danger!, danger! Will Robinson...

This is more of a caution than a review of the product, or perhaps it can be considered a review of the customer service and documentation for the product.

I was hoping that some of the negative review issues I had read on other sites about the Linksys WPS54G wireless printer server would not be the case for me since all my other wireless networking hardware is Linksys -- big mistake -- customer tech service, complexity of setup and compatibility with some printers seem to be the major issues for other reviewers.

Before installing I emailed Linksys to ask for a list of compatible (or non-compatible) black and white printers, and figured I could bail out early if my printer is on the forget-it list. Their reply 2 days later told me that it says on the box that it may not work with multi-function printer-scanner-fax models. OK, they didn't even get close to my question.

The setup process is very tedious; it seems straightforward until you realize that the documentation from the box is slightly different from what is going on on the setup wizard screen. If you do anything out of order the wizard locks up and its a start over which requires uninstalling everything and reinstalling your original attached printer driver. You also must have the full specs for your network, addresses, passwords etc., know how to disable your firewall and be prepared to plug and unplug the power, Ethernet and USB cables as instructed onscreen. Note that there is no help button in the setup wizard and when it fails, it just has a pop-up saying "FAILED" without even a hint of which of the previous 25 (I counted them) steps was the problem.

After I was "FAILED" at the same point on the 6th try, 2 calls to customer service tech help -- yep its India, got me to a lady who read the easy setup instructions from the box back to me, then hung up followed by a gent whose accent I really struggled with and an hour later he was also stuck and put me on hold for a technician (?!) who never did come on the line.

I eventually managed to get the server installed, sans tech help, after taking the first one back to the store for an exchange in case it was a mechanical issue -- then had to run the setup wizard on my other computers to access the unit. I had a fleeting moment of success when I printed out a letter, then the second print froze. I shut down everything and re-booted the computer, same result, it printed one page then froze again. Third attempt the server couldn't communicate with any of the computers and after several more attempts required uninstalling and going through the entire setup process again. I may try customer service one more time, or return the product. I will update this later.

From reading many reviews (few of them positive) of other manufacturer's products, it may be that wireless printing technology is still in infancy and will improve with time. If you plan to try the Linksys WRS54G, be prepared to spend many hours tinkering -- it will test your patience. If you are not very technically savvy, have it professionally installed or perhaps the best advice is to invest in a 20 foot long printer cable...