Netgear's wireless digital music player connects your existing home stereo to your home computer network. Enjoy your digital music files anywhere.
1 Very happy with the results
This is my second piece of hardware attempting wireless music. This one worked fine. Set up was relatively easy. I did take one reviewer's advice, skipped the supplied CD and downloaded the latest software from the Netgear website.
My wireless router (Linksys wireless G) is about 20 feet away from the unit but through two internal walls. Have had no problems with drop outs.
Software isn't especially user-friendly but it gets the job done. I wish someone would just let me use Windows Media Player. It's not great, but it's the one I used to set up my library. Would save me a step.
Only complaint about the Netgear MP101 is it doesn't shut off easily. Every time I press the power button on the remote it just reboots. And there is no power button on the front of the machine. So I just leave it on. Faster to get music out anyway.
Thanks Netgear for solving my problem.
2 Wireless when it wants to
Don't buy this item unless you plan on physically hooking it up to a network. I've spent hours tweaking with this trying to get a more consistant connection. My Netgear Music Player is only about 10 feet from my wireless router. It's also a large hassle when you can't even shut off the power to reset sometimes without unplugging or waiting 5 minutes because it can't stay on the network. Spend your money elsewhere.
3 Know your bit rate!
I'm one of the ones who didn't want to delve into the streaming audio arena too quickly as well so I dropped $50.00 at Comp USA and brought my new toy home. I had just finished loading all of my music into iTunes the previous week and was happy as could be... until I loaded the software and upgraded it the latest release. It seems that Netgear ( since this device does support wireless ) deems anything outside of 128kb to not be effective due to bandwidth??? I had ripped all my music into iTunes at 160kb not because I can tell the difference but I decided that I had the drive space so why not. The newer versions of the MP 101 software give you an error message telling you that the bit rate is not supported. I tried rolling back to the version that shipped with the unit and it worked for about a week and then the server would not start up and it has a problem on the PC side with my database. I have un-installed and re-installed the software and again it will work for a day or two and then die. I have just under 6000 songs in 27.53gb. There is NO WAY I'm going to go back and re-rip all of these CD's in again it took me long enough the first time. BTW I did have my system hard wired which I would recommend but all in all a nice product when it worked but for me it's destined to gather dust. One of these days I'll learn, you get what you pay for...
4 Not for the faint of heart, but it works great....
...although it took a while to get it working.
I have the product working fine now for both netgear's server (stick with hardware guys) and rhapsody under the following profile:
1. LinkSys G router
2. 128 bit WEP
3. ZoneAlarm plus Antivirus
4. XP Pro w/ SP2
so far so good. The netgear server is pretty flaky and I'm considering switching over to Twonkyvision based on other reviews I've read. But, I let the MP101 run against the Netgear server for about 6 hours the other day and didn't notice any problems. I have thus far not upgraded to the latest versions of server and firmware because I got it working with what came with the unit (purchased last week) and based on reviews I've read upgrading seemed to be a hit or miss proposition. The Rhapsody feed is an awesome feature as well. I really like the unit...I just wish the server software wasn't so flaky.
There is a patch for xp sp2 for certain server versions but that appears to only help out if you're having issues with the XP firewall. It won't install if your running something else like zone alarm.
Setting up the wireless was not an issue for me. It found my network and let me enter my passpharse and joined in no problem. The MP101 is inside my entertainment center and the router is on top of the entertainment center, so the close proximity may be why it was not an issue for me.
5 Why isn't 0 stars an option? This product is THAT BAD!
do not be tempted to buy this product. it is no good. it was less than fidy bucks at comp usa so I decided to try it out. big mistake. wish I had these past few hours of my life back. the thing just does not work, not if you're using WEP at least. their tech support guy finally got it working, by turning off WEP. I explained to him that I wasn't going to violate the security of my network, just so his defective device would work. do yourself a favor and search the web for WP101 and you will read many stories of other people having problems with this thing.
6 red letter day!
Rarely do I write good reviews, especially about computer and networking products, but I have to say that after taking the advice of other reviewers here, downloading the latest software and using a wired connection this thing setup and runs flawlessly. This may be a first in my long history with computer products, so I have to throw 5 stars at the thing.
It even found my wireless network, though I didn't try to set it up.
TwonkyVision, which was recommended as an alternate music server, of course GP faulted and died, but I expected that.
What I didn't expect was for the netgear music server to install and work, I didn't expect the player to find the server and I certainly didn't expect to be playing music 15 minutes after I opened the box.
So kudos to Netgear on this one. Even though I have had nothing but bad experience with their wireless products (every Netgear wireless product I've ever had either fried or flat did not work out of the box) I will buy another one of these.
7 Not bad, but not mind blowing
I recently picked up an mp101 at a greatly reduced price. I'm not sure how much I'd like it if I paid more, but for less than $40 I'm getting my money's worth.
My biggest complaint is that the wireless connectivity isn't very robust. I had difficulties getting to to talk to my wireless hub (also a Netgear) while the other wireless devices on my network (2 laptops and a wireless-to-ethernet bridge) don't have any difficulties. Many of my neighbors have wireless networks and the channel congestion seems to be more than this unit can handle (even though my other wireless devices don't have the same issues). Connecting to my Access Point was flaky at first (it would get, then lose connections) until I changed it to work on a different channel (switched from channel 1 to channel 11). On channel 11 I'm seeing a much more stable network connection until I move to another floor in the house. This tends to make me believe the wireless networking strength of the unit is rather low and it has problems either sending a strong enough signal and/or recieving a weak signal.
A note to people talking about using 802.11G or 'faster' networks, don't forget that this unit is an 802.11B only, just that 802.11G is backwards compatible with B. It won't get faster than the 11Mb that 802.11B offers. Some 'faster' wireless networks downgrade their speeds if an 802.11B device is attached.
The unit is compatible with alternate server software. I'm running the TwonkyVision free music server. It gives me better access to Internet Radio streaming than the Netgear server. Twonky's server will also install and run as a service (if desired) as opposed to a background app needing a logged in user on the server. Other features are fairly consistant.
8 Family Loves it!
Thanks to all the reviews posted. Read them to avoid any pitfalls during installation. It worked. Got my MP101 2 days ago (a steal deal for 49.99 after rebates). [...]. Downloaded everything needed (Client-Server Software and Firmware). Then proceeded to install it with my home theater. After 2 reboots it connected with my Netgear Router 802.11b, i believe MR814. And it worked. No problems. Turned it off-on-off-on. Rebooted to see if any problems. Found it to connect to the network almost always on the 2nd reboot. Once connected, it stays connected throughout the day until the PC is rebooted or MP101 is turned off. Boot time is less than a minute when it connects. Also love the Media Server software. I think it is awsome.(i have not tried or researched any other media server software's on the market). All in all i like it. It pulls MP3, WMA. Once you upgrade the firmware(highly recommended) it starts to pull WAV and a few others too. The remote is very nicely laid out. It can pull audio by Playlist, Genre, Album, Artists, tracks etc. That is powerful. It does not pull video as it is not supposed to. It delivers. So far so good. Down the road, i may try it with Netgear's Super G router to see if it works. Till then....enjoy the purchase.
9 Works flawlessly for me
I procrastinated installing my MP101 that I bought for under 50AR after reading many bad reviews. So I was shocked when it was installed and running in less than 10 minutes. I downloaded and installed the latest software from Netgear, added the MAC address to my wireless Netgear MR814 802b router access control, plugged everything in and I have been listening to non-stop music through my stereo ever since. No dropped connections or interuptions - even when I used my wireless laptop to transfer large files. I do have to reconnect to the server manually after rebooting the computer. My MP101 is on the same floor as the router. The Netgear music server also works well - it found all of my music and is easy to organize and set up playlists.
Bottom line is that I'll give it 5 stars for the low cost, plug-and-play experience that gives me full access to my 50 hours of music.
10 It Works As Advertised For Me
I have been using wireless networks for four years. In that time things have come a long way, and this product is evidence of the "ease of use" that comes with maturing technology.
It used to be that my laptop couldn't use a wireless card (that cost $149) unless I slotted the card into the machine BEFORE I powered up and logged in. Sometimes I'd even have to kick the WAP to get it to see my wireless card on the network and issue an IP address.
Now (with a device that I got for < $100), however, I took this thing out of the box and had the software installed and music playing on the other side of the house from my "server", over my wireless network, within twenty minutes, without turning anything on or off except this device.
Before now, I used an old laptop and Windows file sharing to accomplish the same task. Talk about underperforming...
Others posting here have complained about dropouts and flaky connectivity - some of that is part and parcel to wireless networks, and there are solutions to this. I have found that unless I do something that changes config or reboots the wireless access point this device doesn't seem to so much as hiccup.
So here's some possible hints for others who have had issues:
First of all, any wirelessly connected device seems to work better on a faster/newer protocol like Wireless-G, or 108 Mbps (e.g. Belkin Pre-N, Netgear Super-G, etc.) because there's more bandwidth to do things with. Media streaming is a big bandwidth task (esp. if you burn your MP3's at 320 kbps) and Wireless-B just doesn't cut it unless you only have one or two devices on your network. I have about six nodes on my wireless network and recently upgraded to 180 Mbps for most of these devices. No problems now!
Second of all, take the time to properly organize and tag your media collection (id3, etc.). If you don't, this device and it's server software will make it difficult to do things like: play an entire album from start to finish because the songs are in different directories; find specific artists, albums or song titles; play songs by "genre". An organized library makes a happy listener.
Third, with wireless it helps to have time to muck around with your network configuration settings so that you can optimize all of the devices on the network to work as well as they can given different parameters. I HIGHLY recommend that security take a priority - use WEP, shut off SSID broadcasting, and use MAC address filtering if your router/WAP supports these functions.
At the same time, sacrificing some security options may provide you with easier configuration and possibly better performance, with devices like the MP101. If you do this, however, beware that your neighbors may be listening to your music collection at the same time you are...
Finally, I'm looking forward to the day when wireless networks work as well as hardwired nets, but that's still ages away. This is all about trade-offs and I'd rather have wireless than miles of CAT-6 running around the floors of my house. Luckily Netgear gives you the option to do that if you wish, too, with a built-in LAN adapter as well as wireless capability.
I will probably try at least one other brand of media streamer before too long but for the money this is pretty good.
11 Wireless Performance is GOOD
This unit is not perfect, but for $90 what did you think you were going to get. As other posts have indicated you need to get the upgraded software from the Netgear Website. It helps to have a fast router (802 11G or better). It also helps if all parts are made by Netgear - they make a super G 108 mbs router that will likely enhance performance. If you are going wireless it helps to have ripped MP3 files on a local hard drive (server) that is physically attached to the router (this allows the router to send songs to the stereo most efficiently, If you have songs stored on another computer (laptop) you will use additional bandwidth retrieving them from the laptop to the router and then sending them to the stereo - when on a local hard drive you only have 1 way transmission of wireless data.
I was able to get the unit to work wirelessly and had good results. I had a few 'dropouts' when sending files from my laptop to my router equiped desktop and then on to my stereo, but the sound was still pretty good.
The other posts on this product must be using 802 11B routers which only have 11 mbs throughput. 802 11G is up to 54 mbs, and the best case would be a super G router at 108 mbs.
Adding this product to your existing setup is like adding a print server - it takes a couple of tries but when you are done it is worth the effort. the MP101 is solid, and works well enough - I get a lot more utility out of this at $90 then I would out of an I-pod at $429.
It does require some effort to get going, but given the right wireless setup you will enjoy the results ...
12 Great Player; Lousy Server Software-Get the TWONKY server!
I have owned this player for 6 months. The player is great. The controls on it are really intuitive and easy to use. Its problem and Achilles Heel is that the server program that you must run on the host is totally unstable and crashes frequently. It is not compatible with many games - they cause it to crash. About once a month it loses its database and the files have to be rescanned. If I want to listen to music, its almost guaranteed that I will have to re-boot my computer.
I am running XP SP2, on a 2 giga Hz P4 from Dell with a 200 Gigabyte HD. My network is hardwired and I use Linksys routers. I have about 4500 title in my database.
I have loaded all of the software and firmware updates released. I keep hoping the one of them will magically make this thing work reliably!
I am very disappointed that Netgear, a firm renound for its switching devices, etc, can not get right what should be a straight forward software application.
RECOMMENDATION : The concept is great. Regrettably Netgear did not get the job done. Buy someone elses offering.
UPDATE :
Since I wrote my original review, I have abandoned the supplied server software in favor of Twnkyvision's MUSICSERVER. This is a freeware piece from twonkyvision.de Since I installed it 6 weeks ago, it has never crashed!!! I am actually using and enjoying my MP101 for the purpose I bought it. A little bit of warning, while the Twonky Musicserver works perfectly, the setup is a little esoteric. There are no obvious setup instructions. Go ahead and open all the files and you will find an HTML that tells you, sort of, what to do.
13 Good concept. Too bad they didn't test it.
Here's the bottom line. This is clearly a beta-release
product that was rushed to market before it was
ready, and many problems linger a year after its
release. I *was* finally able to make it work with a
combination of websurfing and trial and error. Netgear
support was worse than useless. Now that it's working,
it's quite good.
Here's the short version:
-My system:
Pentium 3GHz, Windows XP SP2,
Linksys BEFW11S4 (computer hardwired. MP101 via
wireless)
-My magic bullets:
Static IP for MP01,
Latest MP101 firmware (1.3.7),
Enable uPnP on router,
Twonky music server (either standalone or
Winamp plugin)
-What *didn't* work:
Bundled music server! (you need it to download
firmware, but music will skip and jump
like a very dirty CD),
Windows Media Connect (no skipping, but only
played one track at a time),
MusicMatch server (no skipping, played more
than one song in a row, but playlists
didn't work and unit hung frequently),
Netgear support (online broken. Phone
support totally clogged and useless)
-What I haven't tried:
Firewalls (I disabled them during my testing, but
I think they're OK),
Online radio
-Conclusion:
Now that I have it working, I'll probably keep
it, but I'll keep the box and the receipt right
up until the end of the return period, just
in case. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone
else.
Some more details...
First of all, the DHCP only works about half of the
time, often requiring a "Restore to factory defaults"
to get it to work again. I finally gave up and used a
static IP, which seems to have solved THAT problem.
Surfing the web showed this was a common complaint.
Once I got the connection working, I downloaded
and installed the latest server and firmware from
Netgear.
On to the server software. This makes the network
support look good by comparison. It works to install
the firmware upgrades and that's about it. When I
used it to serve music, it skipped and jumped
like someone was playing soccer with a CD player, and
it got even worse if there was even the slightest
amount of network traffic on the home network. There
were other problems, but why beat a dead horse?
When I surfed the web, I found that virtually
*everyone* had a similar story to tell about the
server software. Did Netgear even bother to
test it??
Based on what I read on the web, I decided to try
Windows Media Connect. The skipping stopped and it
sounded great - as long as I played one song at a
time! If I tried to play two or more songs, it
got to the end of the first, completely
hung for a minute or two, then went back to the
main menu, from where I could play the next, single,
song.
Tried MusicMatch server. I got really excited when
it successfully played two songs in a row, but then
I tried to use a playlist. It saw the playlist,
but came back with "unrecognized song format"
when I tried to play it. Also, any attempt to
interrupt a song (e.g. hitting the stop button
or navigating menus) would hang the unit and require
a power-cycle to bring it back.
I tried to use the Netgear online technical support,
but - surprize!! - that's buggy, too. I entered my
information and it dutifully recorded a case number,
but when I click on it, it says it can't be found.
I decided to call Netgear. I knew this would be
painful, but it was my last attempt before taking it
back. I navigated the hellish phone tree once, and
got cut off. The second time, I was informed the
wait was "in excess of 10 minutes". I can't
accuse them of lying because strictly speaking a
half hour *is* in excess of 10 minutes. Finally
I got a very friendly "did you plug it in?"-level
technician who spent 15 minutes determining that I
wasn't a total moron, at which point she said I
would be contacted by a "level 2 technician"
sometime in the next 24 hours. We're at two days
and counting.
Finally, in desperation, I tried the free Twonky
server. Bingo! Everything worked, including
playlists, and no hangs whatsoever. Now it's
actually a nice unit that does exactly what I want.
If it had only worked like this *with their own
software* I'd be posting reviews saying what a
great device this is. I know from reading the
reviews that I'm not alone in these problems. Would
it be too hard for them to admit the problem on
their website and point people to other servers,
even as a suggestion?
At this point, I'll probably keep it, if for
no other reason than because I've worked so
hard to make it function, but if you're
thinking of a wireless music client, my advice
would be to wait a bit because the technology is not
quite there yet. The ones that get great reviews
are really too pricey for what they are, and the
cheaper ones all have significant bugs. In a year
or so, these things'll be $50 and totally bulletproof.
If you absolutely have to have one, figure out what
your time is worth when comparing prices.
14 defective unit, horrible service
Do not buy this player! I paid $55 the day after thanksgiving and it's not worth $5. Other reviews have said that it works fine in a wired/LAN setup, but what's the point of having a 'wireless music player' if you're going to run cables? In that case run cables from your headphone jack to the stereo! Anyway, after spending ~7 hours on the phone with india tech support they admitted the unit was defective and told me to ship it back at my own expense. Why should the end user pay to return the unit when it is admittedly defective?
I had the same problem others have mentioned with music distortion, but with every song. I know this is a relatively new field of products, but don't sell it if you can't make it work!
The only positive thing I can say about the player is that the interface is simple to navigate. Software was not a problem IF AND ONLY IF you have the latest versions from the netgear website.
I will never buy another Netgear product, my MR814v2 router will no longer support encryption and online tech support is useless. I thought I was being safe sticking to the same brand for all wireless products, but as it turns out they all suck.
15 Good Player, Bad Software
I purchased this unit as an addition to my stereo, although you can use it with headphones only. Currently, I am using the unit with a Netgear WGR614v4 router and 128-bit WEP encryption. It did take me some time to set it up, mainly because of the problematic server software. You do need the Netgear Media Server software to upgrade the unit's firmware (downloaded from Netgear), but I agree with Fington below that you should ditch the software immediately afterward. The Netgear Media Server software apparently has difficulty decoding some MP3 files resulting in a 'skipping' of the music playback, making the MP101 unlistenable, and as a result may be the cause of some poor reviews of the unit in the past. I haven't had much luck getting Twonkyvision to work, but Windows Media Connect is a free download from Microsoft and works great. You do have to enable UPnP in your wireless router if it isn't already.
Since then, I've been pleased with the unit. The display is nice and bright with adjustable brightness (and an optional screen saver to blank it after a few minutes), the music is clear even with low signal strength (you can check signal strength in dB through the menus - good for compulsive types), and the unit lets you select music by artist, album, song, etc. Overall, I'm glad I bought this unit and would recommend it.
5 stars for the device itself, 4 stars total because of the less-than-optimal OEM software.
16 Latest firmware kills Rhapsody
I bought this unit as a device to listen to Rhapsody streaming radio on my home stereo. It was all dandy, until the latest firmware. Now it has become useless for Rhapsody, but somehow it works very well with Radio@AOL. Hmmm. Tech support for Netgear will not acknowledge a problem, have no suggestions, or just won't respond. Netgear is still advertising Rhapsody support. That's mis-representation, and that's a crime. Don't buy if you want Rhapsody support, it isn't there anymore.
17 Good, but ditch Server Software!!
It took me about an hour to set the MP101 up on my wireless network. I have DCHP/WEP enabled on my router and Norton firewall etc on the server PC. I didn't need to make any changes to firewall settings to make things work.
First point: I recommend updating the firmware on the client and then ditching the Netgear-supplied Media Server software - it causes the glitchy/fast-forward playback. I downloaded TwonkVision's music server plug-in for WinAmp and everything works fine.
Next: Try it out using a wired connection first. Remember to unplug the ethernet cabke from the back when you want to try connecting wirelessly.
Don't worry too much about the client's wireless wizard set-up. I entered all my network info. manually. It's pretty straightforward.
Next point: I had trouble using the passphrase form of WEP key entry on the MP101. I reverted to manual key entry.
Next: Winamp/TwonkyVision gives you free streaming radio via shoutcast.
SUMMARY: For the money, the MP101 is a good value, basic audio server. Ditch the server software for hassle-free sound and free internet radio. Bargain!!
18 Fantastic player!
I picked up one of these for my 9-year old daughter for Christmas. My challenge was to make it work with the same Linux-based music repository I now use for my Audiotron network MP3 player. While the MP101 does not do CIFS filesystems like the Audiotron, I was able to get the free Twonky UPNP Music Server to serve as the music source for my respotory. My Linux server is on all the time, so I don't have to worry about who has their PC on to provide the music.
Next, I discovered that the player had trouble with my Linksys wireless router, but as it turns out that router had been giving me daily trouble on the network for everything from XBox Live to casual web browsing. I would play music and the songs would freeze and hang the player for minutes. I swapped that Linksys out for a Netgear WGT624v2 and this MP101 is now rock stable. Load the latest firmware in the baby to get the newest stuff. Another nice feature is that it will stream at 802.11g so that your home network doesn't drop to 802.11b while you're listening to music. The remote and bright display mean you don't have to get up from the bed or couch to change albums.
I suspect that lot of people are blaming the MP101 for instability issues without looking at the rest of their network. I think this is a fantastic little player and plan on getting one for my bedroom.
19 Curse you netgear! Thank you Musicmatch!
This is perhaps the easiest wireless device that I have ever used in terms of hardware installation. The ease of installation is magnificent. You don't even need to plug the unit into the computer to configure the wireless settings, and installation is easily accomplished in less than twenty minutes. After installing the unit, playback was great at first; however, after about one minute of usage the playback became garbled and it sounded like it was playing in fast forward. This is a very repeatable problem that occurred in every song that I played, and it always occurred at the same exact time in any given song for a particular bit rate. If you sample the MP3 at a different bit rate, then the playback problems seem to occur at different points. I tried the unit both wireless and wired (with the software firewall turned off and connected straight to my pc) and the problem still exists. I tried to contact netgear technical support via e-mail, and they never responded. The package specifically states
20 Problem with Media Server
I had no problems setting up the unit. I carefully read all the instructions and followed them precisely. I carefully configured the MP101 WEB settings and ZoneAlarm port settings. The unit connected to my wirless router with no problems. I then went out to the Netgear support site and updated all the software for the Media Server and MP101 Unit.
The problem is not with the hardware (i.e. MP101) but with the Netgear Media Server software. This comes with 50 pre-selected radio stations. Also a one-time fee of $19.95 unlocks additional radio stations using 1234radio.com which is linked up with the Netgear media server. Although this may give you more stations, "specific" stations might not be available even though it may be streaming on the web.
Hoever, there are additional Media Server software on the net including, ShoutCast (using WimAmp), MusicMatch, and TonkyVison (http://www.twonkyvision.de/) which can be customized for individual needs.
21 Long Way To Go
The product is immature; I am likely returning it after just a few days. The unit often stops working. You must unplug the power from the back to get it out if its funk. I tried using it with Rhapsody Radio so to have internet radio over my stereo, unfortunately it plays two songs then proceeds to state "Unable to Play Song" followed by "Skipping Song" indefinitely until I unplug the power. Netgear's technical support is very weak. I presume they will either eventually fix the product or drop it from its product line. I don't want to risk it, so I will return it and likely purchase a similar device from another manufacturer.
22 I returned mine
I returned mine because:
1. I use McAfee's Personal Firewall. If firewall is enabled, I only get 30-45 seconds of each song before the firewall shuts it down. Yes the docs warn me that I need to open a dozen ports, but that defeats the purpose of having a firewall.
2. (I have a non-netgear wireless router) I could not get it to connect when WEP is enabled.
3. With firewall disabled and WEP disabled, but running wirelessly, I had too many periods of dropouts (player starved). But no one else should have been using my network, and the router and player were only feet apart.
4. Wired ethernet didn't have dropouts.
23 Works well in wired setup - download latest software!
Now that I have this set up it does exactly what I wanted it to very well -- that is, in a wired network environment, it streams all the mp3 files that I have on my PC's hard drive through my traditional two-channel audio setup. It has a number of limitations: it doesn't support Internet radio, except for a paid service, and it doesn't support various rights-protected data formats. But it does do the one thing I bought it for extremely well: allowing me to enjoy my entire music collection in an organized, well catalogued way, through my home audio system.
As this whole field of products is still pretty new, I also didn't want to spend more money on one of the more advanced systems -- it seems that the customer feedback on all of these media players remains pretty mixed. So I stuck with something relatively simple, and this little box does what I want for a reasonable price. (Previously I was using my iPod on a docking station, connected to my stereo...for the modest price of this Netgear player I've now liberated the iPod that previously was wired up to my stereo.)
A couple of cautions:
1. A lot of the customer problems cited here at Amazon seem to relate to problems with wireless transmission. I did not even try to set this up in a wireless network; I just hard-wired it into the network port I had installed in my living room. I have had a lot of frustration in my home w/wireless devices so finally just gave up and dropped in wiring for a home network while I was having other electrical work done in my house. I am glad I bit the bullet -- the wired network is saving me a lot of time and trouble. This Netgear product is just one example of the kinds of things that are very happy tethered to a wire that seem to be much more problematic when they are wireless.
2. Throw away the software disk that comes with the hardware -- don't install it!. Instead, download the new software and firmware that is on Netgear's site. I couldn't get this to work at all at first -- tech support advised me to uninstall the provided software, download the software update on their site, and start over. This got more complicated than it sounds because I'd already built a database of songs for the Netgear and I had to hunt down this database file and kill it, too...it got a little bit tricky...so it took me a couple of hours in all to get this fixed. Had I started with the new software posted on Netgear's site, I would have had the whole thing done in 20 minutes. In any case, just go right to netgear's site and download their new software, and don't use the junk they ship with the product.
I also found netgear's tech support to be very, very good -- they answered the phone quickly (on Christmas Eve!) and were extremely helpful and patient.
24 So desirable it made the fall hurt all the more...
1. This is a well built and attractive unit.
2. This is an incredibly bug laden, problematic, and horribly engineered machine.
3. Customer support, while deferential and friendly, are not very capable and do not have the best grasp of the english language (most indian/pakistani)
I was so excited about the idea of this unit, particularly with Rhapsody, I awoke and went to the store at 7:30 am to purchase and install it. Reviews remarking about ease of installation made my head swim. Nine hours later (I am aware I should of let this go much sooner), four support people and one of the tech "leaders" could not figure out why it was not working. It worked to play mp3 and wma files on my computer, but the firmware upgrade to play other files and real rhapsody made it unable to play a thing. The connections were all fine and I spent so much time pinging, faq reading, and trouble shooting that (said seriously) I was assisting the tech support towards the end.
I would advise passing on this one until Netgear works out the bugs, Omni DSM1 is my next try.
Best of luck.
25 Don't waste money
1. If you are looking to stream online radio, it's limited to two subscription services. Why pay more for less quality when you can get wireless speakers and stream what YOU want, not what THEY want you to buy?!?! It's also CHEAPER to get wireless speakers and you can do much more.
2. VERY poor support with people who speak broken English at best and do not understand simple questions as they don't understand our language. (A stupid and unethical corporate trend these days -- I shouldn't have to learn 40 languages to survive product support in my nation).
3. Drops and doesn't play all audio or plays it incorrectly. Very limited.
4. Maybe someday, it will just stream to other devices what is on your pc. But right now, extremely limited. I can burn mp3s and play it on a stereo for cheaper too. This thing is nonsense the way it is. Now, if it played any service I already have and radio stations I listen to for free, (and it worked), I would say they aren't charging enough.
26 Good Idea, But Unstable
I was excited to receive this as a gift, but was extremely disappointed with the reliability and performance of the MP-101.
I use a wireless Netgear Network card in my VAIO, and networked to the MP-101 through a Netgear wireless router. The network connection was consistently very good, but the player would still fail and lose its connection with the server after 20 to 30 minutes of use. When I updated the software for the server and client, I was surprised to see the comment on Netgear's support site that it was "normal" for the unit to fail when the computer had large numbers of music files. I ripped our 300 or so CD's, which I'd imagine is not a outrageously large music collection. To me, if your product fails consistently with normal usage, its not ready for public consumption.
So, I picked up my laptop and plugged it straight in to my stereo, and returned the MP-101.
To me the concept was great. It's just not ready for market. I guess the lesson a take from this is never to buy the first model of any new product.
27 better than I dreamed
I bought this item about a month ago, after reading tons of reviews both good and bad. I have been considering for some time plunking down $200-$300 for a multi-disc changer, but none seemed particularly reliable. This little baby does it all, however-- customized play lists (for Christmas music and a "Live" collection of all my live concert CDs), all of which can be played randomly; almost no wait time before the next selection is ready-- I'm just glad I went wireless rather than buying one of those clunky changers that I was talking about! Yoiu can't beat the price, either-- you can get a wireless router and one of these for less than you could get a changer! It did take some minor tweaking to get it to run, but only because I wasn't setting up correctly-- and it rarely drops a signal once it starts up every day. Just turn your computer on, then your receiver, then your wireless box-- and you have all your music on your hard drive at your fingertips. Excellent product, as far as I can tell!
28 Even better than expected!
This device turned out to be even better than expected. It works exactly as described, and the remote is very well marked and very useful. Setup was easy, and the downloadable software updates make it even easier. In fact the only thing I would have wanted differently is for the installation instructions to suggest downloading the updated software first.
If you have a firewall, including the firewall that is part of Windows XP SP2, you must open certain ports for the MP101 to work. The updated software says it will do that for you. In my case I had already done that manually before looking for updates. And I didn't learn about the ports that needed to be opened until I realized the device was working with the firewall active, but worked fine with the firewall disabled. Windows firewall allows you to open the ports for use only within your subnet, so you are still protected.
I expected the MP101 to provide some convenience, but I didn't realize how much I would actually use it. The ability to have access to my whole array of music through our stereo, without looking for CD's or LP's, and to be able to play any album or musical, or to randomly play tracks any artist, genre or playlist means we are using the stereo a great deal more than ever.
29 Poor Support
This item is so new that Netgear does not have any support people for it. I thought that I would be able to listen to Internet music thru Windows Media Player. No Netgear told me I would have to use Real Networks at $10 a month.
I could not get it to connect with even Real Networks.
I would wait until the support improves.
30 Comments on 'psfindc' review
I experienced a similar problem to that described by psfindc . I have over 6000 songs in my Netgear database. The issue I was having is that a portion of my database (song titles beginning with the letters R through U) were not showing up in the Netgear MP101 display. I contacted Netgear also, and in my case downloading the new firmware did resolve the issue. I'm now up to 7000 songs without issue.
31 Don't buy if you have lots of CDs to load
As of December 13, 2004, the Netgear MP101 is NOT for the serious music fan for the simple reason that the software is not able to handle a large volume of CDs - say, more than 90 discs worth of music.
When you get to upwards of 1,400 song it justs shuts down and deletes any playlists you've created without any sort of warning ala "sorry, but you can't add any more songs."
With over 1,200 CDs in my collection, I had hoped to save them to the CPU -- which has had no trouble storing that quantity, listen to them through the MP101, and then create a whole lot of shelf space by selling those CDs that I don't listen to all the much.
The tech support, in India, is 24/7, free for the first 90 days and is actually pretty good, even though I wish those jobs were here in the US instead. They said that future versions (mine is the 3.3.36 one) will hopefully be able to handle greater quantities, and that I could download them for free from the Netgear homepage, but they were not ableto give me a real idea if later versions would ever be able to handle the volume I'm talking about.
Otherwise, if you don't have that many CD's it's actually a pretty cool little toy as the display shows the song title, artist and CD title and will even "crawl" any lengthy info across the screen.
The wireless connection with the server worked immediately about 50% of the time, but was able to detect the server pretty quickly (1-2 mins) the rest of the time.
I had a firewall problem when I first set it up that was blocking transmission, but the tech guys walked me through the patch, no probs.
Like I said, this is a cute toy, but not a real tool for those who hope that technology can help them create any significan shelf space.
32 802.11b vs 802.11g
While the MP101 claims to be compatible with both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks, I was not able to get it to connect to my Netgear WGT624 wireless router running only in 802.11g mode. It connected without a problem to my Netgear WR814v2 wireless router (802.11b mode only) and worked like a champ - had it up and running in less than 5 minutes, even with WEP security enabled. A call to Netgear Tech Support confirmed that the MP101 will only work over 802.11b ... very disappointing to me. Didn't seem to run into any bandwidth issues over the .11b network, though, and for a first generation of this model, worked quite well. Definitely worth ~$100 if you're into gadgets!
33 Make sure the plug is handy
This is a great idea, with an awful implementation. I got it up and running in 10 mins, updated all the firmware and software, configured my firewall, etc. It plays rhapsody, internet radio, and your mp3 library for short periods of time (5 to 10 mins). It regularly loses the wireless signal, or the server, or both, and I tried it with two different APs including one that has much better RF performance. When it gets confused, it gets really confused and there is no way to get it back other than pulling the plug, so make sure its handy and make sure you took your pills, because this great little idea is really badly implemented.
Looks like a hacked software implementation or some kind of marginality in the hardware. Unusual for Netgear, their stuff is usually pretty good.
34 I like it
Like everyone has said it's easy to setup. I played with it for about 20 minutes before downloading the firmware. Let me say the firmware makes a huge difference. Also, I was vary pleased with the internet radio. I never really liked internet radio using a computer, but going through a steareo is a plus. One thing I would change is the remote. I wish it was universal. Also, the music server software is ok, but could be better. All in all I love it and my wife has slaped the WA(Wife Approval). I also wanted to note I have it two rooms away from my router and I have had no problems with connecting or staying connected. Furthermore, as for wireless this is a low spot in my house according to my laptop.
I do not regret the purchase.
I picked it up at bestbuy for $99.00
35 Works Perfectly! (November 2004)
I'd been putting off getting a digital music player, since it seemed like every one I researched was seriously deficient in some way. That included the MP101.
However, after looking at some of the more recent reviews, I decided to take a chance on the MP101, thanks to a rebate and extra low price.
All I can say is that I followed the other reviewers' recommendations and never touched the installation CD that came with the unit. I downloaded the newest server software and firmware upgrade for the unit from Netgear's site (dated late November 2004) and installed everything from these files.
Everything went smoothly. I installed the server software, unzipped the firmware update and placed the files in the directory specified in the directions on Netgear's site, and connected the unit through its ethernet port. I loaded the update to the unit and it rebooted as expected.
After that, it was a (fairly) simple matter to configure the base unit to use my 128-bit WEP key. Once I had it configured, I unplugged the ethernet cable and rebooted the MP101. It discovered the network and connected without a hitch, obtained an IP, and found the server. Smooth sailing.
The connectivity seems to be fine. The server and wireless access point are upstairs, and I've got the MP101 connected to our stereo downstairs. I have yet to hear it skip a beat while playing songs, and I've listend to over 10 hours worth since plugging it in a few days ago.
The reason I'm giving it 4/5 stars instead of 5 is mainly a software issue. I have 9000+ tracks (yes, all legal), and as others have stated, there's no way to create an "on-the-fly" playlist from the base unit. You can only play one song at a time unless you pick a group (like a play list, album, artist, etc.) Annoying, but not critical.
It may not be able to play protected songs, though, although I haven't experimented with it much for those tracks yet.
I created playlists for my favorite artists and genres and am happy with the performance.
I would highly recommend this unit to anyone who has a large library of digital music THAT WAS RIPPED FROM CDs AND IS THEREFORE NOT PROTECTED.
36 It works fine, but do you want to pay for free stuff?
No complaints about the Netgear box--it worked and worked well. Seems solid and easy to use. Bought the player and hooked it up to my wired network. No problems with either DHCP or static (I set the static IP after it found my network). I didn't get around to trying the WiFi. It found Musicmatch I already had running in server mode to support the Linksys version of a music player (WMLS11B). The Netgear box played music fine from Musicmatch. I realize many people are going to see Rhapsody connectivity as a "plus," but I didn't want to pay to listen to free Internet radio stations. The Linksys WMLS11B allows connectivity directly to Internet radio without a monthly subscription with either Ethernet or WiFi (I've done both with good results). The Linksys also has a fiber output to your stereo in addition to the RCA jacks. Although you don't see it from the photos, the Linksys allows you to remove the "boom box" speakers and it becomes quite compact. One other "nit:" Netgear uses a "wall wart" power supply; Linksys uses an in-line transformer making it easier to find space on your power strip. Bottom line: If you want Rhapsody, go Netgear; if you want free, go Linksys. I also HIGHLY recommend the Audiotron for wired network (no Musicmatch required) and free Internet music--I have had two Audiotrons for years.
37 Product is maturing - I had it up and running in 15 minutes
I purchased this item on sale, hopeful that the many negative reviews could be attributed to early firmware/software glitches. While I realize there may be superior units on the market, none are anywhere close to $100 price point. Netgear recently released new versions of the server software and firmware (3.7) for the MP101 and I just started with these as downloaded from the Netgear site. I never touched the CD-ROM included in the box.
I first downloaded the Media Server software and installed it. It imported nearly 4,000 MP3's from my harddrive quickly and without a hiccup.
I'm not using WEP, but do have restricted access to my WiFi net based on MAC address (using a Netgear MR814v2 Router). The MP101 found several wireless networks in my building, including mine. Selected my network, and I was off... I immediately upgraded the firmware on the MP101, and restarted the unit. Took all of about 10 minutes (most of this time spent waiting for the unit to restart during each step). I'm running Windows XP-SP2 with the firewall on, but didn't have to make any special changes - the new Netgear software claims to automatically register with the SP2 firewall, and it seems to have worked for me.
I immediately had access to all my MP3's, sorted by Genre, Artist, etc, with shuffle mode, all from the MP101's LCD. No problem.
I'm now listening to my favorite streaming radio station over my home stereo. There is one caveat here - you're required to use the vTuner.com/Radio1234.com service to manage your streaming internet radio. So if your station isn't listed in their catalog, you may be out of luck. They have 50 stations available for free, or access to their whole catalog of 1,000's of stations for a flat one-time fee (currently $19.95). The service allows you to create a list for "favorite" stations, which appear on the LCD of the MP101, making it quite convenient to select "your" stations once set-up. But this process requires registering with Radio1234.com (free or paid service) to manage your stations, which are then downloaded to the MP101 via the Netgear Media Server. This sounds complicated, but worked well once the steps were identified. I'm using the free service (which happens to include my favorite station) and no problems so far.
It's true that this isn't a perfect product. It would be nice (and seemingly a simple software upgrade) to be able to control the MP101 from the Media Server software. As it is now, all playlists/stations/songs must be selected with the remote via the unit's LCD screen. But the LCD system works well. The sound quality sounds great over my Home Theater system, and I now have access to all my favorite music on my best audio system.
The Netgear product clearly had teething problems early on, but it seems they've conquered many of the glitches, and the unit is a great value for the price. Maybe not idiot-proof, but don't be scared by all the horror stories...
38 Capable and easy to use, but missing one key thing...
I realize others have had problems with this unit, but I simply haven't. It connected perfectly, first-time (once I configured my WEP settings) to my wireless network (using a Linksys router, not a Netgear), finds all my servers (MusicMatch and the Netgear server), and allows me to play them all, sorting via Artist, Playlist, Genre, etc.) with relative ease. I have two PCs on the network that act as servers, and it finds and plays them all, flawlessly. I'm using the latest software and firmware from Netgear (Server version 3.3.36/Client version 1.3.7). Unlike most others here, I don't use Rhapsody.
I said "relative ease" because I was hoping to have a web interface to the unit so I wouldn't be coupled to the (too tiny) remote control. So my key disappointment in the unit is the lack of the ability to select and play music using my PC, and with the small LCD on the unit I'm always hunching over to choose what I want to play.
The Netgear Media Server software is adequate, maybe more-so, allowing you to import your existing songs and playlists from other servers (again, MusicMatch), and allows you to create new playlists and categorize your songs.
So, it's reliable (for me) and works as advertised. But without a web-based interface falls short of my desires. That's not a "defect," it's a design feature, but one I wish didn't exist. As a result, I'm considering after owning this for a brief time, buying the Slim Devices "squeezebox" to replace it.
Why 4 stars then and not 5? The lack of that web-based control, it's something I simply desire, so it loses that one star. The remaining 4 are because it does what it does very well without problems.
39 There is a hope!
I received my MP101 just a week ago, and what a luck! A new version of media server and firmware was released by Netgear on November 22. The new release fixed it seems like every issue I had: connectivity improved, it seems that response to remote control is a bit faster, and most importantly the server managed to scan, without a single glitch over 13,000 songs in my collection and catalogued them perfectly! Before it stopped artists' list somwhere in the H's.
Also Radio@AOL was added, which I haven't tried, but it might be of interest to others.
Update as of 03.30.2005: I had to ditch the server software and swtiched to TwonkyVision. The only catch with that is you better have your collection catologued well, or else you'll get lost trying to browse through misspelled artists' names and genres. The bonus is that Twonky adds a capability of browsing through folders. Also Twonky is running as a service, so the server is up as soon as the PC boots.
Works great with MP3 streaming stations! Overall, I am happy.
40 Buyer beware
This product is a bleeding edge technological failure. I have other Netgear products and they work fine, but this was a dud.
I upgraded it to the latest firmware/software (as of Nov '04), shutdown my firewall and still even with a wired connection to this product, it could not play any of my mp3s for longer than 40 seconds if that. The player would stop mid song and jump to the next and then try to play the previous. My PC has no trouble playing these songs.
41 Consider Other Products
My wife calls the Netgear mp101 that I purchased a month and a half ago: "your bug box" because of how unbelievably fraught with defects this product is.
I agree with another reviewer who said that the initial setup and usage was flawless until you start adding more songs to the library. I too have experienced the problem scrolling through the Artist list only to find it truncated halfway through. There have also been many problems with the wireless connection.
In an effort to fix the problems, I downloaded the latest server software and client firmware upgrades from Netgear's website. After the latest patch, the mp101 will no longer connect to the server rendering it completely useless. I have been unable to get the support I need from Netgear. I am most angry at myself for buying it through a discount online retailer that won't accept a return instead of buying it through a reputable organization like Amazon.com.
As a software engineer myself, I find it appalling that a company could release a product in this poor condition.
42 Works great after much patience to setup wireless connection
Both my Real Rhapsody and computer files were easily found by the music player. However, when I tried to actually play songs from my computer from the device it would freeze and say it was unable to connect to the server. I figured it was a problem with the firewall on my computer and when I cut off the firewall completely it worked great. So to keep the firewall on and enable the device to work you must mark every executable file in the Netgear server folder as exceptions to the firewall. It will then work flawlessly with the firewall enabled. I hope this helps those having problems!
43 Good product, stable connectivity, capable software
The MP101 is a solid stable media player. Initially I had some problems linking to my hidden network. However, the latest firmware and media server software (downloadable from the NETGEAR website) corrected this problem. I can connect the device to my network with all the security activated (hidden network, Zone Labs firewall, WEP encryption). MP101 is perfectly compatible with my D-Link B router. Other reviewers with wireless connection problems may not have applied the firmware update.
The sound quality is very good. I attached a pair of good quality PC speakers and my bedroom is filled with music. The NETGEAR media server software satisfied my expectations by importing music from the Windows Media Player 9 database, including the WMP9 playlists (the product specs says that it can import only M3U and PLS playlists ... not true, it can also import WPL playlists). Thus, I only need to manage my music from my preferred software (WMP9) and nothing else. The NETGEAR Media Server can be scheduled to import music from WMP9 at specified times or from specified folders. This feature is important if you frequently create playlists. My only itch is that NETGEAR Media Server should synchronize more efficiently with WMP9, so that the Media Server playlists are updated when the WMP9 Auto Playlists (generated at random according to certain rules) change. This is a minor itch. Apparently you can merge several computers with audio files into a single library. I have not tested this software capability, though.
I have not tried the Rapsody nor the vTuner.com service. The help file does not provide enough instructions on broadcasting radio from vTuner.com. I do not mind, as my primary use of the MP101 is to listen to my extensive music collection.
The product could be improved by adding some buttons to the front panel (only remote control is available) and means to adjust the sound quality. Currently, only volume control is available. The product could benefit from some extras such as a clock and an alarm. Nice to have features, but not a must.
In summary, this product is very good, good sound quality, excellent navigation system, stable and capable server software, compatible wireless security features. I am a happy owner, I love this toy.
44 OK Product - Could be better
This product is OK. The setup was easy, the software on the PC is simple to use, and the menu on the box is simple to use. IF you get quality speakers, the sound will be fine.
The only problem I have found is that I over 500 artists in my collection. I get a "Search Failed" most of the time. I am up to date on the firmware and software on the PC.
45 MP101 Rocks!
I must admit, I was not very confident in my purchase decision after reading all of the rotten reviews of the MP101, but, for $100, and a liberal return policy, I decided to give it a shot. I hit the bull's eye.
Having ripped over 800 disc (only 1,100 more to go!) and using the MP101 for over two weeks now, I have not had any of the problems that I had read about. Set-up was so simple that I didn't even need the directions that accompanied. Just make sure that you go to Netgear's site to update the software before launching.
I am using a Linksys G wireless system, which the MP101 immediately noticed, and have not had any of the "drop-outs" or "signal losses" that I had read about in reviews. Perhaps those reviewers have 2.8 ghz wireless phones in their homes.
In short, the MP101 has become the center of my home theater and whole house audio distribution system. Just buy it.
46 Overall, very good device
I read heaps of articles and reviews on the whole wireless music player market before I finally "settled" on the MP101.
I already had a Netgear DG824M wireless router and have no complaints so I wasn't concerned about dealing with Netgear. My only desire was a player that I could program with internet stations I already stream over RealPlayer.
Called Netgear support (pre-purchase) and he went off to a specialist, came back and said "yes, you can load your own URLs for streaming". Great! I bought one.
Installation was straightforward, except for the "popular" firewall issue. Followed documentation about enabling specific TCP/UDP ports (time-consuming but not difficult) and still could only play about 30 seconds before the player would skip to the next track (or station on a playlist).
Called Netgear support and found out (showing my lack of network knowledge) that because my wireless router has a firewall, I don't need to firewall my network connection on the PC. Dropped that firewall and presto! Works fine.
Now, the only beef I have is that you can't "load up any URL" you want for streaming. They give you a 2 month pass to VTuner which has heaps of internet radio choices, but eventually you need to subscribe!
However, if you go with a media server on your PC like Twonkyvision (which works via Winamp) you can build your own playlists with any URL that streams in MP3. And the Twonky/Winamp combination has a much smaller footprint than Netgear's media server.
Summary: Not sorry I bought it! A very good product that does what I want; stream my music to my stereo system.
47 Works Great !!
The only problem I encountered was with my software firewall (Zone Alarm). After I disabled it, the MA101 is flawless! Looking for a fix now. It streams my 300+ cd collection from my pc to my stereo with virtually no lag time. Also installed the free 30-day Rhapsody software. Again, hardly any lag time between songs...even when using the shuffle feature. I'm very pleased!!
FYI: Athlon XP 2500+
1GB Ram
2-160GB Hard Drives
3Mb Broadband Connection
48 It is good
Good that is if you want a fancy looking paper-weight or a $100+ pi–ata, this is the way to go. After 20+ hours trying to get it to work I almost hit it with a baseball bat.
Like many of the bad reviews, I encountered frequent (like every 15 minutes) loss of server contact, box locks up and needs to be unplugged to re-boot, remote is unresponsive once the system crashes, using the remote while playing a song will sometimes crash it, and even when it does reboot it rarely finds the network again. The server software locked up my computer numerous times and now I get this stupid "wjveiw" error every time I boot up. It would reliably ping from my computer for hours, but somehow the mp101 would always say it lost server contact or lock up.
This will be returned, I think the only people making money on this product are the delivery companies. I should of bought it at a local store, now I have to pay $20+ for round trip shipping ,since I was so excited to get it I paid for 2'nd day air, big mistake. I think Amazon should credit that at least.
Went out and bought the linksys WMLS11b at Walmart for $149. It rocks, comes with it's own speakers and external jacks, even an optical, if you want to use your own stereo. So far no major problems. Loads 100's of internet radio stations automatically (I'm listening to my old college station right now, pretty cool). News, international, and plenty of music genres. You can even can listen to air traffic controllers and police scanners where available. Yes I know, internet radio is available with out the server, but it makes it 100 times more convenient than searching on your computer.
Some minor problems with the linksys, are the shuffle function is not working (I'll call tech support see if they can help), the vertical and horizontal footprint is larger than the mp101. Remote looks like it should operate a 1980's betamax player.
Set up time was about an hour. I have no idea how people got the mp101 to work reliably, esp. with rhapsody (yes, the upnp was enabled). The firmware and server upgrades did not improve the quality.
Sorry to bash a product, but this is a stinker! I lost 20 hours of my life and $20+ in shipping. If you want to try it out I suggest buying it somewhere that it can be quickly and easily returned without cost. OK, no more thinking about this product, I'm done venting.
FYI: My System; 1.8 ghz, win XP, wireless netgear 11.b network, internet 3Mb connection.
49 Great Idea - Poor Software
Great Idea, Wireless network set up OK, loaded software and scanned for MP3 files. Everything working fine, couldn't be happier.
Then I started loading more of my CD's and LP's into MP3 format for use with the system. Problems, each time I added more music the software "broke" and the browse music function stopped working. Each time I tried to select by Artist I could only get half way through the "B"s before the list would loop back. Any attempt to search by starting letter would produce a "Search Failed" message.
Deleting the music and loading from scratch did not solve the problem. Neither did restarting either the computer or the MP101
So far the only thing that has worked is un-installing and then re-installing the software, complete with rescanning for music. Not a viable options for each time I add more music.
As for customer support ? I'm still waiting for a response.
50 Not Ready For Prime Time
As one who always buys the latest gadget, I could'nt resist this one but wish I had. I have a rather large library of mp3's but bought this mainly for the Rhapsody service. I connected wireless the first day only because I needed a slightly longer cable to reach my netgear router. I did experence one dropout in the first hour but otherwise I was really impressed with the sound quility with Rhapsody. Was able to listen to complete albums just by highlighting the album title and pressing play. Trouble started the next day when I bought a new longer cable and tried the wired connection to the unit. Everything appeared to be fine till I tried to play a complete album through Rhapsody. It would play one song and stop. When I tried to play the next song , it would say "Server Not Respounding" and it would reconnect taking a about 2 or 3 minutes to complete. This happens everytime now-- very frustrating. I tried going back to wireless but with same results. Tried the reset but nothing seems to fix this problem. I called Netgear tech support and the guy could barely speak Englsh but he put me on hold while he tried his unit and said the same thing was happening to him and that he would call me the next day with a fix for it. Needless to say he never called. This problem only happens with Rhapsody. My mp3's play fine though a little flat sounding. Also would like to add that the Rhapsody radio stations play ok. In closing I would like to say that I think Netgear sent this product to market before it was ready. Sometimes when giving commands with the remote , the unit just hangs till you get frustrated and reset it. Maybe future upgrades will fix these issues but until then I can't reccomend this product.
51 Great for Wired Rhapsody. Beware otherwise.
Good: The unit is attractive and solid, the sound is great. The unit's interface is surprisingly easy to navigate with the remote. If you have cataloged your MP3 music properly (playlists or MP3 tags), you will have no problem navigating a large library. Cataloging is not an issue using Rhapsody because it's automatic.
Bad: The wireless mode fails to connect, even though my dhcp server (linksys wireless router with all default settings) says an IP address was provided. As a network professional, I recommend against wireless if wired is an option for reasons mentioned in earlier reviews. As far as I can tell, it's mandate if you are not using a netgear hub.
The included media server is so bad that it's almost inoperable. It fails to operate as a service, requiring PC login elsewhere on the network. I was hoping that the unit could directly connect to Rhapsody, but that also requires a login to a PC. To get around the deficiencies of the media server, I manage all cataloging and playlists through Real Player.
Ugly: It cannot play internet radio. For that there is no workaround, and I almost returned the unit. I can only hope that one day Real Player can integrate with the unit.
52 Great concept, less-than-stellar execution
I purchased this product to use with Rhapsody, as it is recommended by the service. It's very simple to set up for a wireless network - I simply entered my WEP settings and rebooted the device. Unfortunately, it loses wireless connectivity way too often to be practical. One "feature" of the player is that it reboots whenever it loses its wireless connection. As each reboot takes a couple of minutes, I got very frustrated getting dropped from the network multiple times in a row while simply browsing my playlists. I don't know if there was some sort of conflict between the player and my Access Point (a Linksys WAP11), but this sort of wireless performance is simply unacceptable. None of my other wireless devices have any connectivity issues. I didn't try the wired network connection, so I don't know how it performs. Hopefully, it doesn't have the same connectivity issues as the wireless mode.
The included software is functional, but limited. It functions as a server applet to which the MP101 connects. It allows you to catalog all of the MP3 or WMA files on your local drive, but it does not have a way to catalog files on network drives from what I could tell. For a networking product, I found this odd. I was also disappointed that you could not control the unit via software. I have a multi-room audio setup and was hoping to be able to play my Rhapsody playlists through it using this product. Unfortunately, you can only control the unit through the supplied remote control.
With firmware improvements, this could be a much better product. Hopefully, NETGEAR will address the problems in the near future. As for me, I'm going to purchase a Slim Devices Squeezebox like the reviewer below did - it has much more robust software, digital outputs and support for Rhapsody (via plugin) as well.
53 Returned this for a Squeezebox
I'm a bit of an audiophile and I was disappointed in the MP101, it lacks digital outputs and doesn't support any lossless compression formats (I've got tracks in FLAC, WAV, AIFF and now Apple's new Lossless format). The software is a joke and the product was really hard to set up. Plus, the LCD display was hard to read at a distance.
While the MP101 is a bit cheaper, it's a poor imitation of the product that I ended up with, which was Squeezebox. It's got both optical and coax digital outputs, supports tons of audio formats including uncompressed, automatically imports from iTunes (so my playlists on my iPod are the same on my stereo).
54 Great for listening to Rhapsody
I really like this product. When paired with the Rhapsody music subscription service it is very powerful and makes it easy for me to access any of Rhapsody's 50,000 CDs on demand in my home stereo. The Rhapsody compatibilility is the sole reason I bought this product. I have it connected to the stereo in my garage so I can listen to my Rhapsody collection when I'm working there.
55 Celestial Jukebox
I used to play CD's all the time at home.... Until I bought the MP101 and signed up for Rhapsody. By using the MP 101 with Rhapsody, I have access to a massive catalog of music that I don't actually own- it's like having the biggest jukebox in the world right in my living room. I highly recommend this product with Rhapsody.
56 Totally satisfied!!!
I had a 100 disk changer and found this to be the next evolution in listening enjoyment. I plugged it in, pushed a few buttons and started listening to my tracks all before I picked up the manual. Simple and effective. I haven't had one problem with the unit or the functions that were shipped with it. Great product and extremely inexpensive. Way-to-go Netgear!
57 MP101 - a new way to manage your music
The mp101 has inspired me to copy my cds to my hard drive and kick out our 100 cd changer. Using a cd-ripper like cdex, you can organize all of your music as mp3s on your hard drive. Then, the mp101 streams the music on your hard drive to your stereo (you need to have a wireless network set up). Using the mp101 remote, you can select an entire cd, or a track from a cd, or a playlist. We have had a 100-cd changer on "random" as our usual mode of listening to music at home. The mp101 can do this job better - we can create song lists that incorporate only the songs we like on our favorite 100 cds. Plus, finding an individual cd or track is much easier on the mp101 than on the 100 cd changer. Plus, we can have access to all of our 700cds at once.
We had a lot of problems getting the mp101 set up. It turns out that you have to REMOVE Zone Alarm firewall from your pc before the mp101's server software works. Took quite a bit of back and forth with Netgear customer service to figure this out. I would give 5 stars if this had not happened.
58 Does what it says
I'm not sure what the reviewer from England was reading as the datasheet on Netgear's website makes clear that a subscription to Rhapsody is required for the internet radio functionality -- in fact that's the main reason I purchased it since I already can stream MP3s via Tivo but got sick of stringing cable around to get internet radio to the stereo. (Additionally, keeping the TV on all the time when streaming music can get tiresome.)
One advantage to this product is that it wirelessly streams MP3s (and WMAS) at up to 320 rather than the standard 128 rate that some of the prior competing products knocked down MP3s to (so you don't lose the quality difference if you've encoded MP3s at a higher rate).
It can take some time to get through the playlist but not unreasonably so. And the price is relatively cheap compared to other wireless streaming solutions.
PS. Make sure you upgrade the firmware and software -- it addresss a number of the complaints of the other reviewers (dropped connections, lack of Internet radio etc.) I also found that its very sensitive to interference from other wireless networks -- and worked much better when I shifted my entire network up to a higher channel.)
59 Does not perform as advertised
While very reasonably priced, I found two major flaws. The internet radio functionality requires a paid subscription to Rhapsody. I certainly didn't realize this before my purchase and, after reviewing numerous sources after the purchase, I cannot find this mentioned anywhere in Netgear sales or technical support documentation. Seems like something they may want to mention since the cost of Rhapsody will eclipse the cost of the player in a little over a year. For those outside the USA, forget about internet radio as Rhapsody is not available outside the US.
Secondly, if your collection contains more than a couple hundred songs, be prepared for sloooooow browsing of artist, album and track names.
To top it off, Netgear's support was very poor. Twice I submitted a query via the Netgear's web site and received this reply:
"We have recently been receiving a significant amount of SPAM email at our support email addresses.
Consequently, we have been forced to change the method of how our customers request support from Netgear.
To request support from Netgear please click on the below link and fill out the support form.
.../"
I found this rather funny since that is the site I had used both times to submit my question. Calling Netgear's phone number resulted in wait times exceeding 20 minutes.
It doesn't look like the Netgear's product marketing & development departments were all on the same page on this one.
