BIOS: Technology Means Business

SMC Networks’ EZ Connect 802.11g Print Server (£75) handles print jobs across the wireless or wired LAN, across the Internet, or even sent via e-mail - securely and efficiently. In other words, simply connect the compact device to your USB printer, configure it, and then you and your colleagues can print directly to it without wires (802.11b/g).

The newest product in the company’s EZ Connect G family of wireless networking products, the silver-and-blue EZ Connect 802.11g Print Server (SMCWPS-G) is a neat network printing solution for consumers, home offices, classrooms or other businesses that require printer sharing. It’s small, light, unobtrusive and manufacturer independent, so you can use it with a wide range of printers - including both lasers and inkjets.

Configuring the SMCWPS-G is done via its Web-based interface and remote management capability, and it’s compatible with virtually all USB printers and major networking operating systems, including Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Macintosh, Unix and Linux. Having said that, the print server does not support printing with host-based printers, such as CAPT, GDI and PPA models.

To meet users’ network printing needs in today’s heterogeneous and multiple protocol networking environments, the print server supports industrial standard protocols, including TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NetBEUI and AppleTalk. This means that the print server supports the most popular network operating systems today, including NetWare, Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003, UNIX systems and Macintosh computer. As such, there might be several ways to deploy the print server on your network.

At the rear of the device is a single USB 2.0 connector for connecting directly to a compatible printer, in addition to an Ethernet port for hooking up to an existing LAN and 802.11g Wi-Fi for connecting to compatible desktop or laptop computers. The only peripherals you’ll need to supply yourself are a wireless router (if you don’t already have a Wi-Fi network) and a USB cable.

The EZ Connect 802.11g Print Server’s IPP (Internet Printing Protocol) capability lets it accept print jobs from clients, suppliers, colleagues and other authorised users from anywhere, via the Internet. And its e-mail function lets it execute print jobs sent to it by e-mail. It supports the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP), which remote printer management and a warning. A standard SNMP agent is permanent on these print servers. Any standard SNMP-based application can be used to access and manage these print servers.

Of course, accessibility makes security all the more important, so the device supports 64/128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and works with WPA or WPA2 secured wireless networks to prevent unauthorised users from accessing your network over a wireless connection. The device’s auto-fallback feature provides scalable connectivity under noisy environments to enable a larger wireless operating range, and its bi-directional communication capability keeps you informed, relaying printer messages (low ink, no paper, and so) back to your PC if there’s a problem during the print process.

Its built-in diagnostic button and Web-based management interface makes configuration and maintenance relatively easy, although network experience would be helpful. The bundled PSAdmin is a proprietary Windows-based management program that assists in configuring and managing the print server. However, to enable network communication with the print server, your computer must have a proper IP address (such as 192.168.2.15). The SMCWPS-G is a DHCP-client by default.

You’ll also need to know your wireless network’s SSID, as well as Data Transmit Rates (Auto or others), Transmit Mode (Auto or others), and enable or disable WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption according to your wireless network. Finally, on the TCP/IP Settings screen, you need to specify a fixed or dynamic IP address for the print server (IP address of print server must be within the same subnet as your network adapter).

The SMCWPS-G contains an embedded Web server that can be accessed through a supported Web browser on a LAN. The embedded Web server provides access to configuration and management pages for the print server and the connected peripheral device. You can view the device name of the print server, view the contact name of the print server, view the location name of the print server, and even view uptime of the print server.

You can also view the firmware version of the server, view the Mac Adress (Node ID) of the print server, and view the current wireless mode of the print server. In terms of the printer you can view the manufacturer of the connected printer, view status of the printer, and monitor the print queue. You can also alter the type of wireless connection (Infrastructure or Ad-Hoc mode), MAC address of the access point that is associated with the print server, SSID of your wireless network, current channel number, and transmit mode (802.11b or 802.11g).

The SMCWPS-G does what it does - it’s not sexy, nor is it particularly flexible or full of complicated options. But if you want to enable wireless printing throughout your home or office using just one printer, it will let you accomplish that relatively quickly and easily. The addition of IP and e-mail printing options is a nice bonus for business users, but the strength of the SMCWPS-G’s signal was not exceptional. In a larger wireless network using multiple access points, this should not be an issue. [7]

[Best Wireless Network Pricing UK]
[Best Wireless Network Pricing US]

Got this product? Got a camcorder/mic? Let us post YOUR video/podcast review!