HPS12U 2 USB and 1 Parallel Port Print Server

The installation software is useless. I can plug the unit straight into my PC or into a hub and the software still doesn't find the printer server. Call tech support wait a half a hour and finally get the thing up and running... (Tech support does seem VERY well versed in getting the thing up and running. I've called a lot, I know.) Within 2 days, the print server stopped working. It functioned intermittantly with a lot of fiddling for several months. Now it appears dead. Buy something else -- anyone have a recommendation?!?

I was first worried when I installed the unit and it required my to install and run some server management software on my local computer. To me, the whole point of a network print server is to get something that is standalone and autonomous. The product often hangs and requires a reboot (unplug and plug.) When it does choose to work it is much slower than my last print server. I am thinking about ditching this product and buying the Linksys EPSX3 which I wanted in the first place, except its much more expensive.

I don't doubt that this is a perfectly capable product because I used it for a while until my printer died and I got a new one with built in network port. It was however not particularly intuitive to configure, even with sound knowledge of the subject matter. It is too big an ask for most home users! The issue came when wanting to reuse it several years later. Nowhere does the documentation or software describe how to reset to factory settings and start again, so the forgotten admin password presented a problem that seemed insurmountable. Prodding the recessed factory reset switch with the end of a paper clip didn't do anything, nor did powering the unit up with the factory reset pressed. In the end, persistence paid off: to achieve the factory reset, keep the factory reset switch pressed for 10 seconds or more. Then the power LED starts binking rapidly and the unit restarts in reset mode. Then it was reconfigured and printing again in a matter of minutes.

Got one of these about a year ago, installed it with HP LJ 1100A and completely forgot it... The family has been printing for a year, no problems.I'm using it with Linux CUPS servers, in IPP mode -- on a house network with a few dozen computers, Nagios reports 100% uptime. Deals well with printer power down mode, printer wakes up when a new print job is coming through.

It works perfect with my HP CP1215.I was use netgear print server with this printer, but had compatible problem.I like it very much.

Avoid this product. The print server is incompatible with Canon printers ("except one" according to tech support). Hawking does not publish a list of compatible printers. You simply have to wrestle with things until you are frustrated enough to call tech support who will inform you that the printer is not compatible. The configuration software is buggy, documentation is poor, and product testing seems thin. As an indicator, there are misspellings in the utility software. One dialog was title "Warnning". Junk!

I didn't like the software interface provided, which I needed to use during set-up. The screens aren't intuitive enough, I had to waste time clicking around too much.Once it was set up and working, it didn't work consistently well. I have a Brother HL-1240 laser printer (parallel) and an Epson Stylus CX6400 (USB) connected to is and I get random trash characters showing up on my pages coming from the Brother laser printer.

Item works excellent, a little problem setting up, but I called tech support and they were very helpful. Prints with no problem.