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Review
Created: January, 2000
Axis Communications' Axis 5600 External Print Server
By Terry Fong, Cyberwalker
Media Syndicate
Network operating systems on servers -- computers dedicated to serving networks -- can be an expensive way to allow many people to share a printer.
With the Axis 5600, Axis Communications has produced an affordable product that is within the means of businesses with very small budgets.
At 6.3 inches by 5.1 inches, this sleek gray-blue box is great for small businesses with limited space. With models starting at $85 US ($130 Canadian), it's cheaper than similar Hewlett Packard models.
Like the HP series, the Axis 5600 can support many network protocols. Unlike the HP product line, it supports "Windows only" printers and can even print to a printer with a serial port.
The Axis 5600 comes with three ports that can be hooked up to two parallel printers and one serial printer. The IP (Internet Protocol) address of the server can be manually set. If there is a DHCP
(Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server on the network, it will automatically poll it to get an address.
Once the IP address is set (you can use the default) and some software is installed, it is simple to add a printer to the Printers folder under Windows 95/98. Some manual configuration may be necessary if the software does not recognize the printer. Each printer is set to its own port, with each port having its own configuration. Multiple logical ports can also be assigned to a printer, allowing different personalities (configured with different forms, font sets, etc.) to be used.
With many dedicated pieces of hardware, configuring and management with a browser is becoming de rigeur. How well that is implemented is an important consideration. With the Axis 5600, any Web-standard, compliant browser can be used with any operating system or platform, not just with Netscape or Internet Explorer under a variant of Microsoft Windows.
There are two configuration modes using this method: user and admin. User mode allows viewing of the job log and configuration through a configuration wizard. This wizard configures some fairly important parameters, such as print server name and passwords. Admin mode allows direct access to many more administrative tasks.
Management and monitoring can also be accomplished via FTP (file transfer protocol) and telnet. Using FTP, more intricate administration is possible by configuring a text file and uploading it to the server. This should be attempted only by experts. Telnet access into the print server is for basic administrative tasks, such as re-setting the server, status checks, or inspecting log files of the last 20 jobs.
There is also an option to update the hardware's firmware, but this was untested, as the reviewed unit was already current.
Documentation and online help is thorough and well laid out. Documentation, as well as installation and utility programs for many of Axis Communications products, comes on the included CD. Documentation uses Adobe Acrobat extensively, linking documents and invoking set-up programs, as appropriate.
Online help and some of the documentation is on the print server itself, including invoking links to the Axis Web site for further updates. A hard copy of the User's Guide is included.
The only problems were minor. The test button is hard to locate and you need a pen to push it. You have to know the intricacies of Unix printing to print in a Unix environment. There was a minor problem attempting to read the PDF documentation under Mac OS 9, which is most likely a compatibility issue with the newest version of Acrobat. The problem did not show up under Windows.
Reviewer's rating: 4.75 / 5
Comments: The Axis 5600 External Print Server is immensely configurable from many platforms, easy to use and much cheaper than similar Hewlett Packard models.
Platform: Windows, Macintosh, NetWare, OS/2, various Unix versions.
Network Protocol: TCP/IP, Apple EtherTalk, NetBIOS/NetBEUI, or various NetWare in any combination.
Interface: RJ-45; BNC on some models.
More info: www.axis.com
Price: There are many models available, including:
Axis 560: $ 260 US $390 Canadian [10 BaseT, 2 Parallel 1 Serial]
Axis 540: $ 85 US $130 Canadian [10 BaseT, 1 Parallel]
Axis 5600: $ 219 US $330 Canadian [10/100 BaseT, 2 Parallel 1 Serial] (unit reviewed)
Axis 5400: $ 190 US $275 Canadian [10/100 BaseT, 2 Parallel 1 Serial]
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