| Linksys WPS54G Wireless-G 802.11g Print Server |
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Model: WPS54G
Brand: Linksys
Manufacturer: Linksys
Average Rating: 
(submit your review here)
Total Reviews: 138
Operating system: Windows
Form factor: External
Hardware platform: PC
Data link protocol: Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
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| Features: |
Share a printer with everyone on your network -- works with most USB 1.1 or 2.0 printers
Connects your printer directly to the network by 10/100 wired Ethernet or 54 Mbps Wireless-G (802.11g)
Prevents congestion on your PC with other users' print jobs
No need to leave a PC on 24/7 |
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| Description: |
| The Linksys Wireless-G PrintServer lets you connect a USB printer 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 printer 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 printer 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. Your data is protected by up to 128-bit WEP encryption, or pre-shared-key WPA. 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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| User Reviews (138 total): |
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 of Total 7 Pages
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Linksys WPS54G Wireless G Print Server, December 14, 2006
By John Deiorio (Ocala, Florida)
I purchased this wireless print server with some trepidation due to some of the reviews I read. However, I did my homework first, contacted Linksys, asked them if the printers I had were compatible (gave them the model#s) and got it in writing through email. They also said when I made the purchase, they can help with the set up. I purchased the product and tried to follow the instructions that came with it and was not successful. I used Linksys on-line chat and even though it took about 45 minutes, it went smoothly, worked first time and then with their assistance I also set up my other laptops to print through the wireless printer server. The directions do leave a little to be desired, but thumbs up on the tech support chat. The wireless printer server works excellent.
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Some Things you need to know about this product, November 13, 2006
By cleemiller (Lancaster, Pa)
This product is working well for me. The install instructions leave a lot to be desired. For example, it does not tell you that the SSID of the router and any encryption need to match exactly with your print server settings you set with the wizard, or you will get a connect failed error. The other thing that it does not tell you is that you have to switch the printer settings from a USB set up to a TCP/IP. (Printers, properties, Ports, Add port). You can get the IP address for this by connecting the print server to the router then press the reset button for 3 seconds. If your printer is compatible, it will print a page with the IP address you need for the print settings.
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Total Garbage, October 28, 2006
By Data Dude (Melrose, MA United States)
First you'll experience the setup "wizard" which includes incorrectly-worded instructions about options that don't exist. And for a bit of fun, try hitting F1 to see the "help" file and watch as the installer asks you to locate the help file that's not there.
Then you'll discover that the thing won't connect to your wireless network because the wizard doesn't properly save WEP keys. After figuring out that the device has an admin Web server built in, you'll connect to it and fix the WEP problem and hook it up to your network. And happily discover that the wireless connection works! ...
... Until you plug it in to your printer's USB port and suddenly it drops inexplicably off the network. Note that the only purpose of this device is to sit on the network and talk to the printer via the USB port. So the fact that it can't do these two things simultaneously is quite the red flag.
And so you wait over an hour in the Linksys online support queue hoping for some help, and don't move up in line at all. But while you're in the queue you do some Google searching and find out that others have had the same problem and your printer is not supported by the device (even though it doesn't say that anywhere on the box, in the instruction manual, or on the Linksys Web site).
... You unplug the box and find out that it's really, REALLY hot (even though it's only been plugged in for about an hour.) You probably wouldn't have wanted it plugged in for a long period anyway, given that it would probably melt a hole through your printer.
So you put it where it belonged to begin with, in the garbage. And you're *still* in the support queue waiting...
A low-quality product with an extremely shoddy installer and zero support from the company that makes it. In short: AVOID!!!
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Works as expected, October 24, 2006
By Stephan Duellberg (Northborough, MA USA)
Straight forward installation. Would have taken me less than 20 minutes to set up if they had mentioned somewhere that the unit does not support WPA/AES encryption. So after a few hours of trial and error I finally got it to work by switching the router to WPA/TKIP. It's connected to an HP 6310 and functions without any problems. The client machine setup takes less than 5 minutes, as long as you have the required print driver installed.
Both my wife and I use laptops and I really like the fact that I don't need to have a dedicated PC running 24/7 just to print once in a while.
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Good print server, setup can be challenging,, September 23, 2006
By YOMAMA (Phoenix, AZ USA)
This is a good print server, but it can be a little challenging to setup if you are not familiar with wireless networking. The main issue that most people are going to have is configuring the print server to work with WPA encryption. There are two types of encryption for wireless networks. One is WEP, the other is WPA. Unfortunately, WEP is pretty much useless. Do an internet search for WEP encryption and you will find many articles explaining how easy it is to crack a WEP passcode. So that leaves WPA encryption, which is what you should be using if you value the privacy of your network. Herein lies the problem. For some bizarre reason, the Linksys print server supports WPA encryption, but the setup program does not allow you to configure the print server to use it. It's almost as though Linksys upgraded their hardware to be able to use WPA encryption, but were too lazy to upgrade the setup program. I can't imagine how many calls to their tech support this problem must have caused, so I find it hard to believe that they saved any money by not upgrading the setup program. Anyway, you CAN use WPA encryption, but you have to manually configure the print server using the web-based utility rather than the setup disk. The product's documentation does note this, but this process is still confusing for a new user, which is why I can only give this product four stars. Once you get it set up, it works like a charm. Plus, it DOES work with my multifunction printer (Canon MP780). It just only works for printing functions, not for other functions like scanning or faxing. If I wanted to scan a document I would have to plug my laptop into the printer. This is really not a big deal to me. I agree with the comments that Linksys has not posted a list of compatible printers on their website. I guess this is for liability reasons, but it seems like it's silly to make people guess whether or not their printer will work. Still, I am very satisfied with this product and its performance. If Linksys would upgrade their setup program and provide a list of compatible printers, I think they would have a winner.
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Unacceptable for business; you're better off with a non-wireless one that WORKS, September 16, 2006
By Marik_Steele (USA)
I'm not sure if this is a common thing with this model (I'd hope it isn't) but it seems to have an unlisted print queue of 8 documents. Aside from that its wireless ability is pretty useless because you'll likely rather plug it into a wireless hub/switch/router anyway.
This'll be the last time our company buys a wireless print server; we've had better luck with wired-only ones(though I'll admit we're accustomed to more expensive HP JetDirect print servers)
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Works like a charm!, August 31, 2006
By C. M. Richardson (Northport, NY United States)
I've read conflicting reviews here, but purchased and set this up today anyway. I followed the directions (reading them twice) and the set up worked like it should. I also used the setup disk to set up my other three computers on my wirelss/hardwired network, so that can all print wirelessly. I'm happy to say that they all work fine. I did this because I purchased a new HP 2605dn color laserjet. That was more difficult to install than the Linksys Print Server. My wired/wireless router is a 4 year old Linksys. I have not had compatability issues but I haven't tried to print any large files. The installation directions worked for me by being slow and methodical. Good luck to all!
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Works fine but difficult to setup, July 8, 2006
By Eric S. Imsand
I was a little concerned about this product given the low scores other people have given it. I decided to give it a try, though. I can't give any guidance on printers that are/aren't supported; I am using a single function HP printer (DeskJet 5550). I also can't speak to the signal strenght needed for the unit - my printer is in the same room as my wireless access point.
All of that having been said, the product works and supports WPA - those were my main requirements. I had mine working in under an hour. That said, I didn't follow the directions that were supplied with the unit. I have a lot of experience with technology and just waded in, head first. In other words I just used my "gut", performing actions that seemed to make sense at the time.
After I got mine working I went back and reviewed the directions. They differed from the method I used in several key ways. I don't know if they would have worked or not.
Bottom line - *IF* you have a good understanding of how networks actually work (i.e. network theory) then you should probably be fine with this product. Otherwise you may not have sufficient insight to work around problems if/when the directions fail to get the unit functioning.
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D/L the latest software!, June 1, 2006
By TeeShark (Southern California, USA)
Had numberous problems with setting up this server with the included software. When I updated to the latest from the linksys website it was an incredibly smooth process. I'm using this on a Brother 2820 fax/copier/printer with on problems. I'm using 3 different wireless connections to print through this server. It is a bit slow at times, but so far about 500 pages have been printed with no problems.
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Unrelaible print server after difficult configuration, May 22, 2006
By Chris (St. Louis, MO)
This print server was EXTREMELY difficult to configure, but I could live with that if it actually worked reliably. Printing from my Mac G5, I was unable to print any document longer than 1 or 2 pages. The 3rd page would always print about 1/2 way, and the printer would then go haywire. Each time this happened, the printer would spit-out 5 or 10 pages of garbage.
Configuring the printer on a secure WiFi network is tough. The GUI install tool doesn't allow you to enter an ASCII WEP key, but the Web interface to the print server does allow an ASCII WEP key. To get it working, I had to configure it using the GUI config tool provided while wired to a port on my router, then configure the WiFi unsecured in the GUI, then use the web interface to the print server to configure it for secure WiFI. Of course this means taking the WiFi in and out of WEP mode, so I'm talking true pain in the rear to configure.
Once I got it configured, the Appletalk protocol needed additional configuration to get that working properly. When all was said and done, it would reliably print only ONE PAGE at a time. Printing anything 2 pages or longer would cause major screwup in the printer communication.
I noticed that the print server had VERY poor WiFi reception, only getting 10% signal strength in a location where my Dell laptop showed 90-100% signal strength. I even tried running the Linksys print server in a wired configuration, but it still was not reliable.
I finally bagged the whole thing (returned it and got a full refund), then went back to using a Windows box as my print server. Very poor product.
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Not worth the effort, May 10, 2006
By Elsa Marie Piller (Indiana)
This product does not work on multifunction printers, I can stand that. This was unfortunately the only answer that technical support could give me. They also indicated that using a simpler printer would make this item work without a problem. I changed out the printers and the print server would still not respond to the wireless, which is interesting because my wireless router log indicated that the server was connected.
Two hours of frustration and I will move on to another solution, I do not in any way recommend this product.
Side note: I did attempt to use the Linksys automatic setup from on the internet which indicated everything is OK on my system, even with this print server not working.
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Works great, once you figure out the quirks, May 1, 2006
By Anh Lai
Important: INSTALL THE PRINTER LOCALLY FIRST. Update the firmware after installtion from linksys's site after setup.
IMPORTANT: Plug the network cable into the server and into your network for setup. Never setup the printer wirelessly, the web server crashes on it when working wirelessly.
Once you have your printer installed locally, and plug the server into the network via cable, follow the setup directions as indicated. The setup re-maps the locally installed printer port to the linksys network port. All print servers do the exact same thing. I have two different types.
For advanced wireless setup, login into the web access page for the device, or use the Bi-Admin tool. That will allow you to edit the advanced wireless settings such as all WPA/Wep Keys etc. Once you wireless setup is done, unplug it and it should work right away. Do not attempt to access the web page wirelessly, it will crash itself.
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Linksys Tech Support Sucks, April 25, 2006
By johbeber (Portland, OR)
The product itself works well enough, I guess, although mine broke (after about a year of good service) when I had the nerve to tell it to update its firmware. The real nightmare with this product is trying to get anything resolved with tech support/customer service in under 3 hours. I can't even begin to tell you how many 1st level techs I had to go through before I finally got someone who had even the slightest idea what they were doing. And of course I began every conversation with an overview of what my issue was, and I asked point blank if they had experience with this print server and any of its issues. They all said yes, and THEY ALL LIED!!!!!!! They wasted hour after hour of my time and would not put me through to level 2 until I jumped through their useless hoops, which were nothing more than steps on a checklist that they simply read to me with little or no understanding. To make things even worse, when I finally got through to a level 2 tech (who of course told me in about 3 minutes what I already knew -- that the print server was broken), he told me to call customer support to get them to send me a replacement. Only problem was, customer support told me I needed an authorization code in order to be able to get a replacement, and that in order to get that code I needed to talk to -- yes you guessed it -- tech support!! The first level 2 tech neglected to tell me this, or to give me the return code I needed. So back I go again, through levels of techs to get someone to give me the magic code, which I finally get after hours of agonizingly inefficient and very poor service. I will never buy another Linksys product again as long as I live.
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Useless Piece of Hardware, April 21, 2006
By A Reviewer (USA)
Buyer beware! This product doesn't even warrant one star. It is undoubtedly a no star product. This product failed to work with numerous printers we have in the office. It definitely does not work with multifunction printers. It also definitely does not work with the Dell Laser 1110 and the Brother Laser HL-5250DNT, which are not multifunction machines. After lengthy and time-wasting calls to Linksys technical support to resolve configuration issues, Linksys technical support confirmed that the WPS54G print server WILL NOT WORK with these machines.
Further, Linksys refuses to release a list of printers that are compatible with the print server. They claim it is classified information that cannot be released to the public. Frankly, that seems to indicate that this product works with very, very few machines (if any) and that they are trying to sell something that they know will not work most of the time. Unless you have the time and money to keep buying printers with the hope that it will work with this useless piece of hardware, you are better off avoiding it altogether. You can call first to confirm whether or not a printer you are considering will work with it, but chances are the answer will be "NO."
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You have to be smarter than the machine!, April 14, 2006
By nuts4golf (Florida United States)
I bought this wireless print server and had some difficulty UNDERSTANDING the setup. I telephoned the Linksys toll free, 24hr help line and received expert help immediately.
They were polite, understanding and patient with my problem.
As far as the functionality...it works wonderfully with no problems.
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Everything you came to expect from linksys -, April 6, 2006
By Arthur Mnev (Bit Bucket)
If you have Minolta Printer - dont bother with this device, it will not work based on tech support comment "... it is not compatible..." - I just wish they would have put it on the box in big bold letters.
As with all other linksys products (I should have thought of that before i bought it) this device would not pass any QA.
you cant seem to set up normal wep key (passphrase only)
in my case (in addition to minolta problems) it worked fine over wired connection, wizard would be able to find it over wireless. but.... wireless functionality is 1/2 done :) - after wizard finds the device it could not connect to it and suggested that I change my system's ip address to be on the same segment as the print server. Well... lets see 192.168.1.6 / 24 was the ip of the print server and 192.168.1.100 /24 was the ip of the system the wizard was running on. for all those that dont know what it means - it is the same subnet. Someone should give those wizard programmers a cup of joe...
In short - wired worked, wirless didnt and neither one of them printed because of "incompatible device"....
why did i give this wonderful device 2 stars instead of demanding one back? - you could telnet into the print server and discover the two commands available: help and monitor ..- genious.
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GREAT PRODUCT!, April 5, 2006
By Grinnin' (Arlington, VA)
A great little gizmo even though I was initially a bit hesitant based on some of the negative product reviews on this site. I read the instructions first to see what I could expect and what info I would need. With exception of disconnecting the ethernet cable, I followed the instructions EXACTLY as explained and was printing wired and wirelessly from 3 locations within 40 minutes on a HP P1100 color printer. SSID and WEP configured easily based on collective info from the printserver and gateway.
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WPA security IS supported - but hard to find how, April 2, 2006
By B. J. Kruger (The Netherlands)
When installing the Print Server following the Quick Install Guide, the Print Server will not be detected on a wireless network when you are using WPA encryption.
But there is a way to make things work:
1) Temporary connect your Print Server with the network cable to your wireless router. You do not need to connect your printer yet to your Print Server.
2) Install the Bi-Admin tool from your installation CD.
3) In the Bi-Admin tool, you will be able to choose WPA security and enter your WPA key. When you click OK, these settings will be saved into permanent memory of the Print Server.
4) Now you can disconnect your network cable from your Print Server. Than you connect your Print Server to your printer USB cable. Your Print Server will be found now in your wireless network.
5) Now you click "User Install" to install the Windows Driver.
Success!
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When will the madness end, March 28, 2006
By reallynonicknamesleft (San Francisco, CA United States)
I must have some form of self-abuse disorder, as I continue to go back to the well with LinkSys and continue to be infuriated.
Bought the wps54g, brought it home, unpacked it, plugged it in as instructed, installed the CD on my XP machine, and it did not find the device.
Seriously, do they even test these things? There are not so many different devices out there from the 4-5 major manufacturers that they couldn't do it economically.
Please, hold these guys accountable, do not buy this product.
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Print Server, March 15, 2006
By John W. Langley
Does what is designed for on my linksy network. No xtra wires crossing the room to connect the printer.
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