This Items is NEW and Ships in 1-2 Business Days
1 Good Product, But Setup Could Be Easier and Less Buggy
The Netgear WGPS606 has a LOT of bang for the buck. 2 USB ports AND a 4-port switch/wireless bridge is a lot to pack in to such a normal priced wireless print server.
The unit is small and stylish, and can be set vertically or horizontally, as well as mounted to a wall.
The included setup CD gave me some problems, but a quick visit to Netgear's support site showed me there was an updated install program that fixed the hang-ups.
Somebody not familiar with networking could get a little lost in the setup process. When installing, the software asked me to assign an IP address and subnet to the print server, and started me out with all zeros. If an IP or subnet is entered that is not compatible with the router, the software tells you so (not why), and then lets you continue with the incompatible settings. I imagine tech support will get many calls from inexperienced users asking what address they need to assign.
The documentation is thin in other areas too. While many other companies take the time and space to explain to you why bidirectional settings don't work with any print server, Netgear makes absolutely no mention of it. Since almost all modern printers at least monitor ink levels by default, this was a glaring omission from Netgear's FAQ's, and will likely frustrate and confuse people new to print servers.
I had no problem setting up the print server to handle my WEP security, but I haven't tested the WPA-PSK support yet.
The WGPS606 looks good, has some better than average features like an extra USB port and switch/bridge, and it works well...once it's all set up. If you know of (or how to find) your network's basic settings, and don't mind the possibility of having to attempt setup 2 or 3 times to get it to work, the WGPS606 is a great value.
