Page 2 Asante LPT & USB Network Print Servers Tech Lab Staff Review September 16, 2002 Each Asante print server is supplied with a 110VAC power supply, CD-ROM with software and the user manual. The software CD includes the Peer to Peer (PtP) application you should use for Windows systems and it also includes some Freeware/Shareware software for you to play with which could allow a Mac to print to a non-PostScript printer. Print Server with optional Asante 802.11b PC Card installed The VP1110L and VP1120U are only 3 - 3/4" D x 4 - 7/8" W x 1 - 1/8" H and designed to sit flat on a tabletop. If you're a bit handy, you can modify yours to mount to the side of a Laser Printer (as we did with ours when Ethernet connected) or on the wall above the printer if your going wireless (which we did as well). Mounting the Asante print server higher on the wall, rather than on the table, will greatly improve its radio transmission and reception range if you go 802.11b WiFi. Mounted on the wall above the height of the cubicles, we increased the reliable range from 80 feet to 135 feet (the length of our office suite). Remember that printers are bi-directional and especially when attached to a WLAN the printer needs to send status information to not only the WiFi hub, but also the computer that is sending it configuration or printing instructions. Actually, mounting the unit up high, and perhaps on the wall, is good for another reason. It allows you or your IT Engineer to monitor the 4 LED's on the unit that will indicate the status of the: LAN, WLAN, Activity (receiving data) and Errors. Now don't mount it too high on the wall, because there is also a "Diagnostic Button" which you will use to reset the device when programming it, to return it to factory defaults and also to print a test page containing all it's current settings. So cool! Everything about these two network print servers met our every measure for success except the installation instructions, which has a few "bumpy spots" in explaining what is actually a simple installation and that the PtP software is not Windows XP compliant (technically).				Setting up the Network Print Servers - Setting up either unit is actually a simple and easy matter, once you understand or figure out some "work a rounds". The manual explains that both units come preset with a 192.168.123.254 IP address, a preset Print Server Name and Password (which you should change during setup). Curiously, the default Subnet Mask is set as 0.0.0.0, which we were surprised that it would function with any address of less than a 1 per address segment. Nonetheless it does work while you search for it during setup. The manual also warns you that if you have a WiFi Access Point on your network LAN, you must detach it from the network. HTML Server Setup Screen, change name and password here TIP 1 - Getting Access to the Print Servers Setup One thing that the manual does not tell you, is that which ever computer you are using to access the HTML setup screen, you will need to change it's (temporarily) network address to one within the range of the preset Asante Print Server. So, go to your "Network Connections" window, right click on the Ethernet "Local Area Network" icon, click on the "Internet Protocol" TCP/IP" setting and then click on "Properties". At this window you will change (temporarily) your IP address to 192. 168.123.100 (same range as the print server, except for the last three digits). Open your IExplorer browser and enter http://192.168.123.254. This HTML window provides you the Asante'sPrint Servers current configuration status. next
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