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I bought this by accident and didn't realize that it wasn't "mac compatible", but it turns out happily, that it *very* much is. I plugged it in to my network, asked by router what DHCP addresses it had doled out, went to the one that wasn't my laptop in Firefox and there's the config screen. Set the IP address, and I chose JetDirect for the network printer type and plugged in the IP address, set the printer driver and voila, working printer.
Turn on DHCP, turn the printer on, power up the PS101 and allow it to find an IP in your LAN, it probably will grab the lowest value in your allowed DHCP range (hint, pick a very small range for DHCP). Uninstall the NETGEAR stuff, put the CD back into it's paper sleeve. The result was a working, but very slow printer with no bidirectional capability. Install a local printer with a "STANDARD TCP/IP PORT", generic network card, adding the IP you assigned to the PS101.
All they could tell me was that "the printer is not on the list of approved printers", then I saw a review here and changed tactics altogther. NETGEAR PS101 Mini Print ServerI started out going by the book by installing the provided NETGEAR administation software and using the PS101 on a LEXMARK T640, not on the list of approved printers on the NETGEAR website. Bring up the http page for the PS101 and assign your static IP, subnet, gateway, disable DHCP, save these settings. Windows Test Pages print and bidirectional communications work fine. Never take it out again unless you need to use it as a frisbee.
Go to the various PC's that will be using the printer with the driver CD that comes from the printer manufacturer. Maybe they notice that the big gray cables are no longer cluttering up their space, and they meet coworkers when picking up their printed work. I guessed that using the non-approved printer might be the problem, NETGEAR tech support was no help. Use the appropriate driver from the printer's accompanying CD.The T640's work great when connected this way, approved or not. Get rid of the \\PRINTSERVER\PRINTER port it so helpfully had you create.
Reset the PS101. The people using the various PC's and LINUX workstations cannot tell that the T640's are not connected directly to their machines. ALL GOOD.
Lazy and looking for any excess to dish off the problem. On the second PS101 Print Server (the first was defective), It only took me 5 hours over four nights and 3 tech calls to get it to work. First they blamed the laptop, and then they blamed the printer and then the router.THE NETGEAR Router which has been work seemlessly for a year and a half. The tech support only made it worse. Netgear should be ashamed of its tech support. I finally scrapped the software and tech support, who were barely comprehensible, and installed the print server via the Router software and Vista. Seems to be stable and working for now.
BTW, the specs say it works on a 10/100Mb/s, but it does NOT work at 10Mb/s, must be on a 100Mb circuit. Terrific little product - works like a champ, easy to set up. Just don't try to call support; they don't know JACK. I now have 8 of these at a client and not one has gone down in over a month. I'm buying two more today.
I've had this product for three years, and have not had a single issue with it. The challenges I've faced were easily fixed using the utilities on the installation CD, and website. Unfortunately, my current printers only have USB ports, and I've recently retired it. But I would give it five stars for the quality, durability, and length of service that I've received.
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