The diminutive Netgear Pocket Print Server lets you share your printer connection with everyone on your home or office Ethernet computer network via its RJ-45 Ethernet port. With this device, you don't have to leave your PC on to let others use the printer, they can access it from their own computers. The Print Server runs at up to 10 Mbps and supports simultaneous print jobs, and can be managed using a remote, Web-based tool. Its on-board memory buffer gives you a quick printout delivery, and while it works with most laser and inkjet printers equipped with a parallel port, no expensive parallel printer cable is needed.
The Print Server comes with easy to install software for quick installation on your Windows-based PC. Network Link and Printer Alert LED lights let you know the status of your print job, and the Print Server is also upgradeable. The device comes with a 3-year limited warranty.
NETGEAR's Mini Print Server is perfect for sharing most parallel-port equipped laser jet or ink jet printers with the rest of the family or for distributing printers around the office -- close to the users.
Using a standalone Print Server relieves your PC from the overhead of acting as a print server and allows you to turn off your PC without affecting other users.
An on-board memory buffer queues print jobs so you are back working on your applications faster. The NETGEAR Mini Print Server directly connects to the back of the printer, hiding the Print Server from view and saving you the cost of a parallel printer cable.
With the easy, Web-browser-based setup, you're up and running in minutes - just set it up and forget it!
Features:- Freedom to locate printer close to users
- Share printer without leaving PC on
- Easy, Web-browser-based setup
- Works with most parallel-port equipped laser and ink jet printers
1 Easiest part of my XP Pro SP2 Install
I'll jump right to it and give this 5 stars -- for my application:
PC #1 -- Win XP Pro with SP2 (arrghhh!), Ethernet cabled
PC #2 -- Win 98 SE, Netgear wireless card
Brother HL-1440 laser printer, this Print Server attached
Netgear WGT624v2 router
Unlike some other reviewers, I found the 12-page printed User's Guide to be all I needed. Carefully follow the advice, including perhaps their suggestions on page 5 for IP addresses, and if you're like me, the print server is installed and both PC's up and printing fine -- in 15 to 20 minutes. Seriously. In fact, it's taking me as long to write this review as to install and test the print server. I'm impressed.
The reason I'd bought the Print Server in the first place is because the Win 98 PC had problems trying to see the printer "through" the XP Pro PC. After playing with software for two evenings, this hardware solution avoided the problem, and consider this money WELL spent! In fact, staring at all the heap of new equipment this week around me, this goes down as time-saving bargain of the week if I consider my time worth anything at all.
2 Great for the price if you know LAN basics
I bought three of these little dongles to let me put my existing HP laser and deskjet printers on my Linksys router LAN for all to use. This lets everyone who connects to my wireless LAN use any of the printers, with no dedicated print server computer. I did not use any of the Netgear setup utilities provided on the CD, I set it up manually using the web browser interface. Read the Amazon review from "Ones and Zeros" for this product. His (or her) updated section offers some good advice for Windows XP users.
3 still trying it out
I just bought this from a local electronics store, and I'm having some issues getting it to work properly on two WinXP Pro machines. Installation wasn't very smooth. The documentation and utility software are horrible. The "administrative" tools are useless. I tried to telnet directly to the print server, and the only commands available were "monitor" and "exit". I tried to update the firmware, but there are no clear instructions on how to do this; not in the admin utilities, and not in the instruction manual, and not on the Netgeat website. I found out that I have to download the Appletalk firmware file and extract a firmware updater app from there. Sheesh!
As of right now, I don't think I can recommend this product. I wasn't expecting much from a $60 print server, but I was at least expecting it to work. I'm going to play around with it for one more day. If I can't get it to work, then I'm returning it. For those who still want to buy it, here are some things you should know..
* To update the firmware, you need to download the Appletalk firmware file. Inside the ZIP file, you'll see an EXE program. This is the tool for updating the firmware.
* Printer monitoring utilities do not work. If your printer came with a utility that relays printer status and ink levels, it will not work. I knew this before I bought the print server, but I don't think it was clearly stated on the box or the instruction manual.
* You don't need to install the client software. You may want to use the Server utilities to assign a name to the print server and an IP address. Once you do that, you can just use the Windows Add Printer Wizard to search for the printer.
* This print server is not ideal for high volume, large print jobs. It's cool for printing news articles from the web or your kid's book reports. But if you're in a small/medium office or if you're a graphic designer, then spend the money for a decent print server.
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| UPDATE |
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Ok, after another day of playing around with it, I finally got it to work. Throw away the instruction manual because it's worthless. Here's how I set this up on my WinXP Pro machines.
* Installed the Netgear "admin" software to assign a static IP, subnet mask, a default gateway, and a name for the print server.
* Reserved the IP address on my Netgear router so that only the print server can use it.
* Launch the Windows Add Printer Wizard, Local Printer (uncheck auto detect), Create a New Port (Standard TCP/IP), Enter the IP address of the print server, select Generic Network Card, Finish.
* The rest of the wizard is pretty standard; select your appropriate printer from the list, select the drivers or keep the existing one, assign the printer a name, Finish.
I guess I'll be keeping this print server afterall. :-)
4 Good Product, Wrong Solution
I had my HP1100A networked to my LAN over a SOHOWARE Plug&Play mini port print server for the past 3 years. Product worked great out of the box except I had to build a special interface because the SOHOWARE print server has a standard Centronics-36 interface and the Laserjet has a Mini-Centronics-C connector. When I started upgrading my PCs to WinXP I found that this print server, while it worked under Win98/2000 perfectly, wasn't compatible with XP and had been discontinued by the maker anyway.
I selected the Netgear PS101 Mini Pocket Print Server as a replacement because it's XP-compatible and uses the same Centronics-36 interface so I could just swap it for my old SOHOWARE print server in my set up. I thought. While the Netgear may be XP compatible it wasn't compatible with my setup. My PCs installed and "see" the port just fine, they detect the printer and install the correct drivers for it but nothing actually prints, even from the Netgear Administration Webpage. Buried in the reference manual is the statement that the device is not compatible with the mini-Centronics-C connector used by HP. After fussing with it for a few days I replaced it with a D-Link print server and that worked perfectly right out of the box.
I'm giving it 3 stars because the documentation is good, the software loads and runs perfectly, and my LAN could install and run the print server w/o a hitch. It just isn't compatible with my printer even with an adapter and that's not immediately clear from the technical discription on Amazon.
5 Works with SCO Unix
I've got about 10 print servers on our Unix network and 3 of them are these little boxes. I've had no problems using them with laser printers, dot matrix and barcode printers.
6 Bargain
Even though I really did need a standalone print server (4 computers running a smorgasbord of O/S's with removeable drives for different operationg systems)what prompted me to
buy this ($65/free shipping/no sales tax)was the mixture of reviews. I thought, this can't be that hard to setup. I believe
most people who have a problem with this is that they don't understand basic networking 101. I found using ME/2000/XP a breeze. I did not install any of configuration tools that come with it. I prefer to do everything manually. Just admin it through your browser, I think it was defaulted to 192.168.0.115,
then do the normal "add a printer" use network printer option and point to the correct IP address. I'm using XP with SP2 and firewall turned on with no problems.
Now Linux was a little more diffcult, I'm using Mandrake 9.3 and Redhat 9.3 It took a couple of tries to get a good test page to print, it's just a matter of using the right combination of lpr/CUPS but when it works it's a beautiful thing. I'm using an HP deskjet 932C printer.
Now, I've only had this for a couple of days so I will update sometime in the future.
7 A year of anger and frustration
I have bought this print server for about a year, and it brought me nothing but anger and frustration every time I wanted to print something.
First of all, you could not just send your print out to the server. You had to ping it first to "wake it up." Otherwise, it wouldn't respond to the client.
Then, sometimes even pinging wouldn't work. The server responded to ping but I still couldn't print. The client on my PC kept telling me that there wasn't a server. Rebooting the server or my PC would not always work.
Worse, often when I tried to use their tools, trying to "shack up" something (there weren't sufficient tools in the first place), the tools sometimes crashed and the server port disappeared from my PC. I had no way to get the port back, but to uninstall and install the thing again.
Do not buy it. If you really want it, I am selling it cheap.
8 Mini Pathetic Print Server
Having read the reviews of this product (and seeing little competition) I decided to give the PS101 a try. I have a machine running XP & a Mac with OS X 10.3 so I figured that once the device was setup by the windows machine the Mac would just need the right settings--wrong. The setup on XP was tricky & confusing, but did indeed work. I have a Brother HL-1250 (great printer) that isn't a native OS X printer. I couldn't get the IP Printing settings to take the brother as default. As per another review on this product, Mac printing is possible (theoretically) with the right printer. Be careful with this product...
9 Installed in Mac / PC network in 5 minutes
I have 2 Macs and 2 PCs - this print server installed onto the network flawlessly in under 5 minutes. Great product!!
10 Worked for one week, support worthless.
Two links into Netgear's support page for this thing, you'll find this: "The Print Server Buffer, is only 64K, so large print jobs are nearly always not executed correctly or at all."
For me, this piece of junk worked for one week. I guess it worked because I only tried to print some one and two page documents that week. Then I printed a 30 page pdf document. It stopped printing after 25 pages and has never worked again. I can't count how many hours I've spent on the phone with Netgear support people in India who don't know any more than I do.
According to Clinton Miller's five-star review, I might be able to make this thing work again if I "have access to a web forum or have some understanding of TCP/IP protocol."
Very disappointing product.
11 I've had no problems
Original May 2, 2004
I run the IT at a medical office in a semi rural area. We wanted to add a second network printer. (Our existing printer is an HP2200DN). We could buy a stocked HP 2300 at a fairly good price but would have to order the HP network version which is an HP2300N and at List Price to get the built in print server. So instead, we got a Netgear PS101 to go with the HP2300. All I wanted was something that could work fairly well compared to the HP print server and we could save about $200.
The PS101 met my expectations.
Our network is one server running Server 2003, nine workstations running windows 2000, two workstations running windows XP, a hardware router/firewall (does the DHCP) and a DSL modem in addition to the printer previously mentioned. I installed the Netgear print server in the HP (It fit nicely), installed the Netgear software only on the server. I reconfigured the IP address on the print server to a fixed IP using the netgear adminstration software(this is what is done with the Hp server as well as being suggested by Netgear, so I didn't think it to be a problem). Straight forward.
On each workstation, I did not use the Netgear software to install the printer on the workstation. (I did not want to clog up the workstations with more proprietary software). I used the standard Windows local TCP/IP printer port installation using windows generic settings for the Netgear print server driver. I used the latest printer drivers for the HP2300 that I found on the HP web site.
No problems. Straight forward, out of the box. First time everything worked. Nothing was a redo. Works fine with server 2003 and 2000 and XP but then we don't use the XP firewall on a network (I really don't understand why one would. I thought that's what the router was for. But if i did I would open the port used for printers - 9100.)
I have dealt with Netgear service with a router. They can't help you. They ARE a waste of time. In all fairness, telephone support is a difficult job. But what do you want for a $80, $70, $65? Much better help is available on forums on the web where my router problem was quickly identified and resolved by someone who already solved my identical problem. (An unusual problem related to our common DSL provider though we were 2000 miles apart)
I have read of Netgear hardware problems for several years but have never personally experienced any on the three Netgear routers and netgear print server i have used on the four networks I maintain.
My suggestion is that one should either have access to a web forum or have some understanding of TCP/IP protocol before taking on these projects. My impression is that disappointed people appear to have neither.
Added 5/19/04
I still haven't had any problems. Even with large files.
Apparently, the method I used for software installation as I described above (i.e. use the standard windows stuff rather than Netgear's printer installer) is the suggested method by Netgear (See Netgear website, support, 1st item under trouble shooting) when one has problems with large files OR one has HP equipment (or several other problems). I had done this with the HP2200DN so it just seemed like the obvious thing to do at the time of PS101 installation particularly when one does not want to load up on proprietary software. Others having problems have not stated whether they tried using a standard Windows installation.
I do not work for Netgear. I just have not yet had any problems with routers or print servers that could not be handled, even without any help from Netgear. I would still suggest access to a web forum for those having problems.
I'm buying another one for home.
12 Failure Rate Too High; NetGear Won't Replace
I have to say that I'm not at all impressed by this product. I originally got it because of its size (it's relatively small), and the fact that I have an older laser printer with a parallel port interface (HP LaserJet 6P).
My main problem with the product has been its unreliability to complete a print job. Whatever I send to the printer, I have about a 50% chance of actually seeing output. That drops to around 10%-20% if two or more jobs are being sent concurrently (what's the point of having a print server if one can't print more than one thing at a time?). I should note that this happens whether printing from Windows 2000, OS X or Linux (lpr or CUPS).
My hunch is that printer support is iffy, but one is hard pressed to find out from NetGear which printers work and which don't. Unfortunately experimentation is often the only route. I'm pretty sure the printer is fine, as when I use a computer to share the printer (via printer sharing), I never lose a job and everything works well.
Losing jobs wouldn't be such a pain if all printing was done from the same room as the printer (since it would be easy to tell when something needed to be printed again). However, in our household, we have two wireless laptops, and it's a pain to have to always walk into the office to make sure the print job got through right away rather than just being able to rely on it getting done to be picked up later.
Another complaint I have is that the unit seems to lose its configuration quite regularly. I find that if I power cycle it, I have about a 20% chance that it will reset to factory defaults. This is a pain for me, since I print from OS X and Linux which both like to have a static IP for the printer. When the unit resets, it loses its IP address, and all of a sudden I can't find the printer.
The only reason I didn't give this product one star is because when it doesn't lose my print job and actually retains its configuration, it actually works semi-well.
Overall, if you're like me, and you don't like constantly tweaking, prodding, goading, etc. to get something to work, or you might be printing from outside the immediate vicinity of the printer, I would spend the extra money and desk space and get something that works reliably.
13 Updated Review
Compatability for this device was improved with Windows SP2, as you have the option to add the print server port as an exception and eliminate the problem of having to disable the firewall to print. Still does not handle large print jobs well, but updated drivers from Netgear have improved performance since I initially purchased this device.
Very disappointed with the product. It does not seem to be completely compatible with XP. The item works, but I have to disable my firewall in order to print. It was also a pain to set up with NetGear's software wizards. My computer would not recognize the print server and I had to set the IP address manually. Given that I am using it with a NetGear Router, I though this was ridiculous. Also it is really a pain to have to continually disable the firewall to print anything, and it does not handle large print jobs (buffer is inadequate).
14 Netgear PS101 not fully compatible with XP
At a first glance, the PS101 is a useful device and good purchase. However, up to and including the current version of the firmware (Version 6026) the device has a flawed implemention of TCP sockets. Which means, you cannot talk to the device if you are using any kind or brand of port firewall with Stateful Packet Inspection, such as the built-in firewall in XP (or XP SP1 or XP SP2 RC). This means, do not purchase the PS101 if you plan to use it on a machine with a port firewall; or check Netgears web site if they have a fix. I will return my device and my view is that it's simply incompatible with XP.
15 Works great until it breaks
I gave up after my second one stopped working. Terrible customer support - It's been outsourced to India and they don't speak english well. Also, they charge to replace defective units and getting replacements is a hassle. Low quality product.
16 Problematic w/ Minolta 1250W; poor customer support
I bought this print server for a Minolta PagePro 1250W, and couldn't get it to work. I called their tech support, and their "level 1" support in India wasted about an hour of my time before saying it wasn't compatible. Their website never mentioned this incompatibility, just that it was compatible w/ "most popular printers." When I complained, I waited anther 1/2 hr for their "level 2" support in the US. They got it to work, but it's extremely slow (I tried 3 different PC's, on both wired and wireless), and sometimes has to re-installed for no reason. This is the first and last Netgear product I'll buy...
17 Wow! Easy to use even for the techno challenged.
Great product. Up and running in 15 minutes. Absolute breeze to get working.
18 netgear ps101
this thing works like a charm as long as you remember to turn the XP firewall off ... i've spent about an hour playing with it without any success until i noticed that one of the reviews below mentions the issue with the XP firewall ... after that got straighten out, the rest of the installation took less than 5 minutes.
19 Works great
Setting up the print server requires actually reading the manual, and subsequent driver installs on new machines require a few steps, but the product works great and is very convenient for home use. No problems so far with a new Canon i560.
20 PS101
The print server was relatively easy to setup. Just make sure that the default IP address for the print server does not conflict with any other IP addresses on your network. Also, make sure to turn off the firewall on XP.
I am using it on a network which has machines running Windows 98SE, ME and XP. It works well with all of the machines after resolving the issues above. Of course, I had to figure this out on my own since the documentation did not discuss these issues.
21 Works fine but is not bi-directional
I am disapointed in the Netgear PS101 in that it is not bi-directional. It will not report low ink cartridges, paper out, or other printer status functions. My printer is a Canon i550. Otherwise it works great and was very easy to set up.
My Canon i550 has a USB port as well. I set up the computer beside the printer to use that port and it is bi-directional, providing feedback on printer status. Printer seems to work well using both the parallel and USB.
22 Mac fans - this works
After a herky jerky start, my rating of this product jumped from 2 stars to 4. Don't fret Mac owners. If you are trying to integrate your Mac OS X system to print to the Netgear PS101, there is a solution: configure your Mac for IP printing, set the printer type to LPD/LPR, enter the print server IP address, input the queue name, example HPLASER4L_P1 (netgear device name_printer port), and make sure you select the right printer model. If you select Generic or any other model than your printer you will waste paper. I hope this is helpful...
23 Netgear PS101 Pocket Print Server
Great product. Fit perfectly onto my printer and was easy to install. The only problem came when seting up the computers to access the server. First you have to turn off the firewall in XP or it won't find the server. I turned it off then got a free copy of Zone Alarm firewall and it works great. The other thing is to rename the computers workgroup to the same as the print servers workgroup. After figuring these things out, it works great. The problems were minor, and considering the price I would recommend this product.
24 works great with win98 pcs
I had this set up and working very quickly. i have a netgear wireless router (802.11 b) and two Windows 98 machines - a desktop and a laptop and both work fine with this print server. I could not get it to work with my Mac OS X desktop, but did not try very hard. I was not expecting it to work with OS X--I don't think it's supported officially, so I was not bummed out by this.
25 Product Better than Documentation
Once working, works well. It wasn't obvious to me that accessing the PS101 from a wireless laptop thru a Netgear MR814 required turning off Microsoft's firewall. Wasn't obvious to their tech support either. Observed only minimal degradation in print speed.
26 Great product for attaching printer to wireless network.
We used this item on our Minolta Color Laser without incident. We have 3 Laptops/PC's sharing the same printer without any serious wireless network configuration. It's very much like printing locally, once the local drivers are set up (much easier than it sounds - primarily point and click through the installation program). The item works seamlessly with our Linksys 802.11g (54g) wireless network - which is a great succes story in and of itself. Great product but each printer requires one, unless you go to the multiples - with which I have had no experience. This entire situation is a great improvement over our wired DI-704P 10/100 system.
27 Easy to install, works great
Since there were no reviews for the NetGear PS101 and reviews for the other vendor's offerings were fairly negative with a lot of pitfalls encountered, I expected to have some problems when I started. However, within an hour of opening the box, I had the print server up and running on 4 PCs, 3 with XP, 1 with Win/98. It works much faster than sharing the printer off a "server" PC, and print quality isn't impacted at all. The documentation is fairly clear and complete, although somewhat misleading where it talks about what port to use due to the use of bold versus normal font. The adiministration screens are OK, could be much better, and I can't figure out how to upgrade the firmware if I ever decide to do so.
Be careful on PCs with the printer already defined as remote to the "server" pc. Windows wants to configure the printer as another remote one and not as a "local" one. Going into the Windows define printer screens directly or first deleting the remote definition resolves this issue.
If you're using a firewall (like Zone Alarm), make sure you allow access or nothing will work.
