TRENDnet 1-Port Parallel Print Server TE100-P1P (Blue)

 (94 customer reviews)

This is a great little gadget to allow the conversion of my HP DeskJet 895 CSE to a network printer at home. I did encounter some bumps during the setup and hope my listing of what I did can help you in setting yours up. I have an average background on networking, as I work in the IT industry as a computer programmer. My hardware settings are:
1) Work Laptop with Windows XP
2) Personal Laptop with Windows 7
3) D-Link 802.11g Router
4) HP DeskJet 895 CSE
5) TrendNet TE100-P1P

To setup my network, these are what I had to do:
1) Prior to plugging the network cable to the TE100-P1P, I went to my main router setting, and changed the address from 192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.2; the reason being, the print server has 192.168.0.1 as it's default IP address. By not changing it initially, I was having difficulty reaching the print server and my router.
2) After the router re-started, I plugged the network cable to the print server, and was able to...Read more

I converted my LaserJet 5MP (what a workhorse!) to wireless with this unit. It communicates well with the Ubuntu and Windows Vista laptops in the house. Wireless printing is much more convenient than print sharing since you don't have to turn on an extra machine to act as a server.
The documentation could be better and you need a Windows computer (or WINE) to get this running because the web interface doesn't work out of the box. But it's been running fine for weeks now that I've installed it.
I haven't had a problem with signal strength at all and my printer is upstairs while my computer is often downstairs.
I would recommend this adapter with the caveat that it's easy to set up if you know the basics of home networks. From the other reviews and comments, I'd say that if you don't know what an IP address is or how to install a networked printer on your OS, you might want to look elsewhere for something simpler to install.

The setup instructions are not adequate - important things for some installations are left out. If the device doesn't work the first time, there is no troubleshooting help in the documentation. My call to the support line was answered quickly by a polite gentleman who knew nothing. But he promised to "escalate my ticket" and have a "level 3 technician" call me at an appointed time. The call never came. A second request for a help call also never happened. After more than a week my request for setup help remains unanswered.