Belkin F5L009 5-Port Wireless Network USB Hub

List Price: $129.99 Discount Price: $65.00

Features:

• Allows computers to share USB external hard drives, printers, scanners and media readers wirelessly
• Easy 3-minute setup
• Compatible with all wireless routers (router not included)
• 3-year Belkin warranty
• Network Hub gives network computers wireless access to up to 15 USB devices

Customer Reviews:

Misleading product description [Posted on 2008-04-24]
This item is sold under the pretense that it is a wireless print server. It is neither wirless nor a printer server. It is a network USB hub that cannot share printers seamlessly but thorugh a clunky software request system. Do not recommend.

Works as advertised [Posted on 2008-05-01]
I haven't tried using this hub for anything other than printers, but it works well for sharing multiple USB printers on a network. Each computer has to have the Belken software loaded and it's not quite as simple as having an actual print server, but it works with little effort. It did require a software upgrade when I switched to Vista though.

Belkin F5L009 [Posted on 2008-05-04]
The idea is great but this item needs work. There ar too many conflicts with software and enourmous setup issues on a peer to peer workgroup especially when you are working with two different operating systems. If this were a network the a actual hub or switch would work great.
To print you have to enter via the belkin hub software, select a device then select print. There is no "one step process". Accessibility fro hard drives and printers on same hub is very difficult if non -exixtent. The technology just needs to be developed more to work as a dirct device or PNP(plug-N- play. The idea is to be able to access you network HDD or printers as simply and easily as possible. Maybe in a few years this product will be revised with plug and play features.
My best assessment for a printer access is to do the windows shared printer and files, you are a lot better off in a peer to peer workgoup.

Mac Users Beware! [Posted on 2008-05-12]
I was searching for a network usb hub that I could use for my PC-Mac setup at home. When I saw that Belkin had provided Mac drivers for the F5L009, I jumped and purchsed the unit. That was in mid-April. It worked great on both systems until last week. On my Intel Mac, I now receive the message "SXUPTP Driver not installed. Please install the application again." Then, I click "OK" and the Belkin software shuts down.

Note that the PC software remains full capable.

I've done a full uninstall and reinstall almost a dozen times. I've removed third party software that might be in conflict. I've called and e-mailed Belkin technical support, but their only solution is to reinstall the drivers. The funny thing is, this SXUPTP.kext file gets placed exactly where it's supposed to go. The Belkin interface apparently can't find it.

I read below about Silex and its SX Virtual Link software, and how it makes the Belkin router work with Intel Macs. I suppose I could try it. But why should I have to go to third-party software to make this product work? It would be one thing if Mac drivers did not exist, but Belkin produces drivers for OS X 10.3, 10.4, and 10.5.

I've given up. I'm returning this unit, regretably. Once again, I say...if you own a Mac, invest in Apple products. They seem to have figured out the Mac-PC connection. PC products are still coming to grips with the whole dual compatability thing. I think I'll invest in an Airport Extreme router. I don't need a router; I just need a USB hub. But I'm pretty confident the Airport Extreme will be able to figure out the PC-Mac connection.

Convenient [Posted on 2008-05-15]
I run 6 computers, 5 are wired and 1 is a wireless notebook. I find it convenient to have an external USB hard drive and a 4 gb flash drive plugged into this hub. I've had no connection problems with any of my various model computers.

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