Parellel-to-USB cable for printer ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter casteele95thbgheavy
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casteele95thbgheavy

Have an HP LaserJet 4L that I now wish to connect to the USB on my
laptop. Is it simply a matter of buying a Parallel-to-USB cable, or is
it more complicated than that? (The HP book on the printer has a
page on something it calls the Bi-Tronics Paralles Interface ??)

Christopher
 
Ah the old discontinued printers of HP. You are in luck actually. That thing
already has usb-out somewhere on it. All you need is a usb cable with the
Type A male connector and the Type A female on the other end. I bet you got
one laying around somewhere. I used the one that came with my scanner to
plug my HP up to my usb 2 port on the computer. Anyway, the usb cable is
more cheap than the parallel adapter.

Find your connection on that printer first to make sure I am not imagining
things. It might be right above the parallel connection. I have to life a
little tray on mine to actually see it.
 
I went to Best Buy and bought a USB to parallel cable for my HP LaserJet 4
and it works perfectly
 
Say what? Is that a typo? Why would you want to go from usb to parallel?
Going to usb should always be the first choice. And the OP said he wants to
go to usb . . . not parallel.
 
Xu said:
Ah the old discontinued printers of HP. You are in luck actually. That thing
already has usb-out somewhere on it. All you need is a usb cable with the
Type A male connector and the Type A female on the other end. I bet you got
one laying around somewhere. I used the one that came with my scanner to
plug my HP up to my usb 2 port on the computer. Anyway, the usb cable is
more cheap than the parallel adapter.

Find your connection on that printer first to make sure I am not imagining
things. It might be right above the parallel connection. I have to life a
little tray on mine to actually see it.
Click to expand...

The HP 4L is about 12 years old, far before the age of USB. I have one
next to my desk, manufacturing date of March 1994, and there is no USB
port on the printer. The parallel connector is on the left side, with
the cable exiting through the rear of the printer and there is No other
connectors in the bay.
 
Xu said:
Say what? Is that a typo? Why would you want to go from usb to
parallel? Going to usb should always be the first choice. And the OP
said he wants to go to usb . . . not parallel.
Click to expand...

Probably because the OP doesn't have a parallel port on his laptop and
the old LaserJet does not have USB. Since someone in the thread posted
that buying a parallel/usb cable worked for him with the same old
printer, the OP can do what he needs to.

Malke
 
Malke said:
Probably because the OP doesn't have a parallel port on his laptop and
the old LaserJet does not have USB. Since someone in the thread posted
that buying a parallel/usb cable worked for him with the same old
printer, the OP can do what he needs to.

Malke
Click to expand...

In my office we have a few older Laser printers which we use the
Parallel to USB converters. But they do run hot and cold, sometimes they
work and sometimes they loose the USB connection. A simple unplugging
and replugging into same USB port gets it going again. There were a few
times we would have to reboot.
 
Xu: I think Michael [below] is correct. Can't find any USB on THIS
printer. Would have been nice. :) Thanks for the reply.

Christopher
 
DrJoel:

Good to know. Such small problems are much better than not having a
printer! Thanks for responding, Malke.

Christopher
 
DrJoel;

I may have mistakenly posted a thank you note to Malke [ who got his
own from me ], but intended for you. Just wanted to say thanks for
'heads up' re the little, easily-solved problems. And thanks for taking
the time to respond, Sir.

Christopher
 
Math1: Best Buy's was $36 ... I found one for $14 ... and this is even
cheaper. Have you used one of these cables from this company, or bought
anything else from tthem, Math1 ?

Christopher
 
I have bought many items from Geeks with no problems. They even answer tech
support questions if needed. Remember to add in shipping costs when
comparing costs. I am using that usbto parallel cable with my HP 6L laser.

If you order from Geeks, enter XPBARGAINS in the coupon box at checkout and
you will get 10% off your order.
Anne
 
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