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IMPORTANT NOTE: If you haven't installed your printer (or other device) software, you will have to wire connect for the first time. Click yes and it downloads from the Mac website and installs itself. * No firmware update of devices can be performed wirelessly.HOW IT WORKS: In layman's terms, it creates a USB over IP tunnel between the computer and the SX-2000WG. This was because the printer software was already installed. The installation is much more intuitive on a Windows computer and completely up to date.
Your printer software can no longer see the printer because it doesn't see it on the wired port. It does run for a time but tends to cause the OS to crash. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you haven't installed your printer (or other device) software, you will have to wire connect for the first time. The wireless setup process required that I change the IP address of my Mac to match the IP address they included in the SX-2000WG. I have experienced both. NOTE: There was another wireless setup that allowed all manual settings but it required knowing if your AP was WAP, WEP, etc., and levels of encryption, etc. * SX-2000WG firmware updates only via Windows.
Yes I had to lug my printer to the PC to install the printer software. Like the Mac, I had to open printer properties and find the printer again and select the virtual USB port. Think of the USB over IP tunnel as a virtual USB wire through your wireless network, one computer at a time. Make a wired USB connection to update firmware. Again, VERY IMPORTANT, you must have a wired USB connection during a firmware update.MAC SNOW LEOPARD: Although the Virtual Link software does work when the Mac first boots up, it stops working (print jobs fail) when:1) the Mac has been on for about an hour,2) switching the USB connection between the other computers in the house.Sometimes quitting the Virtual Link software and restarting it helps but not always. See "MAC SNOW LEOPARD" for more.* Only one computer can connect at a time. WORSE THAN THESE, my Mac occasionally will freeze up, the screen will turn gray from the top of the screen to the bottom, and a message in several languages will tell me that I must reboot the Mac by pressing and holding the power button. After that everything works as advertised.
I selected my network, provided my networks password and it joined it receiving a DHCP provided IP address from my DSL router. At that point I lost a connection to the SX-2000WG and changed the IP of my Mac to DHCP and rejoined the network. The software included on the CD is intended for OS up to 10.4. They have since removed this device from their list of accessories for the 5500. Unfortunately at this time it is not a supported operating system and our engineers are working hard to come up with software fixes to alleviate the problems you're encountering however at this time I can offer no support for your particular setup."FIRMWARE: Do not attempt to update the firmware of any device via the device server. The printed instructions are only for wired setup, which is the easiest to follow but requires a wire. You have to use a USB hub for more than one device.* Virtual Link software (required) does NOT run on Mac Snow Leopard at this time.
A round blue icon appears in the Dock (Mac) or Tray (Windows) that allows you to connect to devices. Again, VERY IMPORTANT, you must have a wired USB connection during a firmware update. CAVEATES: * Product Description says it can connect up to 15 devices but it doesn't tell you that there is only one USB plug on the back of it. You can choose options that cause the software to run upon startup, appear in the Tray, automatically connect to devices, etc. I was easier to choose the automatic route.
If you select the wireless setup, the software does explain the following. Ergo, device sharing is not like file or print sharing in a corporate network environment, where any computer on the network can access the resources. IMPORTANT NOTE: If your device software requires sensing the device during installation, you will have to direct wired connect to the device during installation. After connecting to the SX-2000WG, it listed the available wireless networks.
You will have to go into System Preferences, select Print & Fax, and click the + icon to add the printer. At this point I have moved my printer to the device server. When the installation is complete, you may have to run the software from the Applications folder (I don't remember). One for setting up the Silex in your network and the other to enable your computer to connect to the printer. Sometime rebooting the Mac is necessary to get the software to work again. I used the setup program on my MacMini running OS 10.6.1. Then you need to restart the SX-2000WG client software installer again. Otherwise the options you select will not be saved.
It does what it says. More in SETUP. I sent this information to Silex Tech Support and received the following reply."There are several known issues with Snow Leopard and our Virtual Link software, several of which are what you've listed. You can install the software while being logged in as a basic user because the Mac will ask for an administrator's login during installation, BUT to configure the options after installation will require being logged in as the administrator. I had to download drivers (for OS 10.5) from the Silex website. Once the printer software was installed, I was able to return the printer to the device server.
It provides a wireless connection to USB devices. When you run the installer, it first asks if you want to install Rosetta. Printed instructions include directions for Windows and Mac platforms. As I said above, it does not offer One-To-Many server services. I did try to install it but it bombed.
The SX-2000WG client software will find the device server on the wireless network and ask you to select it. SETUP THE WINDOWS: The software included on the CD was (like the Mac) older software. The Kodak software also will attempt to sense and update the firmware of the printer while installing. Either the firmware will sense the connection is not direct and fail, or it will update the firmware and following the reboot of the device, it will not find the computer and the firmware update will bomb and revert (or worse, completely fail). This only happened since I started using the Virtual Link software. Virtually, it is as if the USB device is directly connected to your computer.
I have a Vista Home computer and I chose to download current software from the Silex website. * Some devices will require a wired connection for initial setup. I have the Kodak EasyShare AIO 5500 printer, scanner, fax, copier. The Kodak website listed this device as a recommended accessory with a link to the Silex website. You can choose options that cause the software to run upon startup, appear in the Dock, automatically connect to devices, etc.
If another device in the network has the connection, you have to send a request for a connection and the user of the other computer has to agree before their connection is released and your computer is connected. Pretty easy.SETUP THE MAC: Not nearly as intuitive. It allowed me to connect to the device both wirelessly and by Cat5. I wanted to make it wirelessly available to other computers in the house. The Kodak software also will attempt to sense and update the firmware of the printer while installing. See "HOW IT WORKS" for more. CONCLUSION: For my purposes, it doesn't work. When the installation is complete, you will have to start it from the Start Programs menu.
The SX-2000WG client software will find the device server on the wireless network and ask you to select it. There is a utility on the included CD that has two different programs. INTENT: I bought the Silex SX-2000WG USB Device Server for one reason but with the hope of all the reasons that it describes in the product description. Because the user of one computer ties up the printer, other computer users are not able to print until they request a link and the currently linked user releases the link.SETUP THE SX-2000WG: The setup is fairly simple although not intuitive. The Virtual Link software does work (via Rosetta).
Product does exactly what I bought if for. Excellent quality, good price, shipping was great. Now my girlfriend can print from her wireless PC without any wires or having to have any other PC's turned on.
The only way to disconnect was to repower the server.In short, this product is defective by design and implementation and was ultimately returned to the vendor for a refund. The Silex documents are written in what we used to call, "Jinglish", meaning that they need additional translation into English to be considered readable.Not only was I unable to get the SX-2000WG working with my printer, but the Silex Virtual Link software would repeatedly prevent disconnection from the printer once my PC was logically connected. I worked as a software engineer, engineering manager and advanced PC user for over 30 years, and have never encountered a more wormy digital product than this one. To make matters worse, the Silex manual, FAQs and support resources are all 2nd rate to the point of being amateurish. (Note that it is necessary for each user to manually "disconnect" from the printer before others on the network can use it, a weak design in my opinion).
I have been a Mac user for 20 years and this is the most unintuitive device I have ever tried to connect to a Mac. I finally gave up. I bought this device so that I could scan wirelessly on a Canon MP830 which is currently connected to an Airport Base Station. I spent about 5 hours trying, including 2 emails to Silex customer support.
Again, none of them showed up in the software. It showed up in SX virtual link software after I completed the installation and activated the wireless mode. The SX-2000WG is going back to Amazon today. I knew it was a long shot, but I also tried all of my other USB devices, including two card readers, Dell brand mouse and a portable 2.5" 40GB external hard drive. I was never able to get it work with either CX6400 or the Fantom hard drive. I also called Silex tech support number several times. So I went ahead and emailed to the Silex tech support email address that they posted on their website with my problems.
There was probably not anybody behind it any way. That was 4 days ago and I haven't heard back anything yet. Of course the computers I've tried have already installed the USB devices with direct connection before I tried all these. Setup of SX-2000WG was easy when I followed the instructions. And that's it. I checked all the FAQ's on Silex website and found the only possible answer was that my USB devices were not compatible with SX-2000WG.
Everytime I was redirected to voice mail. All I have to say is Silex is poor on product quality as well as customer support. I bought this Silex wireless USB device server primarily for my Epson CX6400 multifunction printer and Fantom Titanium II 500GB USB 2.0 external hard drive. They didn't appear under the SX-2000WG in SX virtual link. There was not even an option to stay on the line to wait for an available agent.
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