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 2004-05-30
  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.
  
  

• 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 ...
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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).
  
  

• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  

• 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...
  
  
  
  
• Does not perform as advertised
  By on 2004-03-24
  While very reasonably priced, I found two major flaws. The internet radio functionality requires a paid subscription to Rhapsody. I certainly didn't realize this before my purchase and, after reviewing numerous sources after the purchase, I cannot find this mentioned anywhere in Netgear sales or technical support documentation. Seems like something they may want to mention since the cost of Rhapsody will eclipse the cost of the player in a little over a year. For those outside the USA, forget about internet radio as Rhapsody is not available outside the US.

  Secondly, if your collection contains more than a couple hundred songs, be prepared for sloooooow browsing of artist, album and track names.

  To top it off, Netgear's support was very poor. Twice I submitted a query via the Netgear's web site and received this reply:

  "We have recently been receiving a significant amount of SPAM email at our support email addresses.
  Consequently, we have been forced to change the method of how our customers request support from Netgear.

  To request support from Netgear please click on the below link and fill out the support form.

  .../"

  I found this rather funny since that is the site I had used both times to submit my question. Calling Netgear's phone number resulted in wait times exceeding 20 minutes.

  It doesn't look like the Netgear's product marketing & development departments were all on the same page on this one.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
  
  
• Overall, very good device
  By A3QKWIGWJAVO89 on 2004-07-21
  I read heaps of articles and reviews on the whole wireless music player market before I finally "settled" on the MP101.
  
  I already had a Netgear DG824M wireless router and have no complaints so I wasn't concerned about dealing with Netgear. My only desire was a player that I could program with internet stations I already stream over RealPlayer.
  
  Called Netgear support (pre-purchase) and he went off to a specialist, came back and said "yes, you can load your own URLs for streaming". Great! I bought one.
  
  Installation was straightforward, except for the "popular" firewall issue. Followed documentation about enabling specific TCP/UDP ports (time-consuming but not difficult) and still could only play about 30 seconds before the player would skip to the next track (or station on a playlist).
  
  Called Netgear support and found out (showing my lack of network knowledge) that because my wireless router has a firewall, I don't need to firewall my network connection on the PC. Dropped that firewall and presto! Works fine.
  
  Now, the only beef I have is that you can't "load up any URL" you want for streaming. They give you a 2 month pass to VTuner which has heaps of internet radio choices, but eventually you need to subscribe!
  
  However, if you go with a media server on your PC like Twonkyvision (which works via Winamp) you can build your own playlists with any URL that streams in MP3. And the Twonky/Winamp combination has a much smaller footprint than Netgear's media server.
  
  Summary: Not sorry I bought it! A very good product that does what I want; stream my music to my stereo system.
  
  
• Buyer beware
  By AWEFO6Z43RPKU on 2004-11-21
  This product is a bleeding edge technological failure. I have other Netgear products and they work fine, but this was a dud.
  I upgraded it to the latest firmware/software (as of Nov '04), shutdown my firewall and still even with a wired connection to this product, it could not play any of my mp3s for longer than 40 seconds if that. The player would stop mid song and jump to the next and then try to play the previous. My PC has no trouble playing these songs.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• MP101 - a new way to manage your music
  By on 2004-04-11
  The mp101 has inspired me to copy my cds to my hard drive and kick out our 100 cd changer. Using a cd-ripper like cdex, you can organize all of your music as mp3s on your hard drive. Then, the mp101 streams the music on your hard drive to your stereo (you need to have a wireless network set up). Using the mp101 remote, you can select an entire cd, or a track from a cd, or a playlist. We have had a 100-cd changer on "random" as our usual mode of listening to music at home. The mp101 can do this job better - we can create song lists that incorporate only the songs we like on our favorite 100 cds. Plus, finding an individual cd or track is much easier on the mp101 than on the 100 cd changer. Plus, we can have access to all of our 700cds at once.

  We had a lot of problems getting the mp101 set up. It turns out that you have to REMOVE Zone Alarm firewall from your pc before the mp101's server software works. Took quite a bit of back and forth with Netgear customer service to figure this out. I would give 5 stars if this had not happened.
  
  

• Good product, stable connectivity, capable software
  By AYTNEFUZIAISF on 2004-09-10
  The MP101 is a solid stable media player. Initially I had some problems linking to my hidden network. However, the latest firmware and media server software (downloadable from the NETGEAR website) corrected this problem. I can connect the device to my network with all the security activated (hidden network, Zone Labs firewall, WEP encryption). MP101 is perfectly compatible with my D-Link B router. Other reviewers with wireless connection problems may not have applied the firmware update.
  
  The sound quality is very good. I attached a pair of good quality PC speakers and my bedroom is filled with music. The NETGEAR media server software satisfied my expectations by importing music from the Windows Media Player 9 database, including the WMP9 playlists (the product specs says that it can import only M3U and PLS playlists ... not true, it can also import WPL playlists). Thus, I only need to manage my music from my preferred software (WMP9) and nothing else. The NETGEAR Media Server can be scheduled to import music from WMP9 at specified times or from specified folders. This feature is important if you frequently create playlists. My only itch is that NETGEAR Media Server should synchronize more efficiently with WMP9, so that the Media Server playlists are updated when the WMP9 Auto Playlists (generated at random according to certain rules) change. This is a minor itch. Apparently you can merge several computers with audio files into a single library. I have not tested this software capability, though.
  
  I have not tried the Rapsody nor the vTuner.com service. The help file does not provide enough instructions on broadcasting radio from vTuner.com. I do not mind, as my primary use of the MP101 is to listen to my extensive music collection.
  
  The product could be improved by adding some buttons to the front panel (only remote control is available) and means to adjust the sound quality. Currently, only volume control is available. The product could benefit from some extras such as a clock and an alarm. Nice to have features, but not a must.
  
  In summary, this product is very good, good sound quality, excellent navigation system, stable and capable server software, compatible wireless security features. I am a happy owner, I love this toy.
  
  
• 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!
  
  
• Not Worth the Hassle!!!
  By A3VBATX6NP2X3 on 2005-09-27
  I puchased the MP101 and got it running for several weeks until, all of a sudden, I began having wireless connection problems. The MP101 found my wireless network but could not access the Server with all of my music files. Translation - it stopped working altogether! Shop around to find another wireless music player and avoid the headaches - I've wasted hours troubleshooting on Netgear forums and with their weak tech support.
  
  
• Does what it says
  By on 2004-03-30
  I'm not sure what the reviewer from England was reading as the datasheet on Netgear's website makes clear that a subscription to Rhapsody is required for the internet radio functionality -- in fact that's the main reason I purchased it since I already can stream MP3s via Tivo but got sick of stringing cable around to get internet radio to the stereo. (Additionally, keeping the TV on all the time when streaming music can get tiresome.)

  One advantage to this product is that it wirelessly streams MP3s (and WMAS) at up to 320 rather than the standard 128 rate that some of the prior competing products knocked down MP3s to (so you don't lose the quality difference if you've encoded MP3s at a higher rate).

  It can take some time to get through the playlist but not unreasonably so. And the price is relatively cheap compared to other wireless streaming solutions.

  PS. Make sure you upgrade the firmware and software -- it addresss a number of the complaints of the other reviewers (dropped connections, lack of Internet radio etc.) I also found that its very sensitive to interference from other wireless networks -- and worked much better when I shifted my entire network up to a higher channel.)
  
  

• It Works As Advertised For Me
  By A1ZMFPE7AL58ZF on 2005-02-23
  I have been using wireless networks for four years. In that time things have come a long way, and this product is evidence of the "ease of use" that comes with maturing technology.
  
  It used to be that my laptop couldn't use a wireless card (that cost $149) unless I slotted the card into the machine BEFORE I powered up and logged in. Sometimes I'd even have to kick the WAP to get it to see my wireless card on the network and issue an IP address.
  
  Now (with a device that I got for < $100), however, I took this thing out of the box and had the software installed and music playing on the other side of the house from my "server", over my wireless network, within twenty minutes, without turning anything on or off except this device.
  
  Before now, I used an old laptop and Windows file sharing to accomplish the same task. Talk about underperforming...
  
  Others posting here have complained about dropouts and flaky connectivity - some of that is part and parcel to wireless networks, and there are solutions to this. I have found that unless I do something that changes config or reboots the wireless access point this device doesn't seem to so much as hiccup.
  
  So here's some possible hints for others who have had issues:
  
  First of all, any wirelessly connected device seems to work better on a faster/newer protocol like Wireless-G, or 108 Mbps (e.g. Belkin Pre-N, Netgear Super-G, etc.) because there's more bandwidth to do things with. Media streaming is a big bandwidth task (esp. if you burn your MP3's at 320 kbps) and Wireless-B just doesn't cut it unless you only have one or two devices on your network. I have about six nodes on my wireless network and recently upgraded to 180 Mbps for most of these devices. No problems now!
  
  Second of all, take the time to properly organize and tag your media collection (id3, etc.). If you don't, this device and it's server software will make it difficult to do things like: play an entire album from start to finish because the songs are in different directories; find specific artists, albums or song titles; play songs by "genre". An organized library makes a happy listener.
  
  Third, with wireless it helps to have time to muck around with your network configuration settings so that you can optimize all of the devices on the network to work as well as they can given different parameters. I HIGHLY recommend that security take a priority - use WEP, shut off SSID broadcasting, and use MAC address filtering if your router/WAP supports these functions.
  
  At the same time, sacrificing some security options may provide you with easier configuration and possibly better performance, with devices like the MP101. If you do this, however, beware that your neighbors may be listening to your music collection at the same time you are...
  
  Finally, I'm looking forward to the day when wireless networks work as well as hardwired nets, but that's still ages away. This is all about trade-offs and I'd rather have wireless than miles of CAT-6 running around the floors of my house. Luckily Netgear gives you the option to do that if you wish, too, with a built-in LAN adapter as well as wireless capability.
  
  I will probably try at least one other brand of media streamer before too long but for the money this is pretty good.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Works as advertised, just a couple of annoyances so far
  By A4ACOZN6S48I8 on 2005-07-06
  Setting up on my wireless network with 64-bit WEP was
  successful but I did have to reboot it an additional
  time (one time more than documented in the manual) in
  order for the network to detect after the WEP key was
  entered.
  
  The Media Server out-of-the box failed to import any
  of my music. All files were 'rejected'. So I went to
  the NetGear website and downloaded the server software
  upgrade. Voilà, now all my MP3's import and work as
  expected. However, all of my WMA or WAV files are still
  rejected, with a "Unknown codec" message in the detail
  screen. It's very annoying to have to convert my WMAs
  and WAVs to MP3.
  
  On a positive surprise, the display is bright and easy
  to read even in a sun-lit room. It is significantly
  brighter than any of my other electronics. The info
  displayed per song makes good use of the screen area.
  
  The remote is easy to use and adequate for family members
  who are not technically savvy. That means I can proceed
  with my plans of throwing out the CD player and ridding
  the house of physical CDs!
  
  Based on price and features and lack of better choices
  from competitors, I am keeping this unit and giving it
  five stars!
  
  
• 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
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• When it works, its great. But when it doesnt....
  By A1KNCMBPSP38AR on 2005-09-18
  The MP101 is a great unit if you can get up and running. It took me quite some time to do so. The server software that ships with the unit is useless if you have over 300 songs. Download the Twonkyvision server software instead. It will coast you 20 bucks, but it is worth every penny.
  
  And make use of the Yahoogroups MP101 page. Tech support from Netgear is almost non existant. You get what you pay for. If your willing to jump through some hoops, you will love it. If you are a techno-phobe, you might want to try another product.
  
  
• Totally satisfied!!!
  By on 2004-04-27
  I had a 100 disk changer and found this to be the next evolution in listening enjoyment. I plugged it in, pushed a few buttons and started listening to my tracks all before I picked up the manual. Simple and effective. I haven't had one problem with the unit or the functions that were shipped with it. Great product and extremely inexpensive. Way-to-go Netgear!
  
  
• Celestial Jukebox
  By on 2004-05-06
  I used to play CD's all the time at home.... Until I bought the MP101 and signed up for Rhapsody. By using the MP 101 with Rhapsody, I have access to a massive catalog of music that I don't actually own- it's like having the biggest jukebox in the world right in my living room. I highly recommend this product with Rhapsody.
  
  

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