NETGEAR Wireless Digital Music Player Reviews

• Works well in wired setup - download latest software!

  
  By AMZVOS4H9AYR1 on 2004-12-27
  Now that I have this set up it does exactly what I wanted it to very well -- that is, in a wired network environment, it streams all the mp3 files that I have on my PC's hard drive through my traditional two-channel audio setup. It has a number of limitations: it doesn't support Internet radio, except for a paid service, and it doesn't support various rights-protected data formats. But it does do the one thing I bought it for extremely well: allowing me to enjoy my entire music collection in an organized, well catalogued way, through my home audio system.
  
  As this whole field of products is still pretty new, I also didn't want to spend more money on one of the more advanced systems -- it seems that the customer feedback on all of these media players remains pretty mixed. So I stuck with something relatively simple, and this little box does what I want for a reasonable price. (Previously I was using my iPod on a docking station, connected to my stereo...for the modest price of this Netgear player I've now liberated the iPod that previously was wired up to my stereo.)
  
  A couple of cautions:
  
  1. A lot of the customer problems cited here at Amazon seem to relate to problems with wireless transmission. I did not even try to set this up in a wireless network; I just hard-wired it into the network port I had installed in my living room. I have had a lot of frustration in my home w/wireless devices so finally just gave up and dropped in wiring for a home network while I was having other electrical work done in my house. I am glad I bit the bullet -- the wired network is saving me a lot of time and trouble. This Netgear product is just one example of the kinds of things that are very happy tethered to a wire that seem to be much more problematic when they are wireless.
  
  2. Throw away the software disk that comes with the hardware -- don't install it!. Instead, download the new software and firmware that is on Netgear's site. I couldn't get this to work at all at first -- tech support advised me to uninstall the provided software, download the software update on their site, and start over. This got more complicated than it sounds because I'd already built a database of songs for the Netgear and I had to hunt down this database file and kill it, too...it got a little bit tricky...so it took me a couple of hours in all to get this fixed. Had I started with the new software posted on Netgear's site, I would have had the whole thing done in 20 minutes. In any case, just go right to netgear's site and download their new software, and don't use the junk they ship with the product.
  
  I also found netgear's tech support to be very, very good -- they answered the phone quickly (on Christmas Eve!) and were extremely helpful and patient.
  
  

• Great for Wired Rhapsody. Beware otherwise.

  
  By A16QOSL3UDD87K on 2004-05-29
  Good: The unit is attractive and solid, the sound is great. The unit's interface is surprisingly easy to navigate with the remote. If you have cataloged your MP3 music properly (playlists or MP3 tags), you will have no problem navigating a large library. Cataloging is not an issue using Rhapsody because it's automatic.

  Bad: The wireless mode fails to connect, even though my dhcp server (linksys wireless router with all default settings) says an IP address was provided. As a network professional, I recommend against wireless if wired is an option for reasons mentioned in earlier reviews. As far as I can tell, it's mandate if you are not using a netgear hub.

  The included media server is so bad that it's almost inoperable. It fails to operate as a service, requiring PC login elsewhere on the network. I was hoping that the unit could directly connect to Rhapsody, but that also requires a login to a PC. To get around the deficiencies of the media server, I manage all cataloging and playlists through Real Player.
  
  Ugly: It cannot play internet radio. For that there is no workaround, and I almost returned the unit. I can only hope that one day Real Player can integrate with the unit.
  
  

• Returned this for a Squeezebox

  
  By on 2004-05-14
  I'm a bit of an audiophile and I was disappointed in the MP101, it lacks digital outputs and doesn't support any lossless compression formats (I've got tracks in FLAC, WAV, AIFF and now Apple's new Lossless format). The software is a joke and the product was really hard to set up. Plus, the LCD display was hard to read at a distance.

  While the MP101 is a bit cheaper, it's a poor imitation of the product that I ended up with, which was Squeezebox. It's got both optical and coax digital outputs, supports tons of audio formats including uncompressed, automatically imports from iTunes (so my playlists on my iPod are the same on my stereo).
  
  

• It is good

  
  By on 2004-06-29
  Good that is if you want a fancy looking paper-weight or a $100+ piñata, this is the way to go. After 20+ hours trying to get it to work I almost hit it with a baseball bat.

  Like many of the bad reviews, I encountered frequent (like every 15 minutes) loss of server contact, box locks up and needs to be unplugged to re-boot, remote is unresponsive once the system crashes, using the remote while playing a song will sometimes crash it, and even when it does reboot it rarely finds the network again. The server software locked up my computer numerous times and now I get this stupid "wjveiw" error every time I boot up. It would reliably ping from my computer for hours, but somehow the mp101 would always say it lost server contact or lock up.

  This will be returned, I think the only people making money on this product are the delivery companies. I should of bought it at a local store, now I have to pay $20+ for round trip shipping ,since I was so excited to get it I paid for 2'nd day air, big mistake. I think Amazon should credit that at least.

  Went out and bought the linksys WMLS11b at Walmart for $149. It rocks, comes with it's own speakers and external jacks, even an optical, if you want to use your own stereo. So far no major problems. Loads 100's of internet radio stations automatically (I'm listening to my old college station right now, pretty cool). News, international, and plenty of music genres. You can even can listen to air traffic controllers and police scanners where available. Yes I know, internet radio is available with out the server, but it makes it 100 times more convenient than searching on your computer.

  Some minor problems with the linksys, are the shuffle function is not working (I'll call tech support see if they can help), the vertical and horizontal footprint is larger than the mp101. Remote looks like it should operate a 1980's betamax player.

  Set up time was about an hour. I have no idea how people got the mp101 to work reliably, esp. with rhapsody (yes, the upnp was enabled). The firmware and server upgrades did not improve the quality.

  Sorry to bash a product, but this is a stinker! I lost 20 hours of my life and $20+ in shipping. If you want to try it out I suggest buying it somewhere that it can be quickly and easily returned without cost. OK, no more thinking about this product, I'm done venting.

  FYI: My System; 1.8 ghz, win XP, wireless netgear 11.b network, internet 3Mb connection.
  
  

• Great concept, less-than-stellar execution

  
  By A1F9V5HF0P9IO4 on 2004-05-23
  I purchased this product to use with Rhapsody, as it is recommended by the service. It's very simple to set up for a wireless network - I simply entered my WEP settings and rebooted the device. Unfortunately, it loses wireless connectivity way too often to be practical. One "feature" of the player is that it reboots whenever it loses its wireless connection. As each reboot takes a couple of minutes, I got very frustrated getting dropped from the network multiple times in a row while simply browsing my playlists. I don't know if there was some sort of conflict between the player and my Access Point (a Linksys WAP11), but this sort of wireless performance is simply unacceptable. None of my other wireless devices have any connectivity issues. I didn't try the wired network connection, so I don't know how it performs. Hopefully, it doesn't have the same connectivity issues as the wireless mode.

  The included software is functional, but limited. It functions as a server applet to which the MP101 connects. It allows you to catalog all of the MP3 or WMA files on your local drive, but it does not have a way to catalog files on network drives from what I could tell. For a networking product, I found this odd. I was also disappointed that you could not control the unit via software. I have a multi-room audio setup and was hoping to be able to play my Rhapsody playlists through it using this product. Unfortunately, you can only control the unit through the supplied remote control.

  With firmware improvements, this could be a much better product. Hopefully, NETGEAR will address the problems in the near future. As for me, I'm going to purchase a Slim Devices Squeezebox like the reviewer below did - it has much more robust software, digital outputs and support for Rhapsody (via plugin) as well.
  
  

• Great Idea - Poor Software
  By A3UWJ2M4GDUGN on 2004-06-29
  Great Idea, Wireless network set up OK, loaded software and scanned for MP3 files. Everything working fine, couldn't be happier.

  Then I started loading more of my CD's and LP's into MP3 format for use with the system. Problems, each time I added more music the software "broke" and the browse music function stopped working. Each time I tried to select by Artist I could only get half way through the "B"s before the list would loop back. Any attempt to search by starting letter would produce a "Search Failed" message.

  Deleting the music and loading from scratch did not solve the problem. Neither did restarting either the computer or the MP101

  So far the only thing that has worked is un-installing and then re-installing the software, complete with rescanning for music. Not a viable options for each time I add more music.

  As for customer support ? I'm still waiting for a response.
  
  

• Works perfectly with other server software
  By A3TWCK7L796VPU on 2007-02-01
  Many of the problems that are being mentioned have to do with the server that netgear provides with the package. Don't bother to use the CD. Don't even bother to download the new version from the netgear website because it has issues.
  
  The MP101 is a client that supports the UPNP protocol for streaming music. You can use any other software that can be installed as a server as long as it supports the UPNP. Two good examples are TwonkyMedia and Windows Media Player 11.
  
  Specifically, windows media player 11 (that comes with Vista) has a built-in UPNP server. So when you have both the MP101 and the Windows Media Player (WMP) 11 on, the WMP will recognize the client and start streaming music to it. Then you go to the MP101 and acccept the WMP11 as a server. The interface is much better that the default server that netgear provides, since you can instantly see now whatever you have imported in the WMP library, including the fact that you can browse the music directories directly!
  
  Users with Windows XP can also download WMP11 to enjoy these features.
  
  Given this setup, I connected the MP101 wired to my router and using WMP11 I never had any problems browsing and playing my music. It also worked perfectly with my Rhapsody account.
  
  
  
  
• Wireless Performance is GOOD
  By A10T8J53N3JPK1 on 2005-02-16
  This unit is not perfect, but for $90 what did you think you were going to get. As other posts have indicated you need to get the upgraded software from the Netgear Website. It helps to have a fast router (802 11G or better). It also helps if all parts are made by Netgear - they make a super G 108 mbs router that will likely enhance performance. If you are going wireless it helps to have ripped MP3 files on a local hard drive (server) that is physically attached to the router (this allows the router to send songs to the stereo most efficiently, If you have songs stored on another computer (laptop) you will use additional bandwidth retrieving them from the laptop to the router and then sending them to the stereo - when on a local hard drive you only have 1 way transmission of wireless data.
  
  I was able to get the unit to work wirelessly and had good results. I had a few 'dropouts' when sending files from my laptop to my router equiped desktop and then on to my stereo, but the sound was still pretty good.
  
  The other posts on this product must be using 802 11B routers which only have 11 mbs throughput. 802 11G is up to 54 mbs, and the best case would be a super G router at 108 mbs.
  
  Adding this product to your existing setup is like adding a print server - it takes a couple of tries but when you are done it is worth the effort. the MP101 is solid, and works well enough - I get a lot more utility out of this at $90 then I would out of an I-pod at $429.
  
  It does require some effort to get going, but given the right wireless setup you will enjoy the results ...
  
  
• Not Ready For Prime Time
  By A2TQN9ZDJ6MF3K on 2004-05-31
  As one who always buys the latest gadget, I could'nt resist this one but wish I had. I have a rather large library of mp3's but bought this mainly for the Rhapsody service. I connected wireless the first day only because I needed a slightly longer cable to reach my netgear router. I did experence one dropout in the first hour but otherwise I was really impressed with the sound quility with Rhapsody. Was able to listen to complete albums just by highlighting the album title and pressing play. Trouble started the next day when I bought a new longer cable and tried the wired connection to the unit. Everything appeared to be fine till I tried to play a complete album through Rhapsody. It would play one song and stop. When I tried to play the next song , it would say "Server Not Respounding" and it would reconnect taking a about 2 or 3 minutes to complete. This happens everytime now-- very frustrating. I tried going back to wireless but with same results. Tried the reset but nothing seems to fix this problem. I called Netgear tech support and the guy could barely speak Englsh but he put me on hold while he tried his unit and said the same thing was happening to him and that he would call me the next day with a fix for it. Needless to say he never called. This problem only happens with Rhapsody. My mp3's play fine though a little flat sounding. Also would like to add that the Rhapsody radio stations play ok. In closing I would like to say that I think Netgear sent this product to market before it was ready. Sometimes when giving commands with the remote , the unit just hangs till you get frustrated and reset it. Maybe future upgrades will fix these issues but until then I can't reccomend this product.
  
  
• Lowdown on Pro's and Con's
  By A33YBKXF13A81D on 2006-04-17
  If you have hundreds of CD's, it is certainly attractive to manage and play your music from your computer. This player gets you partially there.
  Pro's
  1. Obviously provides all the + and - of mp3's. Sound is pretty decent at 192 kbs sampling.
  2. Server side library management & import software is good.
  3. Ability to play and search music on the mp101 is good.
  4. Radio1234 streaming service is worth the $20 to me. Other radio stations can be streamed, with some work, through Twonky.
  5. Extremely low cost vis-a-vis buying a 60 gbyte mp3 player
  Con's
  1. Virtually/entirely useless as a wireless device with the 2 routers I have tried, however I have not tried w/ Netgear router
  2. Unconscionable bugs and shortcomings on the client. As I added music to the server, the artist list was truncated on the client - bad news for listening to Yo La Tengo & Zakir Hussein. So the primary reason to use this device is partially defeated. Why are firmware programmers so sloppy?
  3. Can't get Live365 to work regardless of online documentation.
  
  Not being able to access my entire music library on the client makes this a "no-buy." Maybe future firmware upgrades will address this.
  
  
• Product is maturing - I had it up and running in 15 minutes
  By A1P370W3V5XCDS on 2004-11-27
  I purchased this item on sale, hopeful that the many negative reviews could be attributed to early firmware/software glitches. While I realize there may be superior units on the market, none are anywhere close to $100 price point. Netgear recently released new versions of the server software and firmware (3.7) for the MP101 and I just started with these as downloaded from the Netgear site. I never touched the CD-ROM included in the box.
  
  I first downloaded the Media Server software and installed it. It imported nearly 4,000 MP3's from my harddrive quickly and without a hiccup.
  
  I'm not using WEP, but do have restricted access to my WiFi net based on MAC address (using a Netgear MR814v2 Router). The MP101 found several wireless networks in my building, including mine. Selected my network, and I was off... I immediately upgraded the firmware on the MP101, and restarted the unit. Took all of about 10 minutes (most of this time spent waiting for the unit to restart during each step). I'm running Windows XP-SP2 with the firewall on, but didn't have to make any special changes - the new Netgear software claims to automatically register with the SP2 firewall, and it seems to have worked for me.
  
  I immediately had access to all my MP3's, sorted by Genre, Artist, etc, with shuffle mode, all from the MP101's LCD. No problem.
  
  I'm now listening to my favorite streaming radio station over my home stereo. There is one caveat here - you're required to use the vTuner.com/Radio1234.com service to manage your streaming internet radio. So if your station isn't listed in their catalog, you may be out of luck. They have 50 stations available for free, or access to their whole catalog of 1,000's of stations for a flat one-time fee (currently $19.95). The service allows you to create a list for "favorite" stations, which appear on the LCD of the MP101, making it quite convenient to select "your" stations once set-up. But this process requires registering with Radio1234.com (free or paid service) to manage your stations, which are then downloaded to the MP101 via the Netgear Media Server. This sounds complicated, but worked well once the steps were identified. I'm using the free service (which happens to include my favorite station) and no problems so far.
  
  It's true that this isn't a perfect product. It would be nice (and seemingly a simple software upgrade) to be able to control the MP101 from the Media Server software. As it is now, all playlists/stations/songs must be selected with the remote via the unit's LCD screen. But the LCD system works well. The sound quality sounds great over my Home Theater system, and I now have access to all my favorite music on my best audio system.
  
  The Netgear product clearly had teething problems early on, but it seems they've conquered many of the glitches, and the unit is a great value for the price. Maybe not idiot-proof, but don't be scared by all the horror stories...
  
  
  
  
• Great Player; Lousy Server Software-Get the TWONKY server!
  By A1A4JGDMO0OTUF on 2005-02-11
  I have owned this player for 6 months. The player is great. The controls on it are really intuitive and easy to use. Its problem and Achilles Heel is that the server program that you must run on the host is totally unstable and crashes frequently. It is not compatible with many games - they cause it to crash. About once a month it loses its database and the files have to be rescanned. If I want to listen to music, its almost guaranteed that I will have to re-boot my computer.
  
  I am running XP SP2, on a 2 giga Hz P4 from Dell with a 200 Gigabyte HD. My network is hardwired and I use Linksys routers. I have about 4500 title in my database.
  
  I have loaded all of the software and firmware updates released. I keep hoping the one of them will magically make this thing work reliably!
  
  I am very disappointed that Netgear, a firm renound for its switching devices, etc, can not get right what should be a straight forward software application.
  
  RECOMMENDATION : The concept is great. Regrettably Netgear did not get the job done. Buy someone elses offering.
  
  UPDATE :
  
  Since I wrote my original review, I have abandoned the supplied server software in favor of Twnkyvision's MUSICSERVER. This is a freeware piece from twonkyvision.de Since I installed it 6 weeks ago, it has never crashed!!! I am actually using and enjoying my MP101 for the purpose I bought it. A little bit of warning, while the Twonky Musicserver works perfectly, the setup is a little esoteric. There are no obvious setup instructions. Go ahead and open all the files and you will find an HTML that tells you, sort of, what to do.
  
  
• Good concept. Too bad they didn't test it.
  By AK2UPG2JY2OJ0 on 2005-02-05
  Here's the bottom line. This is clearly a beta-release
  product that was rushed to market before it was
  ready, and many problems linger a year after its
  release. I *was* finally able to make it work with a
  combination of websurfing and trial and error. Netgear
  support was worse than useless. Now that it's working,
  it's quite good.
  
  Here's the short version:
  
  -My system:
  Pentium 3GHz, Windows XP SP2,
  Linksys BEFW11S4 (computer hardwired. MP101 via
  wireless)
  
  -My magic bullets:
  Static IP for MP01,
  Latest MP101 firmware (1.3.7),
  Enable uPnP on router,
  Twonky music server (either standalone or
  Winamp plugin)
  
  -What *didn't* work:
  Bundled music server! (you need it to download
  firmware, but music will skip and jump
  like a very dirty CD),
  Windows Media Connect (no skipping, but only
  played one track at a time),
  MusicMatch server (no skipping, played more
  than one song in a row, but playlists
  didn't work and unit hung frequently),
  Netgear support (online broken. Phone
  support totally clogged and useless)
  
  -What I haven't tried:
  Firewalls (I disabled them during my testing, but
  I think they're OK),
  Online radio
  
  -Conclusion:
  Now that I have it working, I'll probably keep
  it, but I'll keep the box and the receipt right
  up until the end of the return period, just
  in case. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone
  else.
  
  Some more details...
  
  First of all, the DHCP only works about half of the
  time, often requiring a "Restore to factory defaults"
  to get it to work again. I finally gave up and used a
  static IP, which seems to have solved THAT problem.
  Surfing the web showed this was a common complaint.
  
  Once I got the connection working, I downloaded
  and installed the latest server and firmware from
  Netgear.
  
  On to the server software. This makes the network
  support look good by comparison. It works to install
  the firmware upgrades and that's about it. When I
  used it to serve music, it skipped and jumped
  like someone was playing soccer with a CD player, and
  it got even worse if there was even the slightest
  amount of network traffic on the home network. There
  were other problems, but why beat a dead horse?
  When I surfed the web, I found that virtually
  *everyone* had a similar story to tell about the
  server software. Did Netgear even bother to
  test it??
  
  Based on what I read on the web, I decided to try
  Windows Media Connect. The skipping stopped and it
  sounded great - as long as I played one song at a
  time! If I tried to play two or more songs, it
  got to the end of the first, completely
  hung for a minute or two, then went back to the
  main menu, from where I could play the next, single,
  song.
  
  Tried MusicMatch server. I got really excited when
  it successfully played two songs in a row, but then
  I tried to use a playlist. It saw the playlist,
  but came back with "unrecognized song format"
  when I tried to play it. Also, any attempt to
  interrupt a song (e.g. hitting the stop button
  or navigating menus) would hang the unit and require
  a power-cycle to bring it back.
  
  I tried to use the Netgear online technical support,
  but - surprize!! - that's buggy, too. I entered my
  information and it dutifully recorded a case number,
  but when I click on it, it says it can't be found.
  
  I decided to call Netgear. I knew this would be
  painful, but it was my last attempt before taking it
  back. I navigated the hellish phone tree once, and
  got cut off. The second time, I was informed the
  wait was "in excess of 10 minutes". I can't
  accuse them of lying because strictly speaking a
  half hour *is* in excess of 10 minutes. Finally
  I got a very friendly "did you plug it in?"-level
  technician who spent 15 minutes determining that I
  wasn't a total moron, at which point she said I
  would be contacted by a "level 2 technician"
  sometime in the next 24 hours. We're at two days
  and counting.
  
  Finally, in desperation, I tried the free Twonky
  server. Bingo! Everything worked, including
  playlists, and no hangs whatsoever. Now it's
  actually a nice unit that does exactly what I want.
  If it had only worked like this *with their own
  software* I'd be posting reviews saying what a
  great device this is. I know from reading the
  reviews that I'm not alone in these problems. Would
  it be too hard for them to admit the problem on
  their website and point people to other servers,
  even as a suggestion?
  
  At this point, I'll probably keep it, if for
  no other reason than because I've worked so
  hard to make it function, but if you're
  thinking of a wireless music client, my advice
  would be to wait a bit because the technology is not
  quite there yet. The ones that get great reviews
  are really too pricey for what they are, and the
  cheaper ones all have significant bugs. In a year
  or so, these things'll be $50 and totally bulletproof.
  If you absolutely have to have one, figure out what
  your time is worth when comparing prices.
  
  
• Capable and easy to use, but missing one key thing...
  By A8LKL4QR7945K on 2004-11-25
  I realize others have had problems with this unit, but I simply haven't. It connected perfectly, first-time (once I configured my WEP settings) to my wireless network (using a Linksys router, not a Netgear), finds all my servers (MusicMatch and the Netgear server), and allows me to play them all, sorting via Artist, Playlist, Genre, etc.) with relative ease. I have two PCs on the network that act as servers, and it finds and plays them all, flawlessly. I'm using the latest software and firmware from Netgear (Server version 3.3.36/Client version 1.3.7). Unlike most others here, I don't use Rhapsody.
  
  I said "relative ease" because I was hoping to have a web interface to the unit so I wouldn't be coupled to the (too tiny) remote control. So my key disappointment in the unit is the lack of the ability to select and play music using my PC, and with the small LCD on the unit I'm always hunching over to choose what I want to play.
  
  The Netgear Media Server software is adequate, maybe more-so, allowing you to import your existing songs and playlists from other servers (again, MusicMatch), and allows you to create new playlists and categorize your songs.
  
  So, it's reliable (for me) and works as advertised. But without a web-based interface falls short of my desires. That's not a "defect," it's a design feature, but one I wish didn't exist. As a result, I'm considering after owning this for a brief time, buying the Slim Devices "squeezebox" to replace it.
  
  Why 4 stars then and not 5? The lack of that web-based control, it's something I simply desire, so it loses that one star. The remaining 4 are because it does what it does very well without problems.
  
  
• Decent Hardware for Price. Unacceptable software.
  By A1U5NWJOYH2QQH on 2005-07-29
  Not bad for the price, if it worked as advertised. The hardware is not bad. Sound quality not so hot, but acceptable. I was happy with it .... but the killer was the server software. I had a lot of problems with it... slow operation, and worst of all, my database would disappear often, forcing me to spend much time reloading it. Found out why. I have 6000+ songs. It will load these, ONCE. When you try to update anything after that, it goes nuts and does weird things and eventually clears out database on it's own. Called tech support.....they said THE SUPPLIED SERVER CAN ONLY HAND THREE HUNDRED ENTRIES. Stupid.
  
  So, if you want to keep this, you are limited. You can also use a third party server, but why?
  
  I have also tried the Linksys product, which will NOT work on WIN98SE. I also have the DLINK DSM320...best of the bunch. The DSM320 is a keeper, this Netgear, NO.
  
  
• Works, but .... !
  By A197DB989FEM1L on 2005-07-28
  This player works, and probably offers value for money, but this player, and I think the whole field of music players still has to mature. I will start with the problems:
  - Don't use supplied software. Get something like TwonkyVision Musicserver (free). This will read your Itunes database as well.
  - GUI is bad. Browsing through artists/genres is very slow.
  - Searching is appalling. If you search for "stones" it will not find "the rolling stones" because this artist does not start with the string "stones". If you don't know the exact spelling of your artist you can't find it.
  - Wireless connection does not always work, use wired instead.
  
  What works OK is just listening to a list of songs in one genre (so you don't have to search for other songs because that is too slow), or listening to internet radio, which is possible through Twonky.
  
  Regards,
  Simon
  
  
• Definitely Not Plug n' Play!
  By A3K4FGJDRCJKTM on 2005-06-24
  Okay, I finally got this thing to work! Setup is not easy for non-Network Admins. I had to make alot of adjustments to the settings on my router as well as software firewall. Opened the ports they list in the manual (on both the router and firewall software), set the channel to "11" on my router (this was the key for me), turned off WEP, and assigned an IP address to the player. Don't even bother with Netgear's music server software. I couldn't even get it to install (a bug which aborted the install). TwonkyVision's Musicserver works real nice. The only drawback is that you'll have to make manual edits to the .INI file, and the instructions may lose you. But if you can get TwonkyVision and this Netgear MP101 working, this player is fantastic! Now I don't have to sit in front of the PC for hours just to listen to my mp3 files. (Those portable iPods are great for outdoors, but the tradeoff is you don't get the DSP processing as with SB Audigy on the PC or your stereo receiver.) A few other things to note is that the MP101 works on the slower 802.11b (not the "g"), and there is no digital audio output - both nice features on high-end products like the ROKU. But remember that this player does not stream videos (a nice feature you might also want that is included with other players) or CD audio so the digital optical output and "g" wireless are not that important. The design and sturdiness (like a real audio component) of the player is good and has a nice, legible LCD display. If cost were no object, I would easily pick the ROKU over this Netgear player. And if I won the Lotto, I would buy the Yamaha Musiccast for $3000 which basically does the same thing as this baby except it is a server itself (with a tiny 80GB hard drive). ;) You might also want to try Microsoft Media Connect to use as the server software, but I could not get it to recognize the MP101, and you have to turn on Windows file sharing.
  
  
• Great product - just don't use their software
  By A385YOX8ISJRJM on 2005-07-15
  I am using this on my wireless 802.11g network. Setup was a little tricky because there are about 6 wireless networks visible in my apartment, but I figured it out in a hour or so. When using the included NETGEAR server software, the music was choppy and would speed up at times. I was just about to send the product back when I downloaded the free TwonkyVision software. Just copy the single executable file to your My Music folder, run it, and you are all set. No more skipping at all. Don't use the NETGEAR software again, except to upgrade the firmware. Once it's working - this product is great, especially for the price (after rebate).
  
  
• Worked great within 15 minutes of opening!!!!
  By A3S7Y60WM4YIIF on 2005-06-29
  This device works wonderful on a WEP enabled Wireless B network. The device is on a different floor than the wireless router and it streams music perfectly. I was able to plug it into my stero and was playing music from my computer 15 minutes after opening the box. I installed the lastest version of the Netgear software from their website before I recieved the device so the server software was up and running when I got it. The software had no trouble accessing my music library. Once I got the device installed it recognized my network, I programmed in my WEP key and it has worked perfectly ever since. It is very easy to use and I highly recommend it.
  
  
• Love it...15 minute setup
  By AU8I9RSQ5NAW4 on 2005-06-23
  I rarely write reviews, but I have to offset some of the negative press here. Having read some of the horror stories, I expected a difficult setup as I have a complex network environment: Linksys B router linked to a D-Link G router, 8 network nodes, plus a Prismiq media player with server software running on the same PC where I planned to put the MP101 with 2 network connections, one wired (to the Prismiq) and one wireless to the LinksysB. Whew! "This will never work first shot," said I.
  
  I skipped the CD install and downloaded the latest server software, as advised in this space. Plugged in the MP101 in the same room as the wireless routers to eliminate range variable. MP101 booted up, found both Linksys and Dlink routers, I selected the Linksys (since MP101 is 11Mbps, no point in wasting my G bandwith...actually I think I have it locked on Turbo mode, so it probably wouldn't have even connected, as another user reported here). Unit rebooted, reconnected, found the server, and I was playing music. Not the slightest problem. (I didn't have WEP turned on on the Linksys, which some people have had problems with...don't lecture me on security...if my 85 yr old neighbor wants to hook his MP101 in or surf with my connection, I'm happy to share.)
  
  I also like that the server recognized that I had MMJukebox and lifted my library and playlists from there. The longest part of the process was downloading the 19MB server software, unzipping and installing it, and scanning my music. Once that was done, it was literally 2 minutes. I needed 0 fiddling with network :)
  
  BTW, I then moved it to another room (same floor) with a couple walls between it and the router and still had no range problems.
  
  User interface is very intuitive, i.e., no manual needed. Most of these things need a TV, which I didn't want in the living room. Music quality seems fine, though I was using relatively cheap powered speakers through the headphone jack...I imagine it's better using the RCA jacks and a real amp/speakers.
  
  I can't believe how cheap it is too! Truly a bargain!
  
  
• Works great after much patience to setup wireless connection
  By A5ZQ6XF1A7CIY on 2004-10-25
  Both my Real Rhapsody and computer files were easily found by the music player. However, when I tried to actually play songs from my computer from the device it would freeze and say it was unable to connect to the server. I figured it was a problem with the firewall on my computer and when I cut off the firewall completely it worked great. So to keep the firewall on and enable the device to work you must mark every executable file in the Netgear server folder as exceptions to the firewall. It will then work flawlessly with the firewall enabled. I hope this helps those having problems!
  
  
• Gret performance and value...
  By A1058DH85BBNI3 on 2007-01-21
  This product works exceptionally well wireless in the configuration that I have. I have two PCs connected to a linksys B/G telephone router and am operating the unit via wireless connection on another floor of my house using both PCs as media servers. I did immediately upgrade the firmware on the unit, and had to enable mixed B/G mode on the router to allow it to connect, but once I figured that out, the device works flawlessly and at a fraction of the price of other units on the market...a great value, after testing it out, I ordered a second one for my other stereo!
  
  
• Defective unit - no replacement
  By A3VMDI7GW676B1 on 2005-07-19
  The unit arrived and did not work properly (it works for 1 minute on a song and then "stutters" constantly). Netgear support helped me to diagnose this, and after a few weeks, determined it was defective. The Netgear support is very responsive and did try (and it was escalated), but I think they do not know much about this product. I have always had good experience with Netgear until now.
  
  Amazon did not have a replacement. So, I have bought the Sound Blaster version. I have an Audiotron, which is great, but you cannot get them anymore.
  
  
• Ok for music - but web streaming is mediocre
  By A1XNROOCEZCOL5 on 2005-07-07
  I returned my MP101 because it had too many quirks. I do recommend Twonkyvision - which is significantly better than the Netgear software. The wireless capabilities are limited, but worked reasonably well. My real complaint was with streaming music and radio off the web. Many stations, even on the AOL "premium" service, were "unavailable", and waiting for a station to start streaming sometimes took a very long time. The other major frustration was the inexplicably dropped communications between the MP101 and the server. Sometimes the system would need to completely reset after losing communications - not exactly the "easy listening" experience I was hoping for. As someone else noted, it's not like you can just ask a guest to go turn on the music. It's a neat tech toy, but it just isn't quite ready for prime time.
  
  UPDATE - I have recently purchased the Roku M500 - what a difference! The Roku device works wonderfully. Now that I know what these things are capable of, I'd downgrade my MP101 rating to about a 2 and would recommend that buyers check out the Roku products.
  
  
• Very happy with the results
  By AI9WOMEREFY9M on 2005-04-30
  This is my second piece of hardware attempting wireless music. This one worked fine. Set up was relatively easy. I did take one reviewer's advice, skipped the supplied CD and downloaded the latest software from the Netgear website.
  
  My wireless router (Linksys wireless G) is about 20 feet away from the unit but through two internal walls. Have had no problems with drop outs.
  
  Software isn't especially user-friendly but it gets the job done. I wish someone would just let me use Windows Media Player. It's not great, but it's the one I used to set up my library. Would save me a step.
  
  Only complaint about the Netgear MP101 is it doesn't shut off easily. Every time I press the power button on the remote it just reboots. And there is no power button on the front of the machine. So I just leave it on. Faster to get music out anyway.
  
  Thanks Netgear for solving my problem.
  
  
• Not for the faint of heart, but it works great....
  By AQQ0LT6GBY3S on 2005-03-29
  ...although it took a while to get it working.
  
  I have the product working fine now for both netgear's server (stick with hardware guys) and rhapsody under the following profile:
  
  1. LinkSys G router
  2. 128 bit WEP
  3. ZoneAlarm plus Antivirus
  4. XP Pro w/ SP2
  
  so far so good. The netgear server is pretty flaky and I'm considering switching over to Twonkyvision based on other reviews I've read. But, I let the MP101 run against the Netgear server for about 6 hours the other day and didn't notice any problems. I have thus far not upgraded to the latest versions of server and firmware because I got it working with what came with the unit (purchased last week) and based on reviews I've read upgrading seemed to be a hit or miss proposition. The Rhapsody feed is an awesome feature as well. I really like the unit...I just wish the server software wasn't so flaky.
  
  There is a patch for xp sp2 for certain server versions but that appears to only help out if you're having issues with the XP firewall. It won't install if your running something else like zone alarm.
  
  Setting up the wireless was not an issue for me. It found my network and let me enter my passpharse and joined in no problem. The MP101 is inside my entertainment center and the router is on top of the entertainment center, so the close proximity may be why it was not an issue for me.
  
  
• Latest firmware kills Rhapsody
  By AKA0T757TNDL4 on 2005-01-28
  I bought this unit as a device to listen to Rhapsody streaming radio on my home stereo. It was all dandy, until the latest firmware. Now it has become useless for Rhapsody, but somehow it works very well with Radio@AOL. Hmmm. Tech support for Netgear will not acknowledge a problem, have no suggestions, or just won't respond. Netgear is still advertising Rhapsody support. That's mis-representation, and that's a crime. Don't buy if you want Rhapsody support, it isn't there anymore.
  
  
• Don't waste money
  By A2FRKFZYFLTRKN on 2004-12-24
  1. If you are looking to stream online radio, it's limited to two subscription services. Why pay more for less quality when you can get wireless speakers and stream what YOU want, not what THEY want you to buy?!?! It's also CHEAPER to get wireless speakers and you can do much more.
  
  2. VERY poor support with people who speak broken English at best and do not understand simple questions as they don't understand our language. (A stupid and unethical corporate trend these days -- I shouldn't have to learn 40 languages to survive product support in my nation).
  
  3. Drops and doesn't play all audio or plays it incorrectly. Very limited.
  
  4. Maybe someday, it will just stream to other devices what is on your pc. But right now, extremely limited. I can burn mp3s and play it on a stereo for cheaper too. This thing is nonsense the way it is. Now, if it played any service I already have and radio stations I listen to for free, (and it worked), I would say they aren't charging enough.
  
  
• 802.11b vs 802.11g
  By AN1NA50NONOV5 on 2004-12-14
  While the MP101 claims to be compatible with both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless networks, I was not able to get it to connect to my Netgear WGT624 wireless router running only in 802.11g mode. It connected without a problem to my Netgear WR814v2 wireless router (802.11b mode only) and worked like a champ - had it up and running in less than 5 minutes, even with WEP security enabled. A call to Netgear Tech Support confirmed that the MP101 will only work over 802.11b ... very disappointing to me. Didn't seem to run into any bandwidth issues over the .11b network, though, and for a first generation of this model, worked quite well. Definitely worth ~$100 if you're into gadgets!
  
  
• Make sure the plug is handy
  By A2NJATP8RXJP9W on 2004-12-13
  This is a great idea, with an awful implementation. I got it up and running in 10 mins, updated all the firmware and software, configured my firewall, etc. It plays rhapsody, internet radio, and your mp3 library for short periods of time (5 to 10 mins). It regularly loses the wireless signal, or the server, or both, and I tried it with two different APs including one that has much better RF performance. When it gets confused, it gets really confused and there is no way to get it back other than pulling the plug, so make sure its handy and make sure you took your pills, because this great little idea is really badly implemented.
  
  Looks like a hacked software implementation or some kind of marginality in the hardware. Unusual for Netgear, their stuff is usually pretty good.
  
  

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