One of my customers has a boatload of older HP4 laserjet printers that they cannot part with.
Everytime an end-user gets a new PC, I have to add one of these cables.
Main reason being, the old printers like the HP4 used an aluminum fuser tube [vs today's el-cheapo, heat-resistant, film cover that goes over the fuser's heat lamp]
Certain laser printer sheet-labels simply WILL NOT work with today's new "green", instant-on, "under $100" laser printers; as the fuser lamp never gets hot enough to bake the toner onto the label sheet.
Only the older HP4 types [that took 5 minutes to heat up] are able to successfully fuse the toner to the plastic labels.
So there is still some user's that can use a "USB-to-Parallel" cable like this; especially when you can get them on the cheap.
WIsh I'd found this last year when I bought my Mac. My ancient HP PSC300 still works great, but since abandoning my PC, I had no way to connect it to the new computer. I bought a $100 inkjet to replace it when I should have bought this and a new power cable (the old one is wiggy) for less than half the cost of the new printer. I hate my new printer. Not only is the print quality so-so compared to my old HP, it eats up ink too fast. It's redeeming quality? The scanner is a bit better than the old one and it has an ADF (I don't need the ADF, it's just... cool).
Maybe this is a question for the Technology Forum, but can someone tell me if this cable will help me w/ the following: I have an (old) reliable HP LaserJet 2100 on my LAN but the printer itself is not networked, it's local printer for PC #1. The only way I can print from other PC's is to have both the server and PC#1 turned on.
I would like to be able to print using my netbook which only has USB ports. Printer does not have USB, just parallel type cable. If I got this cable would I be able to install my printer as a local printer for the netbook? I would disconnect the present cable and just patch in the netbook as needed--like when I need an extra set of coupons.
Printer is installed on other desktops but I have to go through PC#1 to print. Would I be able to install the printer as local printer so I could print w/o turning on the server and PC#1? I would connect this cable when using it as a local printer and disconnect when server & PC#1 are on. Can you have 2 different printer options for the same printer, one as local and one as through the network?
You can connect a printer to any computer and offer it as a option to print from any other computer. If you have a server why would you not just connect the printer directly to that?
recom said:You can connect a printer to any computer and offer it as a option to print from any other computer. If you have a server why would you not just connect the printer directly to that?
I'm not using the server very often these days so its usually off to save on electricity. I would like to print from netbook & PC#2 w/o having to turn on the server and PC#1.
my4mainecoons said:Maybe this is a question for the Technology Forum, but can someone tell me if this cable will help me w/ the following: I have an (old) reliable HP LaserJet 2100 on my LAN but the printer itself is not networked, it's local printer for PC #1. The only way I can print from other PC's is to have both the server and PC#1 turned on.
I would like to be able to print using my netbook which only has USB ports. Printer does not have USB, just parallel type cable. If I got this cable would I be able to install my printer as a local printer for the netbook? I would disconnect the present cable and just patch in the netbook as needed--like when I need an extra set of coupons.
Printer is installed on other desktops but I have to go through PC#1 to print. Would I be able to install the printer as local printer so I could print w/o turning on the server and PC#1? I would connect this cable when using it as a local printer and disconnect when server & PC#1 are on. Can you have 2 different printer options for the same printer, one as local and one as through the network?
Look into getting an EIO network card for your printer. You can get cheap ones for under $15 on eBay, and the printer plugs right into your network. Then, any computers connected to the network can print to it (if you have a wireless network, friends/relatives who have wireless laptops can print).
As for your original question, that'll work fine. You may need to restart one (or both) of the computers or the printer when you re-connect it for it to print.
I had one of these and it would not work right in Vista. Not sure if that had to do with vista or just my printer. It would just spit out hundreds of sheets of garbled nonsense if i let it. Got a new printer and i'm happy
Disclaimer: By providing links to other sites, FatWallet.com does not guarantee, approve or endorse the information or products available at these sites, nor does a link indicate any association with or endorsement by the linked site to FatWallet.com.
