Customer Reviews

Cisco-Linksys WPS11 Wireless-B Print Server

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(28)

 

 

Just to save many of you time, I found out via Linksys tech support that this product does not support multi task printers (fax, scan, printer, copier).

Suddenly I had a need for a wireless print server. After having excellent out of the box experiences with Linksys products in the past they got my purchase. Reading this, keep in mind I'm a former network admin and have installed many real (HP, Lexmark, etc) network print servers in the past. It took me a bit more than three hours to finally get this one operating.

Most Linksys products have good to excellent documentation and a painless configuration - even if you need to change options or have a non-"Linksys" network. This is not a typical Linksys product.

The documentation doesn't properly describe the setup process and the factory configuration. The instructions were written so that if something went wrong the instructions were useless. In order to find out what the factory configuration was you need a non-Postscript printer. Chances are when you set this up, something will go wrong which makes the documentation less than useless.

What went wrong for me? First the configuration software did not see the print server either over the wireless connection or plugged into a network cable. It appears to have undocumented compatibility issues with Windows XP. In an effort to bypass configuration I tried to determine what the factory configuration was. I could not because I only had a PostScript printer. After taking it to another house with a non-PostScript printer I found the default IP address was 0.0.0.0 (which you can't connect to) and that it didn't obtain an IP address from my DHCP server.

Fortunately I also have a Windows 2000 computer. The software was able to see the print server from this computer and I managed to configure it to my liking, or so I thought. When I installed the print driver software I found that the name I had given the print server didn't matter - it still used the factory name when I "browsed" for it. The configuration software saw it as my given name and the driver software saw it as the factory name. The disconnect between these pieces of software is just another example of how immature the drivers and firmware are.

Another example is having to browse to a subdirectory on the CD to install the driver software. The configuration software installed by autoran from the CD. The installation is not integrated.

Once running it appears to do the job, if you like the name Linksys gave it!

Bottom line:
o Compatibility issues with WinXP and configuration tool
o Factory configuration is very difficult to work with
o Immature installation process of the configuration tool and drivers
o Driver and configuration tool don't "see" the same settings
o Non-PostScript printer highly recommented
o Documentation is exceptionally poor

I'm using the WPS 11 on a dual platform (XP and Apple OS X) wireless LAN connected to a cable modem via an Apple Airport set up as a DHCP router providing NAT to 5 workstations (2 XP, 1 W98, 2 Mac). Setting up the WPS 11 is every bit as daunting as many of the other reviews of this product claim. My biggest problem was getting Windows and Apple printing protocols to work together. The Win setup is fairly OK following the manual BUT ..... depending on the rest of your wireless network you could spend a lot of time chasing little problems. The WPS 11 defaults to channel 6. That's OK if you're using a Linksys router/access point. If not, you have to move the radio channel, or you'll think it's dead. Setting up via the ethernet port and then re-powering in order to scan the wireless LAN is another problem, but if you let it get a DHCP address from your router and you've got the right radio channel you should be able to access the box from the web admin or the "Biadmin" utility wirelessly. The easiest way to set up Apple printing is through IP printing. With the OS X /Unix drivers available from Gimp-Print you should be able to get almost any printer working. I started with on old Deskjet 560C just to make sure everything was working, before I ordered a new laser printer. Linksys could save their tech staff (which I didn't call) and their customers a LOT of grief if they'd put a few sample configurations in the manual and provided a few resource links. The paltry set of Apple utilities in the Linksys disk are in a folder called "unsupported" and mainly pertain to AppleTalk under OS 9. Don't bother. Go straight for IP printing. Linksys doesn't even tell you the default queue name ( "lp" worked) and it's all the little stuff like that which keeps this from being a 5. When you get it working, it's great and the price can't be beat, but it's really nowhere near up to the state of the plug and play art with either Windows or Apple products. On the plus side, you can adminster the server from an embedded web utility over wireless, so if you're all Apple, you actually can get it running. Just push the reset button while connected to a printer and the box will print it's diags, including current IP address. Point a browser there and you're in. Again, this is not well documented and if you're using a wireless machine, be sure to note the radio channel and reset your WiFi card to the same frequency. I can see why people just send them back though, and for any 'dead radio' issues, be sure all your wireless devices are on the same channel. Lastly, if this server is part of a wireless LAN and not used stand alone, you MUST set it as an infrastructure device, not ad-hoc. Again, poorly documented. I found this by reading the Help file in the Bi-admin utility and it's burried deep. As a rule, always get a diag printout using a short push of the reset button, and make sure the IP address and radio channels match up. This will solve a lot of problems. Linksys products are robust and reliable, and I'm sure now that it's working the WPS 11 will be too.

The key to getting this print server to work wireless is to
1. configure and verify operation over cat5
2. configure the wireless connection and verify signal
3. unplug the cat5 cable from the print server
4. power down the print server (unplug the power cable)
5. power the print server back up.

The critical step is 4.

Once the server detects a wired connection, it disables connectivity through the wireless network (i know the amber wan status light indicates otherwise, but try pinging the server -- you'll timeout). The problem appears to be that when the wired connection is severed, the server nevertheless continues to listen on the now disconnected ethernet port. You have to force it to reset and then rescan for connections by cycling the power on the print server.

I have been following other reviews of the WPS11 here with much interest. I only wish I had read them before buying my WPS11.

I have spent approximately 12 hours trying to get the thing to work. I've spoken on the phone to 4 different technicians and had a similar number of conversations via the LinkChat service provided by Linksys. I've even returned the original WPS11 for a replacement, but this too exhibited all the same symptoms.

The one thing I've learned is that there seems to be no consistent view of the problem and whether there might be a solution. I've had some quite surreal conversations involving disconnecting the server for varying amounts of time ranging from 10 seconds to two minutes. Sometimes with advice to 'hold the reset button, and sometimes not. On one occasion I was even sent the URL of a site which showed how an Ethernet 'crossover' cable should be wired. This despite the fact that clearly I had a connection between the server and router.

I find it extremely annoying that the manual says little about the real hoops you need to jump through in attempting to configure this thing. Nowhere for instance does it even mention that you need to hard-wire it to the router first. I'll not even go down the road of why a wireless device should need a hardwire at all.

I have had no problem connecting wirelessly to my Netgear and the Netgear router detects the WPS11. Moreover, when I first hardwire the WPS11 to the router and set it to the factory default, and then re-boot the router, the Bi-admin software detects the WPS11 and I can run a test print from the diagnostics menu of Bi-admin.

I can also ping the IP address of the WPS11 as stated on the test print. What I can't do is take the next step and start to configure the Wireless settings of the WPS11. As soon as I change the SSID setting from the default 'linksys' to the SSID of my network, I can no longer ping the WPS11 even with the hardwire still in place.

I don't know whether it's significant, but during the course of one conversation with technical support, they asked me to go into setup of the WPS11 by typing an IP address into my Explorer web browser. This brought up a configuration screen, but it didn't seem complete. Where there should have been some Tabs - apart from the first Configuration password Tab, there were just some red X's rather than the names of the other Tabs. This made me wonder if there is something wrong with the firmware of the WPS11.

I've just had another reply which beats them all and is the last straw. I quote it in full here.

"Thank you for contacting Linksys Customer Support.

With regard to this concern, the model of the printer proven to be working on the WPS11V3. Unfortunately, the Linksys Wireless Printserver is proprietary meaning the wireless card you should be using is Linksys Instant PC Card WPC11(V1, V2.5 or V3) in order to get this work. Since, you are using Wireless Netgear card then this will not work. You have to replaced this one and have Linksys Instant Wireless PC Card instead for the WPS11V3.

I'll be glad if this helps. Thank you."

I've just responded as follows:

"Thank you, but this is preposterous.

I bought this in all good faith. There is no mention whatsoever on the packaging that this is 'proprietary' whatever you mean by that. It certainly says nothing about 'this will only work with a Linksys wireless card or router'.

Frankly I doubt this advice in any case. In all the several hours of conversations I've had with your technicians, none of them has ever said it only works with a Linksys card. As I've said several times in conversations with your technicians, there is no problem with the Netgear wireless card / wireless router recognising the WPS11. Similarly when first switching on, there is no problem with the WPS11 Bi-Admin program recognising that the WPS11 is attached. The problem comes when trying to configure the Bi-Admin for wireless mode.

I find it staggering that you can suggest it is a wireless problem with a particular card when clearly a wireless signal is just a transmission of energy on a radio frequency between two devices. The radio signal is the same physically whether it's generated by a wireless card from Linksys Netgear or whoever.

Your own web site says the WPS11 is,

"Compatible with virtually all printers and major operating systems, your data-intensive print jobs will breeze through with maximized speed and reliability. Let the functionality of the Wireless PrintServer customize your network's capabilities to meet your printing needs time and again".

So no mention there of it being incompatible with a Netgear card/router.
In the light of this, would you care to re-consider this advice.

If not and you feel you need to stick by this advice, are Linksys prepared to accept the return of this product for a cash re-imbursement since as I said, nowhere is it mentioned that this only works with Linsys cards?

I have had this device for over two months now and am clearly getting very annoyed at its inability to work. I would appreciate a quick conclusion to my problem."


My advice is unless you're buying this from a re-seller who guarantees to get it working on your system - avoid it like the plague.

Richard Buttrey

PS. Should anyone at Linksys come across this review and actually assist me in getting it to work, I will of course post an updated review.

Admin Note. I've had to give this a one * rating since the Amazon page would not accept a Nil. It does not deserve a one *.

After really great experiences with the Linksys 4 port DSL router 3 years ago and later a similar product with a built-in 802.11b access point, I was more than willing to give the Linksys Instant Wireless PrintServer (WPS11 ver. 3) a try. What a mistake that was. I spent more than two hours fiddling with it and another hour with Linksys technical support (mostly on hold). I consider myself pretty good with software, networks, and hardware (going on 10+ years as a programmer) but the WPS11 had me beat. I did manage to get the device installed and configured, I just could not print from any programs on my PC -- I kept getting the error message "The handle is invalid" when sending a print job to the printer via the WPS11. That was the problem I called Linksys technical support about. I spoke with two people and the only thing worse than their english was their knowledge of the device. Ultimately, I was disconnected (or they hung up on me) without the problem getting resolved. Some observations: 1) The documentation is terrible. 2) The interface for the program you install on your PC to configure the print server is clunky and amateurish (not very professional looking). The interface for the web browser accessible program that lets you configure the print server is clunky and slow. 3) In order to get the device to go into "wireless" mode after you unplug the CAT 5 cable, you have to power it down and back up again. That little fact isn't mentioned ANYWHERE in the documentation or on the Linksys web. Ultimately, I gave up on the WPS11 and bought the Netgear Wireless Ready Print Server (PS111WNA) instead. It requires the separate purchase of a Netgear 802.11b wireless PCMCIA adapter (MA401) but it was the right decision. Crisp, clean looking configuration software and less than 10 minutes to install. Works like a champ, I wish I had tried the Netgear first.

Configuring the WPS11 Wireless Print Server

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Setting Up the Print Server
The easiest way to set up the WPS11 is to use the web interface (Web GUI). This doesn't require the Linksys Bi-Admin software.

In order to access the Web GUI, you need to know what the IP of the PrintServer is. Upon first booting (if configured for DHCP), and booting after a hard reset (10 seconds holding the reset button while plugging in the power), the PrintServer will look on the first connected interface for a DHCP server to get its IP address from.


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How to Determine the IP Address

Holding the reset button while the PrintServer is running will generate a printout of the configuration of the printserver. The IP address will be listed here.

You can look on your router Web GUI to see what IP address has been assigned to the PrintServer.


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If You Can't Plug It into the Router to Configure
Use an Ethernet crossover cable and let it start up. Make sure it's connected to a printer. Hold down the reset button for about 2 seconds, and let it print the diagnostic page. The IP will be somehwhere in 169.x.x.x. Set your computer's IP to that range, then enter the PrintServer's address in a browser. Configure.


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IP Settings
The best way to set up the IP on the print server is to use Static DHCP. This way you centralize network configuration in your router.
You can also use a static IP address. Just make sure the address is on the same subnet as the rest of your machines and that it is out of the DHCP assigment range of your DHCP server.


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Wireless Settings
Set the SSID of your network. It is case-sensitive. SSIDs with spaces should be okay.
Set the channel of your wireless network here. The PrintServer seems to scan all channels, but this option requires a setting, so set it to the best of your knowledge.
If your network uses encryption, enter the WEP key here. The WPS11 doesn't support WPA or other encryption/authentication methods.


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After Configuration
After finishing, go back to the setup page in the Web GUI, and click the RESET button. Unplug the Ethernet cable, and go about Joining the WPS11 to Your Wireless Network.


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Joining the WPS11 to Your Wireless Network
I've found that you need to bring the PrintServer near the wireless AP in order for it to associate at first. There is no way to tell that the device is associated except when the WLAN light on the PrintServer flashes.

Unplug the PrintServer and bring it well within range of the wireless network, and plug it in. Wait a few minutes and the PrintServer should associate. Confirm this by visiting the Web GUI of the router on the IP you assigned to it. If everything's okay, unplug and move the PrintServer to the location you want to use it, and connect the printer. Obviously it still needs to be within range of the wireless AP.


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Setting Up a Windows XP Client
1. Open Printers and Faxes in the Control Panel
2. Click Add a Printer on the left.
3. Click 'Next'
4. Select "Local Printer"
5. Click 'Creat a New Port'
6. In Type of Port, select Standard TCP/IP Port
7. Click 'Next', a new wizard will pop up
8. Type in the IP of the print server as configured above. The port name will automatically be filled in.
9. Select "Custom", click the 'Settings' button
10. Select "LPR"
11. Under LPR Settings, Type a name for the print queue. P1 is a good name.
12. Click 'OK', the window will close
13. Click 'Next'
14. Click 'Finish'. A new driver selection window will pop up.
15. The type of printer connected to the print server should already be detected, otherwise, choose the printer.
16. Follow the wizard to completion.
17. Go to Printers and Faxes in the Control Panel
18. Right click on the new printer and select Properties
19. Go to the "Ports" tab.
20. At the bottom of the window, uncheck "Enable bidirectional support". The print server does not report back to your computer when you print, so there may be delays if this is checked and your computer is waiting for a status report from the printer that will never come.


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Setting Up a Mac OS X Client
Setting up a Mac OS X machine should be pretty easy using IPP instead of AppleTalk. The important things to remember is the IP address and this is an LPR printer.


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Special Considerations
If wireless is connected upon bootup, wireless will be used. Ethernet upon bootup, Ethernet used.
It is necessary to restart the print server when switching from wireless to Ethernet and vice-versa.
You should turn off unnecessary protocols in the Web GUI such as AppleTalk, NetBEUI.

I purchased WPS-11 Ver 3 model from Amazon.com at a good price .... I have had good luck with previous Linksys products and they have all had very easy setup. This print server was difficult to set up and if you don't have a basic understanding of networking, set-up will be a problem.

I have a Linksys BEFW11S4 V.2 Wireless Access Point with 4 port router installed on my wireless network. I am running Zone Alarm firewall that is integrated with the router and it caused all of my problems. I was able to connect with wired Ethernet port and do all set-up of the print server using the included Bi-Admin tool but could not make the print server work in wireless mode. When I was connected by wireed port I could look at the wireless link status in the Bi-Admin tool and see that I was connected to the WAP and had good signal strength. (Please note unlike others have stated here, I had no problems with using an SSID different than the default or enabling 128-bit WEP).

I had to do the following steps to make the print server work in wireless mode. First, I disabled DHCP on the print server and set a static IP address. Then I had to enable exemption for this IP address on the security set up page of the Wireless Access Point. This is also the page where Zone Alarm firewall settings are made for the integrated firewall on the router. Had I just turned off the firewall on the WAP/router I would have saved a great deal of time. What ever you do, if you have a firewall, turn it off before you start the installation and it will go much easier. Then once things are running you can turn the firewall on and determine what firewall settings ned to be changed to allow the print server to remain functioning. Also once the Ethernet cable is removed you must cycle power to get the print server to use the wireless connection it will continue to try and acceess the wired connection once you remove the cable until you power cycle. It does not try to cycle automatically between wired and wireless.

After performing these steps everything worked great with out any problems.

I REALLY liked the idea of this wireless print server. My kids have a PC running Win 2000, I have one, and there is a laptop floating around, all with Netgear PC cards and a Netgear DG824M ADSL modem/firewall/router.

I ordered the WPS11 AFTER reading the comments here. What struck me is that folks who got it through the installation problem were well pleased with the product. I am too, but installation for non network specialists is probably impossible without direct help from Linksys.

My thoughts are as follows: if you hate computers and dread the idea of being talked through the necessary steps from a help line advisor, avoid this product like the plague. But if you are really determined I suggest this:

1. Go through the installation procedure (with CAT-5 cable connected), but don't go beyond loading the PrintServer driver. As RUSS9999 says, this will give you access to the Bi-admin utility: just use a web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape) to connect to the initialised IP address of the Linksys print server- http://169.254.41.79 in the product I bought, but use method described by other reviewers here for finding the exact IP address by printing it out (reset button etc).

2. In the Linksys menu select TCP/IP and change the IP address of the Printserver to a fixed (internal) IP address suitable for your network (similar but not identical to those of the other machines on your network). Also select 'Fixed IP address' on the same screen, then SAVE. Now open another browser window and try the new fixed IP address.

3. If successful, Linksys menu will appear as before. Click on the 'Wireless' tab and put in the ID of your network (that's the SSID). It's set 'Linksys' by default, so if you've got a Linksys network (I dont), just leave it as Linksys. Then select the channel number your network uses, then SAVE. As stated by others, switch off the Printserver for 30 seconds, remove the CAT-5 cable link and then switch power back on. If everything is OK the amber WLAN will blink intermittently. Also try the Printserver IP address in a new browser window. You should get the Linksys menu window.

4. Phone Linksys technical support & tell them how far you got, but need help with printer installation. They will talk you through various steps which are not very intuitive (like selecting 'local' rather than 'network' printing for starters, LPR printing etc !). They will also email you the steps required to repeat the process on other PC's connected to your network.

I found Linksys technical support was good, but I come from the UK where customer support of any description is usually abysmal, so I may not be best judge. They say their support is 24/7. I only waited two or three minutes before speaking to a technician on the two occasions I phoned.

***** Five stars for the product & its design engineers
----- No stars for the folks who developed/authored the installation
****- Four stars for the Linksys support team

Good luck y'all !

The first one I got had a dead radio. The second one would only work if the SSID was left at the default of "linksys". I had to change the SSID of my access point and all the adapters to get it to work! Even then it loses the signal frequently and currently won't get an address from DHCP. A good idea, but I'd wait until they work the bugs out of it.