Wireless Printer Server and USB printer?

I just bought a Netgear WGPS606 wireless print server to connect my USB
Canon BJC-8200 printer. It works fine. I could see and print to the
printer over wireless but the big problem is that there is no printer
status information returned (paper out, ink empty etc...). This same
printer works fine (and displayed all printer information) as a
direct-connect printer or shared network printer when it was connected
directly to my desktop and print from my laptop.

Am I missing something? I would think that a printer server just pass
data from computer to the printer and vice versa. It seems that the
printer server didn't pass data back to my laptop?

Thanks for any suggestions!
-mike-

<johndoe_rider@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1119894720.500131.110780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> I just bought a Netgear WGPS606 wireless print server to connect my USB
> Canon BJC-8200 printer. It works fine. I could see and print to the
> printer over wireless but the big problem is that there is no printer
> status information returned (paper out, ink empty etc...).

I believe this is a common problem with printer servers. Before you buy you
have to check two things:

a) That it supports your printer.
b) How well it supports your printer.

The lack of support for the "back channel" is quite common.

"CWatters" <colin.watters@pandoraBOX.be> wrote in message
news:xlXve.131568$Qy4.7039020@phobos.telenet-ops.be...
>
> <johndoe_rider@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:1119894720.500131.110780@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com...
> > I just bought a Netgear WGPS606 wireless print server to connect my USB
> > Canon BJC-8200 printer. It works fine. I could see and print to the
> > printer over wireless but the big problem is that there is no printer
> > status information returned (paper out, ink empty etc...).
>
> I believe this is a common problem with printer servers. Before you buy
you
> have to check two things:
>
> a) That it supports your printer.
> b) How well it supports your printer.
>

Your printer doesn't seem to be listed on the supported printers list...

http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101457.asp

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I did see that my printer is not
listed on their "compatibility" list but they didn't say what that
means either :-)
I guess I will have to return it.

On Mon, 27 Jun 2005 18:19:53 GMT, "CWatters"
<colin.watters@pandoraBOX.be> wrote:

>Your printer doesn't seem to be listed on the supported printers list...
>
>http://kbserver.netgear.com/kb_web_files/n101457.asp

That list is by no means comprehensive. Those are just known and
tested printers. Many other printers will work.

With that said though, I could not use my Canon i9900 printer with
either of two print servers - an Air Link nor a Linksys. Same deal -
printer worked fine on both of them but wouldn't return any status
info from the printer. However, on two occasions with the same print
servers I've installed several late model complex HP printers, and
they've always worked perfectly with those same print servers. Maybe
some brands are more "networkable" than others. At least that's my
preliminary conclusion.