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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