D-Link DP-300U 10/100TX 1-USB Port 2-Parallel Port Print Server Review

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(More customer reviews)First I tried the NetGear PS101 print server. I liked the spiffy form factor. I could talk to the print server admin web interface and get it to print a test page, but even after many, many hours could never get it to print a document. So I returned it.
After that debacle, I decided to splurge for the HP JetDirect. At first I could only get it to print the configuration page. A visit to the HP support forums turned up lots of references to the JetDirect not working with SP2 and the suggested solution was to uninstall SP2. Ugh. Finally I went to the D-Link web site and copied the D-Link installation guide for XP w/SP2. The main difference was that D-Link suggested installing the print server as a local TCP/IP printer instead of a networked printer and, bingo, I got the JetDirect to print. (NOTE: It still goes over the network, it just looks local to the PC.) However I was miffed that I paid double the price for a device which required a competitors documentation to get to work. In addition, DHCP didn't work and I could never get it to show up in my network neighborhood.
So ... in a possibly nonsensical move of principle and price, I bought the D-Link DP300U and set up it. It's not trivial to install, but after working with the other two devices, a couple hours of install time seems like nothing. Here are a couple tips ...
(1) Do NOT use DHCP. Use a fixed IP address. Unlike the JetDirect, DHCP works. However, it still didn't show up in my network neighborhood and now I didn't know the IP address. There is NO HARDWARE RESET on the device. The D-Link support guy was great. He told me that if I couldn't find the IP address, I would have to send it back to D-Link to be reset (Ugh!). The good news is that he told me how to find it. I went to the router and looked at the DHCP assignment list and got it, and then reset the thing to a nice, fixed IP address in my subnet.
(2) I first set it up as per the instructions as a local TCP/IP printer, which means it's still on the network but looks like a local printer to the PC. It worked OK, but did this weird, long pause ... about a minute ... right in the middle of long documents. Again D-Link support was good. They told me to try setting it up as a networked printer, which I did. Unfortunately, this doesn't have spooling and you're back to 1980's wait-for-printing. Then something weird happened that I can not explain ... after setting up the device as a networked printer, I went back to the local TCP/IP printer that I had set up and it worked perfectly. Don't know how it got fixed.
My PC is a Dell laptop w/ wireless connection to an access point, and then wired to a router and the print server. My printer is an HP Deskjet 5550.
So, in the end I'm sticking with the D-Link product and I am happy with it. I would have rated it 3 stars as an overall product, but bumped my rating to 4 stars because I still thought it was the best of the ones I had tried. The itty-bitty-print-server market could use some improvement.
Enjoy!

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D- Link the industry pioneer in networking continues to offer innovative products in Ethernet. The D- Link DP- 300U is a compact print server that connects to your Ethernet or Fast Ethernet network. With high-speed ports DP-300U allow users to print simultaneously from anywhere on the network. DP-300U is equipped with two IEEE1284 parallel ports and one USB version 1.1 port for seamless connection tomost printers available on the market today. DP-300U also supports all major network Operating Systems and protocols. With its compact size DP-300U can easily be placed anywhere! DP-300U is also easily configurable using web browser or window based configuration program. Using web browsers on a PC connected to the network configuration is simple and straightforward with the familiar D-Link interface. PS Admin a Windows based configuration program can also be used to configure DP-300U. The DP-300U print server is the ideal network printing solution for small offices home offices schools and other businesses that requires printer sharing. Primary InformationNetworking Type:Print serverForm Factor:ExternalNetworking Interface:USB; ParallelData Transfer Rate:100 MbpsData Link Protocol:Ethernet; EtherTalk; Fast EthernetConnectivity Technology:WiredRemote Management Protocol:SNMPCabling Type:Ethernet 10BASE-T; Ethernet 100Base-TXWidth:4.6 InchDepth:7.59 InchHeight:1.22 InchService & Support Type:1 year warrantyUNSPSC CodeUNSPSC Code:43201537Product IDUPC:790069251139Manufacturer Part:DP-300U

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TRENDnet 108Mbps Wireless Super G USB Adapter TEW-444UB Review

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(More customer reviews)i bought this to use in my newly upgraded desktop with windows vista. it CONTINUALLY drops the wireless signal (at least every hour) - when you click to connect to a network it does not find any networks. pulling it out and pushing it back in seems to recover the network almost every time, but this is really annoying to have to do repeatedly. it is not a signal strength issue in general, as another desktop in the same room and two laptops that frequent the room have no trouble getting good signals.

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TRENDnets TEW-444UB 802.11g USB 2.0 Wireless adapter provides wireless connectivity with 802.11g, or 802.11b networks and an easy-to-install, backward compatible interface to bring the best wireless solution for desktop/mobile workstations. The TEW-444UB can reach blazing speeds of 108Mbps. It also dynamically encrypts wireless transmissions with WPA-TKIP or AES.

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Cisco ASA 5505 Security Appliance 10 Review

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(More customer reviews)Pros:
* Very stable. Many home and even business grade Firewalls will occasionally start acting up and have to be rebooted, but the ASA is completely solid.
* 8 port switch w/ 2 PoE ports is great for things like IP Phones and Wireless Access Points.

* AnyConnect SSL VPN with 2 client licenses included is a great value. This lets me access my home network from work, despite them requiring a proxy server.
* Supports Spanning Tree and Rapid Spanning Tree, allowing you to build redundant uplinks to STP compatible switches.
* 256 MB RAM and 128 MB of flash is plenty of Memory for future software.
* Tons of VPN options - Straight IPSec, DMVPN, L2TP, SSL, AnyConnect, etc. The IPSec VPN is support on the iPhone, so it's pretty cool to be able to access my home network from my phone.
Cons:
* High learning curve, especially if you don't have previous experience with Cisco PIX or routers. Even using the Java-based ASDM, it can take a few hours of training to find your way. Also, ASDM is not compatible with the latest version of Java (you'll get an 'unconnected sockets' message).
* Only supports 1 internal VLAN with default license. This is fine for most setups, but disappointing since the Cisco routers will do at least 2 VLANs. It prevents, for example, having separate VLANs for voice and wireless, or creating a DMZ.
* No built-in Wireless option. Check out the 870 or 1800 routers if this is important. Adding a Wireless AP is easy though, especially with the PoE ports.
* No support for DHCP reservations. I like to configure Servers and Printers this way, and can't find any good reason Cisco wouldn't support it like they do on their routers and Layer 3 switches.
Summary - A great value as a SOHO Firewall and VPN Appliance. The ASA 5505 is priced the same as the PIX 501 was, but adds 2 PoE ports and SSL VPN Capabilities. The biggest drawbacks I can see are the high learning curve, no built-in Wireless, and lack of DHCP reservations. Before purchasing, you'll probably want to take a look at the 870 series routers since they may be a better choice depending on your requirements.

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Businesses today require high-end networking capabilities, give it that ability with the Cisco® ASA 5505 Series Firewall Edition Bundle. The Cisco ASA 5500 Series Firewall Edition enables businesses to securely deploy mission-critical applications and networks in a highly reliable manner, while providing significant investment protection and lower operational costs through its unique, modular design.

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JBL Control 2.4G On Air Wireless Speaker System (Pair) Review

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(More customer reviews)Here's the good news: The sound quality is nice. The frequency response seems very detailed, and these diminutive speakers pack more bass than looks would suggest. No complaints about the sound quality.
Here's the bad news: These speakers have MANY very serious flaws that make them unusable.
1) The speakers have a timeout mechanism - they go into a standby mode if the sound stops transmitting. That's fine, but the standby mode mechanism is very overeager: the speakers often enter standby if the music volume stops, or even if the volume just gets a little too quiet, for a short period of time - even as little as 5 seconds. So the speakers can go into standby even during a quiet section of otherwise loud music, and the wakeup process is not trivial: it may take 10 seconds or more to reacquire the signal once the music kicks in again. Worse, this quirk is hard-coded and not adjustable; you can't disable or adjust the standby mechanism.
In short, these $200+ speakers have a tendency to cut out the music for 25 seconds or more when it dips too low. That is a fatal flaw. And it's not the only one:
2) These speakers will SHUT DOWN your Wi-Fi network. I have a very recent 802.11g router (a Motorola SBG900), and when there's music streaming to the speakers, my bandwidth drops from a steady 200kbps to about 5kbps. Seriously. If I unplug the transmitters (which are 10' away from both the router and the receiving computer), my bandwidth comes to life; if I plug 'em in again, my bandwidth vanishes immediately. It's terrible.
3) JBL made some very strange choices with regard to the cabling. The cable from the right speaker to the left is about 25 feet long - a bizarrely long connection for such small speakers - and unless you want to splice it, you're going to have a rat's-nest tangle of excess cable hanging somewhere between or behind the speakers. Meanwhile, the power cable is only about 18" between the active speaker and the power brick; and the power cable coming out of the brick is only about 3' long. As a result, if you mount the speakers 6' high, you'll have a massive black brick with a glowing green LED dangling at about 3', and probably a hookup to a longer power cable about 1' off the floor. It's quite sad; JBL must not have tried to actually mount these speakers before they shipped 'em out.
4) Speaking of mounting: The speakers come with wall mounting brackets that look sturdy at first glance. However, the speakers are very boxy - about 5" deep - so they'll project noticeably from the wall. Much worse, the mounting bracket is very poorly designed. For example, the speakers mount on a ball-and-socket bolt that's *way* too long - you'll see an extra 1.5" inches of bolt projecting from the wall mounting, for no particular reason. (In fact, JBL doesn't seem to trust the integrity of the bracket; they include a camera-strap-like thing for fastening the speaker to the bracket, in case it fails. Creepy.)
5) Want to buy extra speakers and dial 'em in to the same channel? Of course you do; it's wireless, right? Well, not so fast. First, JBL won't sell you *just* the speakers, so you have to buy a whole 'nother set - including a second transmitter - at full price. Second, the wireless setup has a hard limit of two speaker sets per transmitter channel. I own three sets of these speakers, and only two connect to the transmitter at any one time. I don't know why; it's completely capricious, and it severely limits the extensibility of the system.
It's really tragic that JBL made such terrible ancillary choices, because the prime virtue of these speakers - the sound quality - is very nice. But the convenience and sound quality aren't worth the hassles... particularly at such a high price point.
Bottom line: Avoid. Avoid at all costs. These things are FATALLY flawed. JBL needs to recall them and fix them... and if they don't, I'm certainly never buying their equipment again.
- David Stein


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Add a pair of speakers in the bedroom, in the kitchen, in the garage or on the patio.JBL On Air Control 2.4G wireless speaker system combines high-performance sound quality with wireless-installation convenience.The unit includes a pair of wall-mountable loudspeakers that incorporate a wireless transceiver and amplifier, a transmitter/receiver module, and a remote control.This system is ideal for a host of wireless-speaker applications, including use as the surround channels in a multichannel home theater, as a second-room music system, and as a high-quality wireless speaker system for computers and digital music players.The On Air Control 2.4G utilizes the 2.4GHz frequency range for interference-free transmission, and the transmitter/receiver module can be used with up to two pairs of JBL On Air speakers.The active speaker system includes a mini-jack input for connection to a second local audio source and a subwoofer output that enables the speakers to be used as part of a 2.1-channel satellite/subwoofer audio system.The 100mm polylaminate woofer produces rich, deep bass response, while the 12mm titanium-laminate tweeter delivers sparkling, clear high frequencies throughout the listening room.Easy-to-use wall brackets are included.

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BELKIN F5D7050 Wireless 802.11g USB Network Adapter Review

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(More customer reviews)I have an older iBook that requires an original Apple Airport card. Unfortunately these are no longer in production. They can still be purchased new online for $150-180 if you look for them, or you can get a used one from eBay for $100-150 or so. Couldn't see going those routes so I picked up one of these babies and it works flawlessly with OS 10.4. Belkin doesn't make drivers for it but you can get the driver at the Ralink Technology site (http://www.ralinktech.com/supp-1.htm). The Belkin adapter that I received from Amazon is version 3000, and it uses the RT71W driver. It's the one listed at the very bottom of the list of Macintosh drivers, dated 2006/01/25. When you open the box for this adapter, take the Install CD and the Quickstart Guide and all that other Windows-related stuff and throw them straight in the trash. Download and install the driver mentioned above and it'll prompt you to restart afterwards. Then go to your Network System Preferences pane and select Ethernet Adapter(en1) as your connection method. Plug the adapter into an available USB port (1.1 or 2.0, either one will work), then launch the Ralink Wireless Utility that you'll find in your Applications folder. And suddenly - hey yer smokin'! Been connected by cable for over three days now via a wireless Linksys router without a single disconnect. You can do it, too...

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The Wireless G USB Network Adapter easily connects your USB-equipped desktop or notebook computer to your wireless network for Internet and file sharing. Desktop users can now join the network with the ease of a USB plug-in, without opening their PC cases; laptop users can enjoy the benefits of staying mobile-while connected to the Internet.

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