Linksys EFSP42 Etherfast Print Server Review

The Linksys EFSP42 Print Server Network Switch Uses the same underlying print server and network technology as the Linksys PSUS4 except that the printer ports are Parallel, not USB and there are TWO of them. Check the PSUS4 Review for more information.

The EFSP42 Two Port Print Server only ships with 256kb of printer memory. It did slow down a little when we printed large print jobs thru both print server ports at the same time but at the price you can't complain. For the small home or office network with a couple of parallel port printers in need of networking, the Linksys EFSP42 is an ideal purchase. Like the EFSP42 the four network ports are auto sensing and the separate uplink port makes cascading or uplinking this device off an existing network a breeze.

Linksys have kept the printer memory buffer at 256kb but have added a dedicated print controller chip to speed things up. We thought the print server was fast but not as fast as it could be if it had the now standard 1mb of print server memory. Like most other print servers it cannot be upgraded so consider your options carefully before you buy.

Handy Adhoc Network Device

The EFSP42 is perfect for adhoc network jobs giving your network the flexibility to meet your printing and networking needs. For a large department with a hotspots of network and printer use a couple of EFSP42's for the parallel port printers and a few PSUS4's for those printers requiring a usb print server is a cost effective and low impact solution.

The EFSP42 also comes with 512kb of internal memory for its own use, including future firmware upgrades. For Print Server Driver and Firmware information please visit our handy print server resources and guides from the links on the right.

The 2 parallel Print Server Ports are both Bi-Directional so printers can send information back to the network. This is a must for any modern print server. Most New Printers are able to report printer status and error messages back to print server client Computers so you can see 'Toner Low' in your 'Printer and Faxes' status column in Windows XP.

Linksys EFSP42 Specs:

• Printer Ports : 2 BidirectionalParallelPorts
• Network Ports : 4 * 10/100 + Full Duplex
• Operating SystemsSupported: Windows
• Printer Memory Buffer : 256kb
• Printer RAM : 512kb
• Warranty : 3 Years Limited Linksys Warranty

As with many print servers we review the EFSP42 has difficulty with multifunction devices. Owners of All in One or multifunction printers should check with your manufacturers before spending your hard earned cash on a print server that may only allow printer functions. All in One or Multifunction Printers are devices best suited to internal print servers - more on this in the print server guides elsewehere on this site.

Print Server & Network Switch - A Great Combination

The combination of print server and four port network switch kills two birds with one stone and is perfect for a small office with a laser printer and an inkjet printer floating around. How often have you found yourself in a conference or meeting room thats 2 or 3 network point short and is too far away from the color laser printer? Drop a pre-configured EFSP42 in, cable up and you've got an instant meeting room network and printer pool that can be packed away in 5 minutes.

This makes as much sense at home as in the office. Keep you printers together confines noisey printers and spagetti network cables in the same place which is great for home office printers and you can store all your paper and supplies together as well.

Installing the Linksys EFSP42 Print Server

The installation and configuration of the Linksys print server was easy though we did have to reset it several times at one point after it vanished from the network. Once it was up it was trouble free and we had no further problems with it. Every Print Server review comes with a warning about networking knowledge and the Linksys EFSP42 is no exception. Print Servers are notorious to configure without a little TCP/IP knowledge. Check the networking guides and resources for more information and the links pages to sharpen up your networking knowledge.

Firewalls can cause Print Server Problems

The is a lot of mention in technical forums and other review sites about problems with firewalls and Print Servers, particularly the Linksys EFSP42. Many of the print servers we review use certain Ports to communicate with. If A Firewall is configured to block packets travelling between two network devices you may not be able to communicate with or configure your print server. More help on finding lost print servers can be found in the resources and guides on this site.

EFSP42 Review Conclusion

Overall We liked the Linksys EFSP42 a lot. The flexibility, the performance and the cost in particular. Wide compatibility and the print servers small size seals it. With Parallel Port technology on the way out the Linksys is a perfect cash saving way of networking two older printers for the rest of their lives while the four 100Mbps switched network ports open up all sorts of new possibilities.

The warranty period on the Linksys EFSP42 Print Server Network Switch is 3 years. Will your laser printer and color inkjet last that long?