NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch

by Netgear

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7 x 4.8 inches ; 10.6 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0007OWNCC
• Item model number: WGPS606
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (123 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #34 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > Networking Products > Print Servers
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 8, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch offers: A wireless print server for two USB printers. A built-in four-port switch for wired network connections. An easy way to create or extend an 802.11g network.

With the NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch, users on your network have the freedom to print wirelessly to up to two printers. It also functions as a wireless Ethernet bridge, allowing you to extend your wireless connection and connect up to four users to your wireless network.

With the WGPS606, users on your network can easily share up to two printers. View larger. View display of ports on back.

Wireless Printing and Bridge
The WGPS606 has two USB ports to connect two printers. Simply put your printers wherever works best and plug them into the wireless print server; a Smart Wizard will guide you through configuration in just seconds. Once configured, anyone on the network can print to either printer; business documents can be sent to the high-end laser and photos can be printed on the photo printer. No separate adapters are needed. The print server can print via Peer-to-Peer (PTP) and Windows LPD printing methods.

The print server also functions as a wireless Ethernet bridge, allowing you to connect a cluster of up to four PCs and laptops without dedicated wireless adapters.

Secure and Compatible
Powerful 40/64-bit and 128-bit WEP encryption and WPA-PSK keep your wireless network secure. The device is interoperable with 802.11b, 802.11g, and RangeMax (MIMO-G) networks, so you can be sure it will work with your existing wireless network.

The NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch is backed by a 1-year warranty.

What's in the Box
WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server w/4-port Switch, power adapter, 2 USB cables, resource CD, installation guide, warranty/support information card.

Product Description

Wireless printing for four or more users! Would you and the other users in your network like the freedom to print wirelessly? And, to connect to more than one printer, without having to add print servers, wireless adapters, or unsightly Ethernet cables? With NETGEAR's 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-Port Switch, now you can! In seconds, you can connect two printers and four PCs to your wireless network – all with one simple device. NETGEAR's 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server has two USB ports, as well as a wireless Ethernet bridge mode with a 4-port switch. That means you can connect your computer to your high-end color printer for your business use, and send the kids' documents to your older Inkjet printer ¿ all without wires! Best of all, more than four users can use the printer, without adding any additional wireless adapters. Wireless: You can place your printers anywhere in your home or office that works best for you, and share access to them via your wireless network. You'll get the most out of both printers, and you won't have to buy two separate print servers. Secure: NETGEAR's 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server employs powerful WEP Encryption and WPA-PSK to keep your wireless network secure. In addition, it's fully interoperable with 802.11b, 802.11g, and RangeMax™ (MIMO-G) networks. Best Value: You can connect up to four wired PCs directly to your WGPS606. The Wireless Ethernet Bridge function in the unit makes it possible to connect a cluster of computers, easily and cost-effectively. And with the sleek, stand-up case and small footprint of the Wireless Print Server, you'll save space in your home or office. Sets Up in Seconds: The NETGEAR 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server installs in seconds thanks to the new Smart Wizard Configuration Assistant. Smart Wizard automatically detects and configures your print server, providing simple-to-understand prompts to guide you through the process. It's fast, easy, and completely hassle-free.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trick needed for MAC/OSX printserving; 2x price of Motorola WPS870G, July 16, 2005

By 

P. Benda (Virginia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch (Personal Computers)

I have a wirelss network w/3 pc's, one Mac Powerbook, w/netgear router, and now the WGPS606 netgear printserver (my motorola WPS870G was half the $$$ and easier to set up on my Powerbook, but got killed by lightning storm yesterday); I have an old laserjet & HP officejet d145. Contrary to rumors, you can get the WPS870G to printserve wirelessly from Mac/OSX through the network (i.e., powerbook is wireless, printserver is also wireless)

1-I set a dedicated IP address in my router to associate w/my printserver...To do this: in 192.168.0.1 (which is the router) I renewed IP addresses, looked into the router's assignment table, and figured out that the printserver was at 192.168.0.4, so I just assigned it to 192.168.0.4; to do the assignment, you also need the device (i.e., the printserver's) MAC address; that's the trick...the MAC address on the netgear printserver is called the "device" or "hardware" MAC address, and it's the number printed on the box itself; if you go to the printserver ip address (in my case, 192.168.0.4), you find netgear's set up pages for the printserver; the printserver has two mac addresses, the 2nd is called something like the `wireless' MACaddress; that wireless MAC address (which is only different by one digit at the end) is what you use when you set up a dedicated IP address for the print server; when you've done all this, you should probably go back into 192.168.0.1 (your router set up pages) try to renew ip addresses to see if the assigned printserver address (in my case, 192.168.0.4) shows up and shows up with the right MAC address
3- when setting up a new printer in printer set up utility, you select IP Printing + LPD/LPR, printer address is your new ip address that you assigned (192.168.0.4 in my case) and queue name is L1 (presumably L2 if you have a second printer)

btw, you may need to upgrade the driver (I needed an HPIJS driver for my multi-function HP d145); the original driver didn't even install from the cd

63 of 71 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Simply not worth the effort, December 2, 2006

By 

Jerry Saperstein (Evanston, IL USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch (Personal Computers)

Netgear generally makes okay products. I use several of them without complaint.

I had hoped to use the WGPS606 Wireless Print Server, but it just isn't worth the effort to bothet with it. It's going back for a refund.

Before you consider purchasing one, consult the Netgear web site to see if it is compatible with your printer. The list is surprisingly short. Multi-function devices, other than the print function, are not supported. Nor at this point is Windows Vista, but that may well be rectified in time.

The installation wizard immediately warns you to shut down your firewall - and does not provide any guidance as to what port forwarding might enable thr WGPS606 to work with a firewall. That, in my opinion, is just plain dumb.

In my case, the install wizard seemed to work smoothly. I clicked on "Print Test Page" and the test document flowed to the spooler - and then nothing. Netgear's web site has little in the way of troubleshooting information. (Their quickstart guide is a total joke.)

There's a manual downloadable from the Netgear site, but it is not overly helpful.

It's just as easy in my particular situation to set up a wired print server, which is precisely what I'm going to do. Better that than beat my head against the wall with yet another inadequately supported product. As noted, Netgear makes pretty good products, but their documentation and tech support resources leave a lot to be desired. I'm just fed up with wasting my time because the manufacturer didn't care enough about their customer to fulfill what I consider to be their responsibility to the customer.

Jerry

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Works great as a Wireless Bridge, February 22, 2006

By 

D. Whiting (Carlsbad, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: NETGEAR WGPS606 54 Mbps Wireless Print Server with 4-port Switch (Personal Computers)

I'm not reviewing this on the Print Server functionality, since I don't actually use it for that. As another reviewer stated in his review, this is the only reasonably priced, widely available wireless bridge I could find. I have a lot of wired network devices in one room upstairs with the router and modem in my landlord's office downstairs. Rather than buy wireless cards for all those devices or run a wire downstairs, this did the trick. I plug everything (including another switch) into this switch and I'm connected to the router downstairs.

It took some tweaking to get it working correctly. At first, it would drop connection for seemingly no reason and not pick it up again. Somehow that went away, enough resetting and tweaking and it's worked great for the last 5 months or so.