Linksys WPS11 Wireless-B Print Server

The Instant Wireless™ PrintServer provides an easy solution for placing a printer on your wireless network. Don’t waste valuable system and network resources or create printing bottlenecks by attaching a printer to one of the nodes on the network.

Instead, place a printer anywhere in range of your wireless devices using this convenient device. You will save space and time, and increase your network performance as well.

Hook up a printer to the Instant Wireless™ PrintServer from anywhere in your workplace and you’ll save processing time by freeing your dedicated PrintServer PC and controlling print jobs with its remote management utility.

A 2Mb buffer memory handles your graphics jobs effortlessly, while an easy installation gets you printing in just minutes. Compatible with virtually all printers and major operating systems, your data-intensive print jobs will breeze through with maximized speed and reliability.

Let the hybrid functionality of the Instant Wireless™ PrintServer customize your network’s capabilities to meet your printing needs time and again.

Features

Interoperable with IEEE 802.11b (DSSS) 2.4GHz-Compliant Equipment
Long Operating Range: Up to 91m (Indoors) and 457m(Outdoors)
Configurable Through Your Networked PC's Web Browser
Runs with Virtually All Laser, Ink Jet, Bubble Jet, Color and Dot Matrix Printers
Supports Multiple Print Jobs Simultaneously
Integrates Through Both Ethernet and Wireless Connections
Works with Virtually All Major Operating Systems
Stand-Alone Unit--No Dedicated PrintServer PC Needed
Easy-to-Use Built-In Remote Management Utility
256KB RAM Buffer for Faster Graphics Performance
512KB Flash Memory for Future Upgrades

1 Not worth the trouble
Just gave up trying to configure the WPS11 after over an hour with Linksys tech support. The product sounds excellent and the set up instructions imply its almost plug and play.

This was to be the final piece of my Linksys set up. I already have the wireless router, the USB adapter for a remote PC, and an ethernet bridge for my son's PS2. It has to be said that although none of these were easy to set up (Linksys probably have my name on their frequent pest list) they all ultimately worked well. I even had two Macs which connect happily to the system.

The IP address of the WPS11 however refused to be recognized by any computer on the network. A very helpful Linksys technician had me pinging, resetting, hard resetting (not sure I understand the difference) all to no avail. I asked whether they get lots of calls on this product and was told "almost none. This is so simple to set up." Anyway, an hour later I was told there must be something wrong with the hardware and to return to WPS11 to Amazon.

I was briefly tempted to ask for a replacement rather than a refund but since reading all the negative reviews on this product I have decided to buy a wireless printer instead.

2 Junk!!
It doesn't matter how well a device is designed if someone other than the designer tries to write the user manual. It seems to me that in order to save money, Linksys had someone in India write a manual that's supposed to be written in English. They could have saved even more money by not including a manual at all and telling you to figure it out on your own. After spending the better part of a year off and on trying to set this print server up, I decided to let the dog play with it and buy something else. Trust me; unless you're a masochist, don't waste your time with this.

3 Not For Those Easily Frustrated!
Do not believe the hype on the box, this device has taken months to configure properly. Many thanks to the other kind reviewers, whose input has finally allowed my printserver to operate as it should.
I have 4 PC's, connected wirelessly, in a home/office situation, sharing a Canon inkjet printer via the WPS11. In a nutshell, this device took way too much time to setup, documentation was poor for such a well regarded manufacturer and support did not solve the problems. I hated to give up!
The most important setting was to select local printer, NOT NETWORKED, on EACH computer to set up! Voila! No more bogging down or stalling, and it actually prints faster than when connected directly to a PC. Finally. Thanks to Amazon's reader reviews.

4 not compatible
Normally, I love Lynksys products, but after trying to install this myself and it not working on either of my computers I broke down and called techincal support. After 3 hours with them, and three different tech people I was told (even though it could find my printer on the server, it still wouldn't print anything) that the print server was incompatible with my hp printer. I was told i'd have to buy a new printer. Saver yourself the money on this linksys wireless print server and buy a wireless printer instead, it's much cheaper and just not worth the hassle.

5 WPS11 - Inability to connect wirelessly
I have been following other reviews of the WPS11 here with much interest. I only wish I had read them before buying my WPS11.

I have spent approximately 12 hours trying to get the thing to work. I've spoken on the phone to 4 different technicians and had a similar number of conversations via the LinkChat service provided by Linksys. I've even returned the original WPS11 for a replacement, but this too exhibited all the same symptoms.

The one thing I've learned is that there seems to be no consistent view of the problem and whether there might be a solution. I've had some quite surreal conversations involving disconnecting the server for varying amounts of time ranging from 10 seconds to two minutes. Sometimes with advice to 'hold the reset button, and sometimes not. On one occasion I was even sent the URL of a site which showed how an Ethernet 'crossover' cable should be wired. This despite the fact that clearly I had a connection between the server and router.

I find it extremely annoying that the manual says little about the real hoops you need to jump through in attempting to configure this thing. Nowhere for instance does it even mention that you need to hard-wire it to the router first. I'll not even go down the road of why a wireless device should need a hardwire at all.

I have had no problem connecting wirelessly to my Netgear and the Netgear router detects the WPS11. Moreover, when I first hardwire the WPS11 to the router and set it to the factory default, and then re-boot the router, the Bi-admin software detects the WPS11 and I can run a test print from the diagnostics menu of Bi-admin.

I can also ping the IP address of the WPS11 as stated on the test print. What I can't do is take the next step and start to configure the Wireless settings of the WPS11. As soon as I change the SSID setting from the default 'linksys' to the SSID of my network, I can no longer ping the WPS11 even with the hardwire still in place.

I don't know whether it's significant, but during the course of one conversation with technical support, they asked me to go into setup of the WPS11 by typing an IP address into my Explorer web browser. This brought up a configuration screen, but it didn't seem complete. Where there should have been some Tabs - apart from the first Configuration password Tab, there were just some red X's rather than the names of the other Tabs. This made me wonder if there is something wrong with the firmware of the WPS11.

I've just had another reply which beats them all and is the last straw. I quote it in full here.

"Thank you for contacting Linksys Customer Support.

With regard to this concern, the model of the printer proven to be working on the WPS11V3. Unfortunately, the Linksys Wireless Printserver is proprietary meaning the wireless card you should be using is Linksys Instant PC Card WPC11(V1, V2.5 or V3) in order to get this work. Since, you are using Wireless Netgear card then this will not work. You have to replaced this one and have Linksys Instant Wireless PC Card instead for the WPS11V3.

I'll be glad if this helps. Thank you."

I've just responded as follows:

"Thank you, but this is preposterous.

I bought this in all good faith. There is no mention whatsoever on the packaging that this is 'proprietary' whatever you mean by that. It certainly says nothing about 'this will only work with a Linksys wireless card or router'.

Frankly I doubt this advice in any case. In all the several hours of conversations I've had with your technicians, none of them has ever said it only works with a Linksys card. As I've said several times in conversations with your technicians, there is no problem with the Netgear wireless card / wireless router recognising the WPS11. Similarly when first switching on, there is no problem with the WPS11 Bi-Admin program recognising that the WPS11 is attached. The problem comes when trying to configure the Bi-Admin for wireless mode.

I find it staggering that you can suggest it is a wireless problem with a particular card when clearly a wireless signal is just a transmission of energy on a radio frequency between two devices. The radio signal is the same physically whether it's generated by a wireless card from Linksys Netgear or whoever.

Your own web site says the WPS11 is,

"Compatible with virtually all printers and major operating systems, your data-intensive print jobs will breeze through with maximized speed and reliability. Let the functionality of the Wireless PrintServer customize your network's capabilities to meet your printing needs time and again".

So no mention there of it being incompatible with a Netgear card/router.
In the light of this, would you care to re-consider this advice.

If not and you feel you need to stick by this advice, are Linksys prepared to accept the return of this product for a cash re-imbursement since as I said, nowhere is it mentioned that this only works with Linsys cards?

I have had this device for over two months now and am clearly getting very annoyed at its inability to work. I would appreciate a quick conclusion to my problem."

My advice is unless you're buying this from a re-seller who guarantees to get it working on your system - avoid it like the plague.

Richard Buttrey

PS. Should anyone at Linksys come across this review and actually assist me in getting it to work, I will of course post an updated review.

Admin Note. I've had to give this a one * rating since the Amazon page would not accept a Nil. It does not deserve a one *.

6 Problems, problems
Too bad, in principle a nice unit, meeting exactly my requirements for wired and wireless operation and connecting to a parallel port printer, but ...

I've justed returned my 3rd unit and have now asked for my money back ! The reasons : After fighting my way through the awfull installation instructions, software that shows different data when you use the Web interface or the Bi-Admin utility I've finally mad one working in wireless infrastructure mode. Alas it only worked for 1 month. After I had to reset it to change the wireless params, the wireless part stopped working all together. This is the 3rd unit that packed up.

7 I gave it a 3 for Maybe - See other reviews
I did not buy the B unit, but I did buy the WP11 and it was just an awful experience. Before buying this unit, check with others users to make sure your not asking for trouble.

8 BAD Product - Don't fall for Free Support
In a nutshell this is one of the worst products I have ever bought. The advertising was misleading and the support was a long drawn out waste of time. Please Note: The WPS11 operates in 2 modes (Infrastructure & Ad-Hoc). This product may work well in Infrastructure mode. I can't say, as I bought it only for wireless print serving and that means Ad-hoc mode. Infrastructure uses other devices, where Ad-hoc is supposed to communicate directly with another piece of equipment ( a USB or a PCI card). I bought the print Server, 1 USB card and 1 PCI card. FIRST PROBLEM: Instructions are atrocious. They are just plain wrong. SECOND PROBLEM: if you can figure out how to set this up (I did after talking to several support people who did not know & 1 who told me to try setting it up using a hardwire), You must use a wire. You cannot set up this wireless device for wireless ad-hoc service, wirelessly. That's right, you must buy a Network card and a Network cable and hardwire it in order to set it up for ad-hoc. The reason is they default the unit to Infrastructure which needs an access point or other device to operate. Once I actually figured out how to set up the print server in ad-hoc (about 2 months later), I finally got it to basically work with the PCI card. At-a-boy Cisco system (parent of Linksys). But with the USB card, it was an extremely painful and agonizing journey just to get it to work. It took a new driver that came out months later. And when I did get it working, it would fail to connect about 30% to 50% of the time on a boot up. Over a period of a year plus, I talked with many support people and tried just about everything possible. LINKSYS DID NOT HAVE MY PREVIOUS PROBLEMS IN THEIR DATABASE. mmmmm No wonder they kept saying, we haven't had many problems with that unit. Their website does not allow you feedback the way Amazon does. They will only put the positive feedback on their website. Very dishonest in my opinion. I actually wrote up a set of instructions on how to set the WPS11 up in Ad-hoc mode and sent it to them. They didn't use it. They still have the poorly written instructions that you cannot follow. And they still claimed you could use it in Ad-hoc mode. THIRD PROBLEM: About 30% to 50% of the time whenever I boot up, the Wireless USB and Print Server will NOT establish proper communication. Sometimes, I get lucky and by clicking on "Connect" twice, it will connect. Yes twice. If you do it once, it will never connect. In fact if it's connected and you click on "Connect", it will disconnect. FOURTH PROBLEM: Customer service is a waste of time and energy. I believe (perhaps wrongly) that they know perfectly well there is a problem, but pretend they do not have it. The last supposedly top level support person was a guy named Lucas. He had me tear out all my cards and remove all other software and tried to claim it was because of the HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer). Now lets face it, anyone making a claim like this is just full of it. The old saying, if you can't impress them with knowledge, baffle them with bull crap.. Well, I do understands the HAL, but to verify without a doubt it was not the HAL (he was blaming the newer APCI HAL). I moved the PCI to another computer with the older Standard HAL. Guess what? That's right, the exact same problem. All this guy did was yank my chain. He would tell me things like "It works on my laptop". Oh great, I have a desktop.. No difference there huh? :o(. Or "I ran a continuous ping for two and a half hours and only got two time out". Nice going, what does that have to do with actually connecting the protocol to print? I must have asked him a dozen times to set up a desktop and PrintServer in ad-hoc and use it for a week or two. he did everything but. I tested this on 2 desktop computers (ACPI HAL & Standard HA:) and also on 2 operating systems (windows 2000 & windows 98) and it has the same failure. It will not consistently connect to the print server. I might add that their is always activity between the 2 devices, it's just that they will not allow you to print until they are fully connected. My advice. STAY AWAY FROM THIS PRODUCT!!. One last note. Although it appears to be a USB problem at first, I have never had problems with the USB talking to the PCI. I have also noted that when I have the PCI computer up and connected, the USB computer also comes up and the print server will talk to it. It will always connect after removing power from the print server for a few seconds. So I believe the problem may be in the PrintServer, not initiating a response to the USB correctly. Once it's communicating with something, it tends to work as it should.

9 Bug ridden, and poorly designed.
Troublesome from the very start, it has two ways to do setup, one is web based, and one is a setup client.

This product is so poorly made, there are actually settings in the client program that are reversed in the web setup. (Netmask and gateway are reversed.)

The online help is useless. If you try to use their support pages, they take you to the support pages for a previously released product. Worse still, they refer to features and settings that this product doesn't even have. (DIP switches!)

Don't bother with this one.... get a real print server. If it has to be connected to your network wirelessly, just buy a wireless bridge and a small network switch.

10 Does not work with Epson MultiFunction Printers
I notice that several people on here claim they can't reset the unit. If you want to reset the device, you have to hold the reset button for 30 seconds and unplug it while still holding the button. That was the only way that I could get it to clear.

I purchased this after reading a number of the reviews here. I have a Linksys wireless network and really wanted this print server. I had no problem setting it up, but I am definitely a power user. The instructions were definitely junk. I plugged it directly into the router and istalled the software and driver. It showed up on the network with no problem. I opened the BiAdmin Utility and double-clicked on the device and found the IP address that was assigned. I accessed the PrintServer through a web browser by putting in the IP address for the device and configured the wireless information... set the Network Name, Channel, Infrastructure (in my case) and the WEP encryption typoe and password. The unit showed up wirlessly with no problem then. Everytime I tried to print I received an error stating that there was a communication problem. I called Linksys and put them on my speaker phone while I tried other things, waiting 30 minutes for them to answer the phone. They spent two hours on the phone with me doing everything over from a different computer on the network. They finally said that it wasn't compatible with my printer (Epson Stylus Scan 2500). So I had to send it back. The device does seem to work and it initialized my printer but cannot communicate with the printer otherwise. Major Bummer! It would be nice if in addition to a list of compatible printers on their site they had a list of printers that they know do not work. I assume a lot of people never get around to returning them, so they would rather not create such a list.

PrintServer---------5
Instructions---------0
Tech Support------4
Known Issues List-0

11 Good product, bad manual
Here's what I did to make it work in 6 easy steps!:

1. Hook up the server to the printer. Make sure it prints (press the reset button for 2 seconds)
2. Access the server directly first w/o wireless - http://192.168.1.78
3. Set the domain name to match your domain name in your network. Most home PCs are set to WORKGROUP. (Advanced->NetBUI->Domain Name)
4. Connect to the printer: Start->Run->\\ServerName\\PrinterName. Mine is set to something like: \\SC0C65E4\P1
5. It will ask you to install the drivers for your PC. Install them.
6. Print out a test page. You're done!

12 Nothing but trouble. Returned
First, I am a network manager with loads of experience. Instructions for installation were poor and confusing. You must install and configure in a total wired network. Get is working and configure the wireless section (not very good instruction here). Then, power down, disconnect the cable from the linksys and power up.

Never worked. Spent over an hour on the phone with linksys tech support. Did everything 5 times from at least 8 different angles. Didn't work. Linksys said return for a replacement. Not me, I'm returning for a refund. Steer clear of this.

13 Junk
Bought this from Amazon - what a piece of crap. Don't waste your money - go with netgear.

14 Woah! What a problem to install?!?
Okay - now, unlike many of the people writing reviews - I am very "techno-savvy". I've designed nets. I've set up print servers before...

So... after 2 hours of "configuration" with this thing - multiple resets, multiple attemps at starting the wireless print server, etc. I called linksys. After waiting for 45 minutes, I gave up and had at it again.

Personally, those of you without good intituition or a really good buddy who is a "tech guy" - skip buying this product. I had to use all me "obi-wan superpowers" to navigate my way through this thing and get it finally working. Once you got it set up - you can leave it alone... but it is a "long hard slog" up that mountain.

I did finally get it working... with much effort. The thing that really bugs me about this is that I use many linksys products. This is the first linksys print server I bought and I doubt I'll buy one ever again. I was using a linksys WAP with a CMU from Linksys as well (so it shouldn't be an interoperating incompatability issue for those who are wondering.)

The key I think on the install is twofold...

a) Originally the thing is going to want to go DHCP. Make sure you have it plugged into your router before you boot it on. Otherwise, it won't DHCP to your network, it will self assign on another IP domain and subnet - and you'll never see the thing. Also, if you have WEP installed - shut it off. You can't initialize the print server with WEP running and you can't pass the key to the product with the WEP running. You'll have to be "naked" during installation. I even turned the SSID broadcast back on so it could see it. Once you get the thing DHCP'ed, then install the WEP key on the PRINT SERVER, then turn the WEP key back on your router/WAP.

b) Once you get the sucker "visible" on the network - you have to make sure 1) the SSID matches, 2) the WEP matches, 3) your signal strength is "good to excellent" (this is actually quite important. This little sucker is very tempermental with interference. They aren't kidding when they say max distance is 91M.. it's actually considerably less under normal circumstances (like say in a house). Basically - no more than 3 sheets of drywall between transceivers.

Also - don't think the Wireless works out of the box. I almost had a conniption and threw the print server out the window when I read I had to hook it to the router via a CAT-5 first (my transceivers are in the roof of my house flipped upside down for maximum broadcasting - I had to crawl up into the attic and run a 50 foot cable down to my WPS-11 and the printer... that was a fun exercise). Linksys should make one that works wireless right out of the box... that's crappy design on Cisco's part... figure it out guys...

If you are serious about wireless print servers (i.e., this is not a SOHO thing or you are planning on running more than 5K prints) - then I suggest you skip linksys as well. Go with an HP jet-direct system. I regret I didn't buy the JD for my printer at home... but I am happy because I got the linksys for 50 bucks via ebay... however, the two hours of dinking around with the print server makes me wonder if I really got a bargain...

...NEW INFO...

I have absolutely GIVEN UP on this product. While it is possible I got a lemon - I think not. This is one FLAKEY little unit. I had my print server all configed... and then it FLAKED OUT on me... now I can't get it to reset, respond, or do anything. Linksys has no idea what is wrong with it. So I'm pitching the 50 bucks down the drain and going with Hewlett Packard's wireless server...

Do NOT buy this product. I am hot on Linksys - but this product is really quite TERRIBLE.

15 Not appropriate for workgroup or corporate environment
I have 2 of these in my K-12 school and they need to be reset on a regular basis, causing teachers and me much frustration. I have had better luck with HP wireless print servers, but they aren't flawless either.

16 Read the reviews here for installation info
I REALLY liked the idea of this wireless print server. My kids have a PC running Win 2000, I have one, and there is a laptop floating around, all with Netgear PC cards and a Netgear DG824M ADSL modem/firewall/router.

I ordered the WPS11 AFTER reading the comments here. What struck me is that folks who got it through the installation problem were well pleased with the product. I am too, but installation for non network specialists is probably impossible without direct help from Linksys.

My thoughts are as follows: if you hate computers and dread the idea of being talked through the necessary steps from a help line advisor, avoid this product like the plague. But if you are really determined I suggest this:

1. Go through the installation procedure (with CAT-5 cable connected), but don't go beyond loading the PrintServer driver. As RUSS9999 says, this will give you access to the Bi-admin utility: just use a web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape) to connect to the initialised IP address of the Linksys print server- http://169.254.41.79 in the product I bought, but use method described by other reviewers here for finding the exact IP address by printing it out (reset button etc).

2. In the Linksys menu select TCP/IP and change the IP address of the Printserver to a fixed (internal) IP address suitable for your network (similar but not identical to those of the other machines on your network). Also select 'Fixed IP address' on the same screen, then SAVE. Now open another browser window and try the new fixed IP address.

3. If successful, Linksys menu will appear as before. Click on the 'Wireless' tab and put in the ID of your network (that's the SSID). It's set 'Linksys' by default, so if you've got a Linksys network (I dont), just leave it as Linksys. Then select the channel number your network uses, then SAVE. As stated by others, switch off the Printserver for 30 seconds, remove the CAT-5 cable link and then switch power back on. If everything is OK the amber WLAN will blink intermittently. Also try the Printserver IP address in a new browser window. You should get the Linksys menu window.

4. Phone Linksys technical support & tell them how far you got, but need help with printer installation. They will talk you through various steps which are not very intuitive (like selecting 'local' rather than 'network' printing for starters, LPR printing etc !). They will also email you the steps required to repeat the process on other PC's connected to your network.

I found Linksys technical support was good, but I come from the UK where customer support of any description is usually abysmal, so I may not be best judge. They say their support is 24/7. I only waited two or three minutes before speaking to a technician on the two occasions I phoned.

***** Five stars for the product & its design engineers
----- No stars for the folks who developed/authored the installation
****- Four stars for the Linksys support team

Good luck y'all !

17 Frustrating to install but once done is a good product
I concur with many other reviews found here. Took me >2 weeks to get WPS11 working with BEFW11S4, WPC11, laptop (win95) and Epson C84 printer. Linksys manual/websites not helpful. Many suggestions found here got me part way along but I needed some of my own changes to get things working (plus a late miracle).

After trying linksys method removed everything (software) to start from clean:

1.Set up with Cat5e cable connections PC-router and router-WPS11. Printer connected and on.
2.Access WPS11 via web (192.168.1.100) set up like router (SSID, WEP settings). Set WPS11 fixed IP address (192.168.1.100).
3.Install BiAdmin/Printer Driver as in manual. Run printer driver setup as Linksys manual to connect to printer. This was important to get printer port changed to LPT1:SCXXXXXX (Printserver) - where SCXXXXXX is name of WPS11.

At this point all good. Printed test page from BiAdmin or anything from windows application.

Went wireless: Powered everything down, removed cables, powered up router, then DSL, then WPS11 then PC. Now my problem, wireless connections OK and could print test page from BiAdmin/WPS11 web page but nothing from windows applications (printer communication error mesage).

Tried lots of variations - including disable Epson status monitor, changed spooling to print directly to printer. No luck.

E-mailed Linksys. Received prompt reply suggesting check my network protocols (to have TCPIP, IPX/SPX and NetBEUI). But I already did have these so I didn't change anything other than looking. Now the miracle - while replying to Linksys tried printing again from Netscape messenger and it worked wirelessly!!!!! Tried other applications -OK! Bemused - what did I do? Sorry I have no suggestions if you get similar problem other than e-mail linksys and pray for similar miracle?

I'm waiting to see what Linksys make of my "miracle". Generally I'm very happy with Linksys products (router set up straightforward) but I've suggested they improve WPS11 documentation. In the meantime search the web and pages here and you will find stuff that works.

18 Very poor documentation
Finally got it to work in all Linksys network, but don't try to get it to work with other vendors' wireless products!

19 Pitch the Manual - Read These Reviews Instead
I bought the Linksys WPS11v3 through Amazon after reading the reviews here. Take heed - the reviewers are right! The unit itself is simple enough, but the documentation included is pretty much worthless unless you happen to be one of the lucky few to have the one setup that happens to be exactly like the person who wrote the manual. Keys to success that I gleaned from these other brave souls:
- Print out the printserver status by holding in the reset button.
- From there, get the IP address of your printserver and log into it on your browser.
- Make sure you change the SSID name to match your wireless router SSID.
- You need to UNPLUG the power and plug it back in after you've pulled out your ethernet cable in order to switch to wireless. This seems to be what they mean by "reset" in some cases.

This is the first time I've written a review on Amazon after purchasing here for many years. The reviews made the difference between success and failure, so I wanted to show my thanks to the others who contributed their advice. Thanks!!
Linksys review - 2 stars
Amazon reviewers review - 6 stars
Linksys + Amazon - 4 stars

20 Beware!
BR>If I could give it less than one star I would. Tried two units. Three 2 hour+ sessions with the (very good) Linksys support line. Finally got the unit to recognise the wirless router, then found it willl not work with my Xerox XD100 printer. It will work with my HP printer, but that only has a USB connection. I asked if they have a list of approved printers and was told "not yet". If you could get it to work it's a brilliant idea, but it was NOT easy to even get to the stage where we could determine that my printer was incompatible. I agree with an earlier comment that it is probably too early in the lifecycle of this device to unleash it on an unsuspecting world. On the other hand, if it does work for you, as it obviously has for a number of people, then I am envious. Good luck.

21 Great device - Very disappointing install documentation
After being very satisfied with the Linksys Wireless AccessPoint/Router, I was amazed at how difficult it was to install the WPS11. I literally spent approximately 10 hours attempting to intall the printserver on my very simple network (running Windows XP on my desktop) including three separate telephone calls with the Linksys customer support people. The user's guide/ operating manual leaves alot to be desired. It doesn't even begin to address how one needs to configure a system to get the printserver to work. The Outcome: Over the course of an hour, Linksys customer service got me up and running and the product works great. Linksys should seriously re-think its installation guide / procedure.

22 Aarrgh!!!
I bought this because I did not want to dedicate one of my lab machines to print services. This was one of the most challenging device setup I have ever experienced. All of my networking equipment is LinkSys (LinkSys 4 Port WAP, LinkSys PC Card, LinkSys PCI card etc.)
I eventually gave up an called tech support and was able to get one machine printing. After much trial and error I was able to get all my Windows XP and Linux machines to successfully use the device.
However, I find I must reset the device (unplug power cord, wait 10 seconds, plug back in) each day. For some reason, even with a static IP, the device hangs and I get print errors.
I gave up in disgust and bought a Netgear print server that was both easy to setup and works flawlessly.

23 Manual missing key piece of information...
I had the same problem many others have reported. After following all instructions in the manual perfectly, my router could not connect wirelessly (only worked with Ethernet cable connected). A call to Linksys tech support revealed that I needed to set the SSID of my wireless print server to the same SSID as my wireless router. Once I did this, the WLAN light on my printserver started blinking and everything worked fine.

Technician was helpful, but ruined an otherwise perfect support call with a poor answer to my question "Why wasn't this key piece of information included in the manual?". His answer: "This should have been obvious.". :o

24 Great product, setup a pain!!
After using Linksys's other products (various wireless adapters, hubs, and switches) successfully, I felt it would be a safe bet to get this print server. Hardware installation is a breeze. Simply connect your printer's cable to the server, connect a CAT5 network cable between the server and a networked hub or switch (I used my wireless-B router/access point also by Linksys), and use either the web-based configuration screens or use Bi Admin that's included on the CD that comes with the server. Unhook the CAT5 cable, and you're ready to go. Or at least that's what I had hoped.

The wireless mode wouldn't work at all from my Win98SE PC, and it worked for 10 minutes before dying on my WinXP machine. After I read other reviews of people calling tech support, I felt that would have been a waste of time. Then I made a discovery that only the network-experienced computer user would catch. My PCI NICs on both machines were in the same IP range as my wireless, and I had thought that it was causing Windows to use my NICs to access the print server. Of course, this didn't work because I wanted wireless. As a test, I disabled the NICs. Voila!! I was able to access the print server without incident, but disabling the NICs was not a good permanent solution. So I made my NICs use only IPX/SPX and NETBIOS for networking (I don't file share over wireless due to security and its slow speed), and I use my wireless equipment for printing and internet access. My two PCs have been using the print server with 100% success. I'm not sure if the IP ranges themselves had anything to do with it, but using the other protocols for sharing works just fine for my two PCs.

One last important note about the web interface: it labels the IPs for the gateway and the subnet mask backwards. Bi Admin gets it right, though. My guess is that a firmware update will fix the web interface, though none was available at the time I wrote this review. I also highly recommend that DHCP is disabled on the server and set a fixed IP, use WEP encryption (as all of your wireless devices should, even if WEP is flawed - it's better than nothing), and password-protect it. That way a user will always know the IP when they want to use the web interface for configuration. So if anyone can't get the wireless mode to work on the print server, and you have NICs that are also using TCP/IP, try the aformentioned modification to see if this helps. Too bad it wasn't listed in the manual.

25 Look Elsewhere!
Linksys Customer service has little to be desired I spent 12 hours trying to get this hooked into my Linksys router and system
After being hung up on 2x be on hold for over 2hrs in total I was told it was windows problem..one tech was reading some manual im sure 1 word at a time and shouting at me to write stuff down...they dont speak english too well, finally I was told since my new Lexmark printer was only USB cable ready and no parrallel cable it was incompatible....oh yeah and no list is available on what printers are workable....but the kid swore at Best Buy that it would all work.......NOT!
Returned it...will wait for a better product! I would not purchase this and if you gave it to me its nothing but lessons in aggravation and sheer nonsence. Someone at Linksys needs to do some Quality Assurance! Oh and BEST BUY you need it too!

26 Great Product. Poor Customer Service
I am not an expert when it comes to setting up a wireless network, but setting up my router and network cards were simple. When it came to setting up the Print Server, I had some difficulties. The Print Server was not detected by the network. Ultimately, I had to call customer service. Well needless to say, they were very rude and very impatient with my naivety of computers. I hope they realize that most of their customers are not experts with computers. Well, after 2 hours of troubleshooting, the problem was that I had to disable Windows' firewall and all was fine. I have not have had any problems since and I really like not having to be connected to my printer. For any future customers of this product, disable any firewalls before you install the Print Server. Two hours could have easily been saved if this information was written in their instruction manual. I would give the product 5 stars; however, the customer service and installation instructions needs some improvement.

27 Be careful with All in One Printers
After trying to get any of the Linksys Wireless Print Servers to work for the last couple of days, I find out from their helpdesk they do not work with many of the multifunction printers offered . Be careful before you go through what I did.

28 Product does not work!
Linksys must not have a Quality Assurance department. I have had two units in a row that were bad "out of the box." I spent one hour on the phone with tech support, each time, for them to figure that out! Set up instructions assume that anyone running a wireless network does not enable security since there are no instructions on how to do that. I highly recommend that you do not purchase this product!!

29 No USB port
It may have been my mistake, but when the ads say that this works with virtually all printers and it is becoming increasingly common that home printers come with a USB connection, why not make it clear that this will not work with those printers? I recently purchased two printers, an HP 6110 and a Samsung ML-1710, and both use USB connections and thus neither work with this device.

30 The missing info in the user guide
It took me weeks to get it going, but I perservered. The missing information? When you get the 'Add Printer' wizard, it asks if the printer is connected to your computer, or a network printer.Despite what you would expect, choose 'Connected to my computer', not 'Network printer', and when it asks you which port, choose 'Printserver Port' with the name of your WPS11 next to it.

I spent weeks trying to get it to work as a network printer. Silly me.

31 OK Product - Useless manual
This product works fine - but don't expect to get it going without an hour on hold to technical support. The manual leaves a lot to be desired - there are several key steps in the set up that are completely missed. Tech support was fine, after the wait.

32 useless junk...there are better ways to blow [your money]
so i bought this and brought it back to new zealand with me. to sum up my experience i spent 2 full weekends trying to get it to work. after the first weekend extravaganza i had some in depth conversations with the IT department at work to help me bone up on my networking skills. but even that i wasn't able to get it to work. there is no tech support in new zealand. i tried to contact singapore for support, but somehow got transfered to japan. after a lot of confusion, i decided to pay the price to call the states for tech support. the support dude spent 30 minutes on the phone with me and determined that he couldn't help me. "maybe is faulty" he said. the hassle and cost of mailing a product back to the states means that the item is still sitting at home. i should probably see if there is a guy at work with more time to waste than i have to play with toys--i work with a lot of geeks!

to sum it up. if you have a lot of time. if you like bad user guides. if you like talking to useless tech support staff. if you got [money] you were thinking of burning. if you buy electronics for the sport and adventure of it...then this is a product for you. in fact the whole class of products. from all the reviews i have read the competing products on the market offer equivalent value. it is very unfortunate, because i would like to buy one that works after i have paid the price.

33 Great Product - Documentation is lacking
After reading several reviews I have come to the conclusion that the product works well, but it requires some advanced knowledge of wireless configurations to set it up. My only delay was due to grabing a crossover Cat 5 cable used when setting it up orgininally. It works very well and does exactly as advertised. Some of the more detailed reviews have helpful hints and the manual is definately lacking. As with all wireless it takes some patience to make sure the components are set properly. Linksys router, access point and print server all shine!

34 Be careful what you choose as your SSID
I have no explanation for this, but I could not get my unit to work until I changed my SSID. First, I wanted to use the SSID of "Enterprise". I could not get it to work in the wireless mode. I double checked everything including the 128 key with no luck. All of my other wireless cards worked fine with this setting. Just not the WPS11. So, I changed my SSID to "work" (along with the rest of my network including the WAP etc). Suddently, it was like magic. Everything worked fine! If your having problems getting this unit to work, try using a different SSID. Maybe it did not like how long "enterprise" is?

35 Works Well But Posts Were Right
First I want to thank all of those who posted thier experiences and how to install this thing, without those posts I would have never gotten it working. I have a network that runs pc and mac. Main problem was the linksys router would not recognize the print server. Had to get it over 7 feet away, shut off all power while hitting the reset for 15 seconds, turn everything back on while still holding reset then wait another 15. After five times of doing this it the amber light started flickering. I felt like the mad scientist in Frankenstein "ITS ALIVE" , then for the mac to locate it we had to do it through apple talk, a little tweaking and its great. The manual SUCKS!! You guys are great!!

36 Excellent product; great technical support!
I bought this product even though it had mixed reviews here on Amazon. I expected problems because I had never dealt with wireless networking before. I spent about 20 minutes configuring the print server, then I had to call technical support because I didn't know what I was doing. In about 10 minutes, Linksys support had me up and running! I use the device for wireless printing at work, and it works flawlessly. Range is great, and transmission speeds are excellent. Though the product manual could use improvement, I would recommend this product to anyone. Enjoy!

37 Difficult to configure ... May not work at all for you.
After really great experiences with the Linksys 4 port DSL router 3 years ago and later a similar product with a built-in 802.11b access point, I was more than willing to give the Linksys Instant Wireless PrintServer (WPS11 ver. 3) a try. What a mistake that was. I spent more than two hours fiddling with it and another hour with Linksys technical support (mostly on hold). I consider myself pretty good with software, networks, and hardware (going on 10+ years as a programmer) but the WPS11 had me beat. I did manage to get the device installed and configured, I just could not print from any programs on my PC -- I kept getting the error message "The handle is invalid" when sending a print job to the printer via the WPS11. That was the problem I called Linksys technical support about. I spoke with two people and the only thing worse than their english was their knowledge of the device. Ultimately, I was disconnected (or they hung up on me) without the problem getting resolved. Some observations: 1) The documentation is terrible. 2) The interface for the program you install on your PC to configure the print server is clunky and amateurish (not very professional looking). The interface for the web browser accessible program that lets you configure the print server is clunky and slow. 3) In order to get the device to go into "wireless" mode after you unplug the CAT 5 cable, you have to power it down and back up again. That little fact isn't mentioned ANYWHERE in the documentation or on the Linksys web. Ultimately, I gave up on the WPS11 and bought the Netgear Wireless Ready Print Server (PS111WNA) instead. It requires the separate purchase of a Netgear 802.11b wireless PCMCIA adapter (MA401) but it was the right decision. Crisp, clean looking configuration software and less than 10 minutes to install. Works like a champ, I wish I had tried the Netgear first.

38 The Linksys WPS11 v3 is a piece of junk ... don't buy it!
After really great experieces with a Linksys 4 port DSL router three years ago and later a similar product with a built-in 802.11b access point, I was more than willing to give the Linksys Instant Wireless PrintServer (WPS11 ver. 3) a try. What a mistake that was. Spent 2+ hours filddling with it and another hour with Linksys technical support (mostly on hold). I consider myself pretty good with software, networks, and hardware (going on 10+ years as a programmer) but the WPS11 had me beat. I did manage to get the device installed and configured, I just could not print from any programs on my PC -- I kept getting the error message "The handle is invalid" when attempting to print via the WPS11. That was the problem I called Linsys technical support about. I spoke with two people and the only thing worse than their english was their knowlege of the device and its configuration. Ultimately, I was disconnected (or they hung up on me) without the problem getting resolved. Some observerations: 1) The documentation is terrible. 2) The interface for the two programs you install on your PC to configure and use the print server are clunky and amateurish (not very professional looking). The interface for the web browser accesible program that lets you configure the print server is clunky and slow. 3) In order to get the device to go into "wireless" mode after you unplug the CAT 5 cable, you have to power it down and back up again. That little fact isn't mentioned ANYWHERE in the documentation or on Linksys' web site and it cost me the first of the three hours I spent trying to get this device to work. I gave up on the WPS11 and bought the Netgear Wireless Ready Print Server (PS111W) instead. It requires the seperate purchase of a Netgear 802.11b wireless PCMCIA adapter (MA401) but it was the right decision. Crisp, very clean looking configuration software and less than 10 minutes to install. Works like a champ - wish I had tried the Netgear first.

39 Not working with all the printers
I have a Canon BJC 5100 but he will not work with this printer driver. Linksys confirms me that 'he is not on the list of tested printers'. THis list is only internal availible

Erik-Jan

40 Performance: Excellent -- Ease of Setup: Room to Improve!
If you are able and willing to just pull everything out of the box and use it without any customization, the WPS11 works great. Mine communicates with a BEFW11S4 wireless access point and everything is fast and smooth.

BUT -- and this is a big one -- I have YET to be able to get it to work with anything other than the default SSID or with WEP Passphrase and 128-bit encryption. I've spent around 10 hours hacking around with it so far, about 3 of that with Linksys technical support on the phone, and still no progress. I'm confident I'll get it working at some point, but it's sure a lot of time to invest in something that's not exactly rocket science.

41 It could have been a 5
I'm using the WPS 11 on a dual platform (XP and Apple OS X) wireless LAN connected to a cable modem via an Apple Airport set up as a DHCP router providing NAT to 5 workstations (2 XP, 1 W98, 2 Mac). Setting up the WPS 11 is every bit as daunting as many of the other reviews of this product claim. My biggest problem was getting Windows and Apple printing protocols to work together. The Win setup is fairly OK following the manual BUT ..... depending on the rest of your wireless network you could spend a lot of time chasing little problems. The WPS 11 defaults to channel 6. That's OK if you're using a Linksys router/access point. If not, you have to move the radio channel, or you'll think it's dead. Setting up via the ethernet port and then re-powering in order to scan the wireless LAN is another problem, but if you let it get a DHCP address from your router and you've got the right radio channel you should be able to access the box from the web admin or the "Biadmin" utility wirelessly. The easiest way to set up Apple printing is through IP printing. With the OS X /Unix drivers available from Gimp-Print you should be able to get almost any printer working. I started with on old Deskjet 560C just to make sure everything was working, before I ordered a new laser printer. Linksys could save their tech staff (which I didn't call) and their customers a LOT of grief if they'd put a few sample configurations in the manual and provided a few resource links. The paltry set of Apple utilities in the Linksys disk are in a folder called "unsupported" and mainly pertain to AppleTalk under OS 9. Don't bother. Go straight for IP printing. Linksys doesn't even tell you the default queue name ( "lp" worked) and it's all the little stuff like that which keeps this from being a 5. When you get it working, it's great and the price can't be beat, but it's really nowhere near up to the state of the plug and play art with either Windows or Apple products. On the plus side, you can adminster the server from an embedded web utility over wireless, so if you're all Apple, you actually can get it running. Just push the reset button while connected to a printer and the box will print it's diags, including current IP address. Point a browser there and you're in. Again, this is not well documented and if you're using a wireless machine, be sure to note the radio channel and reset your WiFi card to the same frequency. I can see why people just send them back though, and for any 'dead radio' issues, be sure all your wireless devices are on the same channel. Lastly, if this server is part of a wireless LAN and not used stand alone, you MUST set it as an infrastructure device, not ad-hoc. Again, poorly documented. I found this by reading the Help file in the Bi-admin utility and it's burried deep. As a rule, always get a diag printout using a short push of the reset button, and make sure the IP address and radio channels match up. This will solve a lot of problems. Linksys products are robust and reliable, and I'm sure now that it's working the WPS 11 will be too.

42 The WPS-11 does exactly what Linksys says it does!
As soon as you take it out of the box follow the Quick setup guide and establish a connection through a switch or router (wont work hooked directly to the net port on the computer). Next, press and hold the reset button for 10 seconds, keep the button depressed and un-plug the unit and leave it un-plugged for 10 more seconds, keep the button depressed for 10 more seconds after plugging the unit back in. The unit will be reset to default and should print a test page. Install the drivers, and call tech support, they will walk you through the rest in less than 5 mins. (I was on hold for about 2 mins.) Thats it! It wont work with all printers but works with most and prints in wireless mode flawlessly.

43 worked for me
I had a very easy time connecting this through my wireless system (Linksys wireless router, AOL DSL service, Gateway desktop and new Dell laptop). The quick-start worked for me without changing anything from the way it was configured from the factory. I know from past experience that setting up new devices, especially wireless, can be hit or miss- one small thing not quite right can lead to hours of frustration (as per other reviewers who were not quite so lucky). I had no problems this time and did not need to call Linksys technical support although I would not have hesitated to do so because they have been very helpful in the past.
Good Luck!

44 Once again, don't believe everything you read.
After setting up the Linksys USB wireless print server, I decided to compare it with the parallel-port version. Set-up and configuration were even simpler, as the administration and add-port utilities are the same, and it also works just fine with two different laser printers. I see no significant difference in performance and so will go USB because of the smaller size, thinner cable, lower price, and better compatibility with current and future printers.

45 at first it did not work
I tried to set up the unit but the WLAN would not light up. Returned the unit because Linksys thought I might have a defective unit. ... Again it did not light. After some time with another Linksys technician, we figured out that the unit must be at least 6ft away from the wireless access point for the WLAN to come on. Otherwise the only way things would work was hardwired. This is not stated anywhere in the manuals. ... Since I had a short hardwire cable the unit had to be close. Now it works great and I'm pleased.

46 Hardly plug-and-play
I finally got this to work on my wireless network. My entire network is Linksys and until I bought this server I had been mighty impressed with the easy set up of most Linksys products. Not so here. I'm a professional network analyst and I still had major hassles getting this thing to work. It finally does, albeit without WEP. After all the hassles so far just to get it working, I'm not sure if I want to risk messing it up by setting up WEP. Beginners or non-experts should look elsewhere.

47 Great Product
This is a super unit! 10-minutes start-to-finish setup and it's working just great. I held off ordering for a couple of months because of the extremely mixed reviews, but with the ease of installation I had, I wish I would have bought it months ago. If you have a Linksys router, all you need to do is follow the "Quick Installation" guide and CD included in the box for a quick and flawless installation. If you even remotely think you want or need a print server and the rest of your network is Linksys, then don't hesitate -- buy it today!

48 WPS11 - Be sure to Reset it to Default Factory Settings
Before you do anything else ..... read the bottom of page 4 of the User Guide .... this description will tell you how to reset the box to the factory settings .... do NOT assume that the box is set to these, my brand new unit WAS NOT !

1. Hold the reset button (with one hand)
2. Plug in the power (with your other hand)
3. Now this is the important part .... CONTINUE to hold the button for at least 10 seconds ....
4. Now the box is set to default IP 192.168.1.104 on my box, DHCP, gateway of 192.168.1.1, mask of 255.255.255.0.

You should unplug and re-plug in (power cycle) your WPS11 to ensure that it is now set to the default values.

Symptoms of issue for me included:

1. The Linksys Print Server Driver and Print Server Admin software could not "see" the box.
2. I could not "ping" the box prior to this reset procedure.
3. The BEFW11S4 router that I was using could not "see" the WPS11, even with a CAT5 cable attached.

Why does Linksys send out a brand new device without it being set to the defaults (as indicated in all of their documentation) ... I cannot tell you (it's a secret). Perhaps they want everyone out there to call their support line, so they can have someone to talk to ..... otherwise, their products work so well that they would never get any phone calls (kinda like the Maytag repairman :>)

Regards
Mark "Doc" Dochtermann

49 Setup Not Simple; Linksys Support Pulls Through
The final flexibility I needed in my wireless network was to free me from the constraints of printer placement. I could share a printer with other users in the house by simply adding a wireless printer server. And there it was, the Linksys WPS11.

Small and light, connection is a snap. Disconnect your printer's parallel cable from its current host and connect it to the printer server. Connect the power cable from the adapter. Hook up an Ethernet cable to effect setup. Put in the CD-ROM, follow instructions, ditch the Ethernet cable, and go wireless. Right?

Well, not quite. The manual doesn't deal with a lot of issues. Being an "old hand" (or so I thought) to home wireless networking, I figured that the best bet was to go straight to the Linksys support number. I did, and three hours (yes, that's right) later, I was off the phone, with everything finally functioning. And I learned a lot. Virtually none of the steps we went through appeared in the manual. Nowhere is it written that you have to install the printer as a local device on every computer from which you want to access the printer. Knowing a fact like that is kind of important.

The time spent in setup aside, I have to give high marks, in general, to Linksys support. I've talked to maybe 15 differnet folks there over the last year and a half, and, with one exception, all have been polite and knowledgeable. It has to be a tough job stepping legions of numnutz like me through problems that could be avoided by a better constructed manual. Anyway, enough.

In my experience, wireless networking takes patience. Generally, once configured, my components (Linksys wireless router with 4-port switch, Linksys wireless printer server, and four or five wireless adapters and PC cards) communiccate flawlessly. The ability to move components about wihout concern regarding placement or the decor factor of cabling is very freeing.

To those contemplating wireless networking for themselves, one comment. There is a value to a single-vendor network, and htat is you can get all your problems addressed by the vendor's help line. A multi-vendor network runs you the risk of someone at the other end of the line saying to you (at a critical time), "Sorry, that's not our fault." Believe me, that won't help you.

50 Works Great!
Set this up without any problems (no tech support!) and have been using wirelessly for over one week without any problems.

51 Good idea, if it only worked
If, like me, your computers are in different rooms than your cable modem and not every PC has a printer attached, a standalone printserver unit talking wirelessly to the cable/DSL network sounds like a good idea. However, after spending nearly 2 hours on the phone with Linksys Tech Support one Saturday morning, I gave up. Although the guy helping me was quite expert, we could not get the Wireless PrintServer to print a test page on either of my printers (an old, obscure Epson PostScript laser or newer Canon bubble-jet) directly connected to the unit parallel port. Nor could we load through a web browser or ping the DHCP-assigned IP address that was given the WPS11 by the Linksys Wireless 4-port Cable/DSL Router (which has worked perfectly, BTW). And that was over a direct *wired* LAN cable connection to the router, or even a crossover cable directly into my laptop. Nothing, nada, zip. So it's been returned to Amazon.com for credit. Oh well.

52 Works with a little patients
I purchased WPS-11 Ver 3 model from Amazon.[com] at a good price with a ...rebate on top of it. I have had good luck with previous Linksys products and they have all had very easy setup. This print server was difficult to set up and if you don't have a basic understanding of networking, set-up will be a problem.

I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 V.2 Wireless Access Point with 4 port router installed on my wireless network. I am running Zone Alarm firewall that is integrated with the router and it caused all of my problems. I was able to connect with wired Ethernet port and do all set-up of the print server using the included Bi-Admin tool but could not make the print server work in wireless mode. When I was connected by wireed port I could look at the wireless link status in the Bi-Admin tool and see that I was connected to the WAP and had good signal strength. (Please note unlike others have stated here, I had no problems with using an SSID different than the default or enabling 128-bit WEP).

I had to do the following steps to make the print server work in wireless mode. First, I disabled DHCP on the print server and set a static IP address. Then I had to enable exemption for this IP address on the security set up page of the Wireless Access Point. This is also the page where Zone Alarm firewall settings are made for the integrated firewall on the router. Had I just turned off the firewall on the WAP/router I would have saved a great deal of time. What ever you do, if you have a firewall, turn it off before you start the installation and it will go much easier. Then once things are running you can turn the firewall on and determine what firewall settings ned to be changed to allow the print server to remain functioning. Also once the Ethernet cable is removed you must cycle power to get the print server to use the wireless connection it will continue to try and acceess the wired connection once you remove the cable until you power cycle. It does not try to cycle automatically between wired and wireless.

After performing these steps everything worked great with out any problems.

53 Works with a little patients
I purchased WPS-11 Ver 3 model from Amazon.com at a good price .... I have had good luck with previous Linksys products and they have all had very easy setup. This print server was difficult to set up and if you don't have a basic understanding of networking, set-up will be a problem.

After performing these steps everything worked great with out any problems.

54 Solid Product
Solid product, but it was difficult to get set up. Spent around an hour on tech support to get it working correctly, but it has been great since then - only required one reset in 5 months of daily use.

Using with a DeskJet 720c

55 Printer Alert
Just to save many of you time, I found out via Linksys tech support that this product does not support multi task printers (fax, scan, printer, copier).

56 Great Product
I got my Linksys Wireless Printserver yesterday, and had it up and running in less than 5 minutes, following only the instructions in the "Quick Installation" guide. This compact little box replaced a bulky old PC that I had been using as a print server for an old HP Laserjet IIP printer and works great.

57 Poor instructions, won't configure..going in the trash!!
I have a Linksys wireless network with 3 computers and a cable modem/router. The WAP's were easy to set-up and work very good. HOWEVER, this WSP11 is BAD NEWS. After reseting the unit 3 times I was finally able see in on the network in the admin tool, however after that one time, it was gone for good. The instructions are confusing and complicated. I can run a cable faster than the set-up time required for this device. I do not recommend.

58 Very good, complicated, product
I bought the WPS11 to use with my Brother 1440 laser printer. I wanted to be able to print to the Brother from three computers (2 desktops and an Apple notebook). The WPS11 setup is a bit confusing as there are two sets of installation routines to run and for a networking novice it can be intimidating. However, after stepping through the required installation instructions I did get the printer to work. I can now print to the Brother from my two desktop PCs using the supplied wireless driver. I can print to the Brother from my Apple iBook using Appletalk. All in all I'd say that it is a very good product. I love being able to put my printer anywhere there is an electrical outlet and being able to print to it from all my computers.

59 Not so easy to set up
Unlike most Linksys products that I'm fond of, the printserver was difficult to set up. Once configured, it worked as advertised, but as a person significantly more experienced with Wi-Fi than the average consumer, I was disappointed by how much networking knowledge was required.

Also, it's important to know that each computer from which you intend to print, must have a new Linksys software driver installed. Once installed, you must run a configuration routine to handshake with the printserver (on each computer). I happen to also have an Adobe Distiller print driver installed on one of my Windows XP laptops, and it rendered it inoperable.

I will still use the Linksys printserver because the alternative of running cable is not a pleasant one, but be prepared to spend some time setting it up. Better yet, find a knowledgable friend and ask them for help.

60 Good but....
Pretty good print server. The response time is great. I've used it with both my Brothers Multifunction machine and a lowend Canon inkjet. Both worked great. The setup it simple on my wired/wireless networks ... my only complaint is of its strictly parallel interface. These day, being forced to buy/use a printer with that interface(as opposed to USB) will greatly limit your selection and therefore the usefulness of this device. But if that's not an issue... this machine is great!

61 Dirt cheap and it's great to move a printer anywhere.
I now have 4 of these and am ordering my fifth. If your not using security then these are totally easy to set up - if you are going to use security then you need to connect it to your LAN first. It took me a bit of time to set up, and had to cycle the power a couple of times, but once I got it set up it worked great. The reception is excellent. I have it on a cart with my laptop and can move freely in a 22000 square foot shop. Great for mid size businesses. Oh two more things - they can take abuse.. I use it in a wood shop and dust does not seem to kill it. Amazon also have the best door to door price after checking at pricegrabber.com.

62 Wow - what a frustrating experience
I just purchased one of these - thinking it would be easy to install much like the Linksys Router and separate Wireless Access Point/Router that I had purchased previously.

To date, I have not been successful in making this thing work with my network. On top of it, this unit has an annoying high-frequency tone (defective?). The instructions are totally useless and using instinctive steps doesn't really get you anywhere. It sounds like from reading other reviews that this unit has trouble establishing an IP, I will attempt to force an IP using my DHCP settings. If that does not work, I will have to get assistance from one of those "helpful" phone tech support folks at Linksys.

I am not sure this product is ready for prime time!

63 Not Wireless
I just got off the phone with tech support. The person told me that this could not be used as a wireless print server?! I was trying to connect this to the Wireless Access Point (BEFW11S4) as shown in the documentation that comes with the product. Don't buy this for the technical support.

64 Lousy tech support and poor documentation
First off, this item doesn't work with multi function machines. This minor fact isn't shown anywhere on Amazon.com, and was only revealed to me by Linksys after pulling my hair out for an hour trying to set it up on my own, and then another hour going through all sorts of things with one of their...techs. Finally, the jerk asked about the printer, and when I told him it was an HP 4 in 1 laser machine, he said the two won't work together. Fortunately he wasn't nearby because I could have choked him!

65 Doesn't work with Multi-function devices!
Hello,

I bought this product to use with an HP OfficeJet G95. The product does not support such printers, but that fact isn't written anywhere for a consumer to read. Also, the product was defective. It wouldn't have worked with any printer right out of the box. It seems from other reviews many of these get shipped defective. Customer support on this product was also lousy, and the written documentation was confusing and incomplete for all but the network savy. I'm a systems administrator, and I found the installation to be a real pain. Perhaps the defective device skewed my opinions, for I had to troubleshoot problems when you'd think the process would be easy and clear. Work on your QC please Linksys. You have great ideas, but your quality of products is very poor.

66 Incredibly Frustrating Product
As a prelude, let me say that this product may be quite good once it is configured and running properly. That said, I spent hours, and subsequently I had my IT department spend days, trying to get it to work. The best we could do was have it work intermittently. We were using Cisco and 3Com basestations with WEP on and off in two different physical environments that each had successful wireless LANs up and running.

Linksys help support is borderline abusive. Once they heard I was not using a Linksys basestation, they immediately dismissed all the problems and advised that I return the product. Now I can only hope that Amazon does the right thing and returns my money. Caveat emptor. And Linksys, if you are listening, many a company has faltered due to crappy help support.

67 hit or miss
I ordered the Linksys Wireless PrintServer (WPS11) along with the 4 port router (BEFW11S4) and wireless network card (WPC11). The router and wireless card were easy to setup and work great, but I've had nothing but problems with the print server. After spending 90 minutes on the phone with Linksys support (very helpful and they tried very hard to help set it up) I was told the printserver was defective and to return it. I recently received the replacement and once again received another defective item. As I said previously the router and wireless card work great, and the tech support at Linksys spent a considerable amount of time on the phone with me trying to get the items to work, but I'm 0 for 2 with the print server. Looking back I would have probably purchased a router/printserver combo.

I hope this helps.

68 Poor documentation, buggy software and firmware
Suddenly I had a need for a wireless print server. After having excellent out of the box experiences with Linksys products in the past they got my purchase. Reading this, keep in mind I'm a former network admin and have installed many real (HP, Lexmark, etc) network print servers in the past. It took me a bit more than three hours to finally get this one operating.

Most Linksys products have good to excellent documentation and a painless configuration - even if you need to change options or have a non-"Linksys" network. This is not a typical Linksys product.

The documentation doesn't properly describe the setup process and the factory configuration. The instructions were written so that if something went wrong the instructions were useless. In order to find out what the factory configuration was you need a non-Postscript printer. Chances are when you set this up, something will go wrong which makes the documentation less than useless.

What went wrong for me? First the configuration software did not see the print server either over the wireless connection or plugged into a network cable. It appears to have undocumented compatibility issues with Windows XP. In an effort to bypass configuration I tried to determine what the factory configuration was. I could not because I only had a PostScript printer. After taking it to another house with a non-PostScript printer I found the default IP address was 0.0.0.0 (which you can't connect to) and that it didn't obtain an IP address from my DHCP server.

Fortunately I also have a Windows 2000 computer. The software was able to see the print server from this computer and I managed to configure it to my liking, or so I thought. When I installed the print driver software I found that the name I had given the print server didn't matter - it still used the factory name when I "browsed" for it. The configuration software saw it as my given name and the driver software saw it as the factory name. The disconnect between these pieces of software is just another example of how immature the drivers and firmware are.

Another example is having to browse to a subdirectory on the CD to install the driver software. The configuration software installed by autoran from the CD. The installation is not integrated.

Once running it appears to do the job, if you like the name Linksys gave it!

Bottom line:
o Compatibility issues with WinXP and configuration tool
o Factory configuration is very difficult to work with
o Immature installation process of the configuration tool and drivers
o Driver and configuration tool don't "see" the same settings
o Non-PostScript printer highly recommented
o Documentation is exceptionally poor

69 Cycling power is the key
The key to getting this print server to work wireless is to
1. configure and verify operation over cat5
2. configure the wireless connection and verify signal
3. unplug the cat5 cable from the print server
4. power down the print server (unplug the power cable)
5. power the print server back up.

The critical step is 4.

Once the server detects a wired connection, it disables connectivity through the wireless network (i know the amber wan status light indicates otherwise, but try pinging the server -- you'll timeout). The problem appears to be that when the wired connection is severed, the server nevertheless continues to listen on the now disconnected ethernet port. You have to force it to reset and then rescan for connections by cycling the power on the print server.

70 Easier than it looks
If you are using DHCP on your router than this is a snap... If not turn it on to assign an IP address and change it back after the print server has one. I have done more than one installation of this product and I found that having DHCP assign an IP address was the easiest way to get this thing working. Once it has an IP within your network it is much easier to work with.

71 Quick install guide on how to get this to work
Unless you plan to use it in a vanilla setting (SSID=linksys, no encryption), you will have problems installing this device. Talked to Linksys support 3 times and they could not help me.

Anyway, I figured it out; here's how to install it:
1. Assemble the unit as outlined in the manual
2. Set it next to your router/switch and turn it on. Do not install the software yet and do not connect the printer.
3. Despite wanting to use it wirelessly, connect it through a cat5e cable to your switch/router
4. Use your browser to access your router (http://192.168.1.1). Login by using the correct password
5. Under the Setup tab, write down the ESSID
6. If you use encrypted wireless access, click on WEP Key Settings. Write down your encryption method (most likely 128 Bit) and the 26 digit encryption key. 'X' out of the windows.
7. Click on the DHCP tab, then write down the starting IP address (default:100)
8. Determine the IP address of your WPS by using the following formula: Starting IP address - 1 + number of devices connected. If your WPS11 becomes the third connected device, your starting IP address would be 102
9. Enter the starting IP address as your URL (e.g., http://192.168.1.102) This should connect, so you know the unit works when being connected through a cable.
10. Once you are connected to your print server, click on the Wireless tab, then enter the SSID (if it is not linksys). Click on the 128-bit Encryption button, then enter the 26 digit encryption key you wrote down earlier. Click on Save.
11. Pull the power cord from the WPS11, disconnect the cat5e cable, power the WPS11 back on and access the print server through the browser again. This should work, so you are connected wirelessly now.
12. Move the print server next to your printer and connect the printer.
13. Before installing the software drivers, TURN OFF YOUR FIREWALL!!!
14. Install the bi-admin software and the print server driver as outlined in the manual. This should go without a problem.
15. Print a test page
16. Turn back on your firewall and make certain that bi-admin and the print server will be able to pass through the firewall. Print another test page.

Bingo -- it's that easy, once you know how to do it.

Update: Step 9: You can also click on the DHCP Routing Table and check out the last entry. Then hike the IP number of the last entry by one.

In addition, I would HIGHLY recommend that before you install the device drivers onto any other computer at a later time, pull the power plug on the device, so that it does a reset. When I added an XP notebook to my network recently, I fussed with the install for 30 minutes before pulling the plug. Once the print server was rebooted, the install worked without a problem.

72 Linksys Support Solved Need
Overall the Linksys WPS11 is an good product. I had some initial difficulty in setup, but this was quickly resoloved by Linksys Tech Support. The only negative for me is that the WPS11 needs to be configured with a USB port. Worth the money.

73 Linksys Customer No-Service
Linksys doesn't want/deserve our business.

The specs for WPS11 were exactly what I needed so I ordered it...and got one. But after spending hours of my time I was unable to configure it. I couldn't talk to it because it's default IP address was 0.0.0.0 and therefore was not visible on my network.

I started calling Linksys for help at 1pm Eastern time, and after dealing with a "busy signal" for several hours I finally connected to their switchboard at 4:15pm, then I waited another 10 minutes for a tech. The level 1 guy was nice but he couldn't figure it out, so he said a level 2 would call me back. Cool, now it's 5pm Eastern, and they're in CA so I'm thinking I'll hear back today, wrong.

10am the next morning I get a call from tech level 2 dude, he asks me one question and tells me the unit is defective. Okay, so I finally get another one after a week and, guess what, it has the same problem. What are the chances? Pretty low unless Linksys quality control is [worthless]! I figure the tech level 2 guy was wrong about the defect so I called Linksys again.

I started at 9:10am and finally got a tech by 9:20am. He had no record of my previous issue so I explain the whole story and he say's a level 2 will call me back. 2 hours later (11:30am) I get a call from a guy who treated me like I was the problem. His attitude was arrogant and dismissive at first, but when I wasn't intimidated and punched holes in his bogus statements he settled down a little. He told me that I had to have IPX/SPX configured (apparently TCP/IP wasn't good enough) so I said okay and as I began to install it he hung up on me. I'm pretty sure it was intentional since he never called me back. Lame!

I called Linksys again and this time got through to a tech fairly quickly. He said his computer had no record of my issue (gee, perhaps it was deleted by someone?) so I explained what had happened and that I wanted a senior tech on the phone, now. He put me on hold for a minute and then said he'd transfer me to a senior tech but I was disconnected in the process. No one called me back.

So after many hours of my wasted time and shipping fees, I've returned both units.

74 Just what we needed...
This is a nice, compact, straightforward accent to our wireless network. Once the simple installation was completed (connect a parallel cable) the product has performed flawlessly for months. It was great to release the PC from it's print server duties.

75 too immature a product to buy
The first one I got had a dead radio. The second one would only work if the SSID was left at the default of "linksys". I had to change the SSID of my access point and all the adapters to get it to work! Even then it loses the signal frequently and currently won't get an address from DHCP. A good idea, but I'd wait until they work the bugs out of it.