutes and then refresh instead of restarting. Sometimes the print servers and routers are just sleepy and slow to get going.

I am extremely happy that I am now able to print wirelessly ( whenever I readjust my laptop on my lap, it doesn't pull the printer off the desk. ) The one thing I am not thrilled with is that it doesn't do bidirectional, so my laptop doesn't get feedback from my printer (e.g. it doesn't pop up a window saying that the ink cartridges are low.) Also, if yours does scanning and copying, I doubt that you will be able to do that wirelessly unless the support website specifically says that you can. However, I am very happy that it prints wirelessly and I didn't have to call tech support. 5 Stars.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Poor product and even poorer support
Comment: Purchased this print server and a compatible HP printer assuming it should be simple to hook up. While I am not a computer geek, I set my cable wireless modem and three other computers - all interconnected wirelessly.

After downloading the latest firmware and installation software, I spent three hours attempting to get the print server to communicate with the printer. Despite my best efforts, I could only communicate to the print server via USB. Print server did not even show up on the home network.

Assuming I must have overlooked an important step, I contacted, via email, Netgear tech support.

The extent of their support in to send the same set on instructions - it was clearly evident that one one actually read my emails.

Followed the instructions to the letter - several times over but to no avail.

I finally sent an email thanking them for their support but I was throwing the server away and sending a copy of the email trail to their CEO Pat Lo.

Received another form email saying how they regret when bad things happen to their best customers and they hope to do better next time I purchase a Netgear boat anchor.

After spending over six hours working on this miserable device, it did feel liberating when I tossed it in the can.

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