HP JetDirect 175x External Print Server USB Review

Good Points
Turns any HP USB printer into a network printer (and probably others too).
Power Supply, CAT5 cable, set-up software and instructions supplied.
Hewlett Packard's website has all the software and instructions for updates and trouble shooting.

Bad Points
Expensive (£120 +VAT) but can be found on auction sites for around £30.
Could be tricky to install for a network novice.
Consider buying a network-ready printer in the first place!

General Comments
With wireless laptops all over the house, printing easily to a single printer was becoming a problem.



HP JetDirect 175x External Print Server USB is the answer. It is a wired link between the router and the USB-ported printer.

It should be a matter of Plug & Play, with the router determining the IP Address of the "printer". HP's "Install Network Printer Wizard" should then find the printer server, identify the printer and install the printer driver.



Unfortunately this did not work for me, and I had to find out how to reset the device to its factory default IP Address of "192.0.0.192" by re-starting the device while holding down the "test" button and start again. This time it worked.



After installation, the device can easily be accessed by entering the IP Address into your browser, probably something like http://192.168.1.6 for a home network.



It has worked faultless since installation, will queue multiple jobs and has made life much easier.



Not cheap, could be awkward to install but does what it says on the can!