Buffalo Technology Network USB 2.0 Print Server LPV3-U2 Review

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(More customer reviews)Although I've never heard of Buffalo Technology before (http://www.buffalotech.com) I decided to purchase this product because there was at least some confirmation from others that it would work with Apple OS X. Linksys was my first choice but they don't claim any Mac support at all for their PSUS4 server so I gave up on them.
Anyway when this product arrived I was determined to install it using only my Mac and not resorting to one of my Windows systems because it seemed that most people were having difficulties on the Mac side. The manual section for Mac is completely wrong, so ignore it. Here's what I did:
1. Unpack, plug in to printer, network and lastly plug in the power.
2. I have a DHCP server in my network router which for me means devices get assigned IP addresses from a pool starting with 192.168.0.xxx. Go to your router configuration web page and find the address of the print server device. If you don't have a DHCP server the device will be at IP address 192.168.11.222 according to the manual.
3. Bring up Safari and type in the address, e.g. http://192.168.0.123. It will ask you for a username/password. The username is 'root' and the password is empty by default. If you see the printer configuration page then you have confirmed the device is working. You can come back to this page to mess with settings if you know what you are doing.
4. Go to System Preferences, click on Print & Fax. Click on '+'. I'm running OS X Leopard which shows a window with a toolbar with a Default button on the left. You should see 'P1' in the list of printers.
5. Ignore the default setting for 'Print Using' and look for the closest match to your printer in the list of Gutenprint drivers. I have a Canon PIXMA iP3500, so I selected 'Canon PIXMA iP3100'
6. Close the Preferences windows and open TextEdit. Type something in an select File Print... and press Print. You should see the Print Queue window and after a few seconds you should see your document print.
Piece of cake! On the Windows side of things don't bother installing the supplied software. It just confuses things. Unlike the Mac installation you couldn't do the Windows one without consulting the manual. Sadly, Windows has became a torturous maze of dialog boxes. Ready? On Windows XP do the following:
1. Go to Control Panel, Printers and Faxes, Add Printer... then click Next
2. Select Local Printer (don't ask) and uncheck the 'Automatically detect (blah)' option
3. Select 'Create New Port', then 'Standard TCP/IP Port'.
4. Next wizard... Type in the IP address from above, and then type over the printer port/name that got unhelpfully filled in for you (remember it is P1 by default)
5. On the next page select 'Generic Network Card'. Yes, I was shaking my head at this point too.
6. After clicking OK on the next very big message box, and a brief intermission, select your printer driver.
7. Print a test page and if all is well you should be up and running.
Despite the nuttiness of the operating systems this is a great device. I hope the company comes through it's current legal troubles and continues to produce great products like this.

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MODEL- LPV3-U2VENDOR- BUFFALO TECHNOLOGY FEATURES- Network USB 2.0 Print Server Compatible with any USB-enabled printer the Buffalo Network USB 2.0 Print Server offers a simple solution for adding a printer to your network. You can save valuable time space and resources by easily accessing your printer attached anywhere on your 10/100 network. Easy installation via web browser Internet Printing Protocol support and the remote management utility allow you to control and print your jobs from anywhere. Increase your productivity andmaximize your performance with this easy to use and operate print server. * Share USB Printer with Everyone on a Network* Simple and Quick Installation* Print Out Files and Pictures Remotely * Manage Through Web Browser or Using Software Tool* Works with Most OSs Web Browser Configuration (Please check with the printer manufacturer to ensure they provide the drivers that support network printing).* Easy Setting with Utility Software or WEB Setting* Supports USB 2.0 and 1.1* Supports 10/100 Network* Auto-Negotiation and LAN Port* Supports IPP (Internet Printing Protocol)* Supports TCP/IP NetBEUI Rendezvous -SPECIFICATIONs INTERFACE - USB 2.0 and USB 1.1 IEEE802.3u (100 Base-TX) IEEE802.3 (10 Base-T)CONNECTORs - (1) RJ-45 port (1) USB 2.0/1.1 port (Type A)TRANSMISSION ENCODING METHOD-100BaseTX: 4B5B MLT-3 10BaseT: Manchester CodingACCESS METHOD- CSMA/CDPOWER- 5.0 volt 500 mA ConsumptionSIZE - 3.7" x 1.1" x 2.6" WT.- 3.2 oz.

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NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server Review

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(More customer reviews)I've applied the new flash upgrade, and performance is still quite good. Most of my comments from January still apply. Setup is quick, Citrix & terminal services work without modification, and I can connect to my main office via Cisco VPN client. Games are still working too.
As with most vendors, I suspect you'll have better compatibility if you use a Netgear WiFi NIC with this unit. I can get it to work with a Cisco Aironet NIC, but I cannot get WPA encryption to work. WEP (for what it's worth) works, but I'll probably have to spring for the corresponding Netgear NIC if I want to move to WPA.
The print server took a hit with the flash upgrade, however. Now it will only work as long as the PCs using it never reboot. If they do, you lose the connection to the print server until the firewall is rebooted. Tech support has been, um, less than helpful in resolving the issue. For that reason, my rating still stands at 4 stars. I strongly recommend you check the printer compatibility list on Netgear's site before you count on this as a print server.
A couple of other notes:
- The firewall is solid. I'm a networking guy, and I've tried to hack my way in a couple of times. Nothing's perfect, but this is a good solution in the home or very small business market. The worst I've been able to do against this unit is a denial of service, which disabled the Internet connection to my home network until I rebooted the unit.
- If you plan to use MSN Messenger 6.2 and/or Windows XP's Remote Assistance, you'll need to enable UPnP on this unit, which is a bit annoying, but more of a Microsoft issue.
- The e-mail logging is VASTLY improved over that of the previous flash. My logs are much more manageable, and the number of false-positive security alert messages is minimal.
- You can now create up to two remote access VPN tunnels with the new flash. I tried it and it works, although as a home user I can't imagine ever needing that feature. Difficult to set up, though, so unless you have a solid understanding of IPSEC VPN protocols, good luck.
Still, I believe this is a good unit for a home office. For me, combining the functions of print server, wireless access point, and hardware firewall into a single device make it worth the price.

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The NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server is a mouthful to say but provides your business with a router, switch, print server, wireless access point, and firewall. Instead of multiple devices and a tangle of wires, the FWG114P is all you need.
Wired and Wireless Connectivity The FWG114P can connect up to 253 users onto the LAN, including 64 wireless users, to share a single broadband connection. Built in to the router is a 4-port 10/100 switch for up to four connections, as well as an 802.11g wireless access point. The wireless network supports speeds up to 54 Mbps and there is a detachable 5 dBi antenna included.
A USB port allows you to connect a printer to the network that multiple users can share simultaneously. An RS-232 serial port provides a backup connection in case the main network connection fails. A row of LED lets you know the status of the network at a glance.
High-class Security For more security than just a simple NAT router, the FVG318 offers significantly more protection. It provides: a Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) firewall to prevent Denial of Service attacks, an Intrusion Detection System (IDS), the ability to block Java/URL/ActiveX based on extension, and FTP/SMTP/RPC program filtering.
The FWG114P supports two simultaneous VPN tunnels to protect links between remote locations, encrypting the data between them. The wireless network is protected by 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption as well as WPA.
Easy Setup Even with all the functionality the FWG114P provides, NETGEAR makes setup a breeze with the intuitive Smart Wizard that automatically detects the ISP connection and adjusts your configuration accordingly.
The NETGEAR FWG114P ProSafe 802.11g Wireless VPN Firewall 4-Port 10/100 Switch with USB Server is backed by a 3-year warranty.
What's in the Box FWG114P, AC power adapter, ethernet cable, installation guide, resource CD, warranty/support information card.

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TRENDnet 3-Port Print Server TE100-P21 (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)After unpacking the print server I was up and printing within 15 minutes on both printers from both computers in my network. It took me a couple of minutes to get the utility "PS-Utility" to see the print server by disabling the Windows firewall and then discovering that I could add the utility to the exceptions list in order to enable to firewall again. I am able to access all printer specific functions through the drivers as if the printers were connected directly to the computer.
It has been a couple of days and I have had no problems.
Configuration:
-Operating System: Windows XP Professional and Windows XP Home.
-Router: Linksys WRT55AG
-Print server: TRENDnet TE100-P21
-Dell XPS Gen 3 Desktop connected to router via enet cable.
-Dell Lattitude laptop connected to router via wireless link.
-Printers: Cannon IP5000 to USB1 and HP Laserjet 5L to LPT3 of the print server.


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TRENDnet TE100-P21 is a Fast Ethernet print server that transforms a stand-alone USB or Parallel printer into a shared network printer. The TE100-P21 is compatible with 10Mbps or 100Mbps Ethernet network and it has two USB 2.0 and one Parallel printer port. Network professionals can easily manage the print server using Web Browser and utilize the TE100-P21 to promote productivity in a workgroup environment with low equipment cost.

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Cisco-Linksys WPS54GU2 Wireless-G Print Server for USB 2.0 Review

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(More customer reviews)After reading the mixed reviews for this, I still decided to try the Linksys Wireless Print Server. Although this is more expensive than the wired print server, I thought that it may be nice to locate my printers (one is USB and the other is parallel/USB) and wireless router in different locations. Neither printer is multi-function. I first tried a "wired" Linksys print server, but was unable to connect (2) USB printers using a hub - plus the price of the print server and the hub was nearly the same as the wireless device.
So far so good, but there are some things that I suggest you do when installing this device. These are based on personal experience, which has been a process of educated trial and error. An IT professional may do things differently, but if you were an IT professional, you probably wouldn't be reading these reviews. My network is almost entirely Linksys components (wireless router, wireless adapter, and print server), although I am using the network cards that were pre-installed with those computers that are hard wired to the router.
First, disable your firewall. This will allow you to test the compatibility of the printers, the network, and the print sever without the extra component to worry about. Once everything is up and running, you can enable your firewall and tweak any networking restrictions at that time.
Secondly, when configuring the router (which is the first step), you will need to have this "wired" to your router. This is part of the instructions, and should not come as a surprise. However, make sure you leave this "wired" until you have installed the print server drivers and software on all your networked computers. The install utility seems to have trouble finding the print server if you have disconnected the hard wire connection, even if the print server lights indicate it is already on the wireless LAN.
Thirdly, if you are using MAC address filtering, temporarily disable this. One you get the print server set up and running, you can find its MAC address using the web utility or the BI-admin utility, and then restore the filtering after adding the print server. However, if you want to use the web based configuration utility (like you use with your router), please follow the instructions in the following paragraph.
Fourth, once you have installed everything per the instructions, I recommend the following: give your print server a fixed IP address on your network (e.g. 192.168.1.171). My experience is this: If your router uses DHCP to assign IP addresses to your networked computers and servers, the print server does not always communicate back to the router, and your print server will sometimes "disappear" from your network after computers have been turned off and on. Something to do with the order the computers and servers are turned on. Setting this to a fixed address has cleared up those problems for me. Also, because the print server's address is fixed, you can access the web based configuration utility by typing in the same IP address each time.
Fifthly, find the MAC address using the web based or BI-admin utility. Now, if you are using these, reinstate your MAC address filtering, adding your print server's address to the allowed list.
Sixth, test and test again. Reboot your computers and unplug and re-plug your print server. Send documents to all your printers from all your computers - not just printer test pages. Print actual documents from a "Wordpad" or similar program.
Seventh, enable your firewall, remembering to enable access to your print server at the fixed IP address used above.
Eighth, test again just to make sure. If it doesn't work now, you know it's the network settings of your firewall.
This has seemed to work for me.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Cisco-Linksys WPS54GU2 Wireless-G Print Server for USB 2.0

The Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer for USB 2.0 lets you connect a USB or parallel printer (or both!) directly to your network, eliminating the need to dedicate a PC to print sharing chores.Using a PrintServer frees up your "print share PC" so you don't have to leave it on all the time.It also removes the printing bottleneck, and sets your PC free to do more useful work.Connect the PrintServer directly to your network by 10/100 Ethernet cable, or wirelessly over 54Mbps Wireless-G (802.11g).The wireless option lets you put your printers wherever you want to, without having to run cables.Whichever way the PrintServer is attached to your network, both your wireless and wired PCs will have access to it, and the printers it's connected to.And if you don't use wireless for general networking in your office, you can still use the Wireless-G connection in ad-hoc mode to print from visiting Wireless-G and Wireless-B PCs.The USB port is compatible with USB 1.1 printers, as well as printers that support the new high-speed USB 2.0 specification for even faster throughput.There's also a separate port for a standard parallel printer.For even more versatility, you can connect two printers, one to each port, and send your documents to whichever one is most appropriate for each print job.A user-friendly Setup Wizard makes installation easy, the compact case fits anywhere, and the three megabyte print buffer size handles even large graphics-intensive print jobs.Let the Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer for USB 2.0 bring efficiency to your printing tasks.

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