Printer Help!!!

[dguy6789]

Ok, for starters, this is my printer.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/cgi...te_type=product_detail

Here is where the problem arises. This printer has a usb connector. My router has a parrallel port on it. I have a few pcs, and would like them all to be able access the printer via my router.

1. Do they make and usb to parrallel port adapters?(Not parralel to usb)
2. If I did set this thing up on my router, would all the other functions like scanning, and memory card reading work correctly?
3. If I pushed the scan button on it, which pc would the window pop up on?

Is there any hope at all for doing this, or am I stuck at having to use one pc for the printing duties?

 

[Gothgar]

1. try www.google.com
2. is the printer a network printer?
3. which ever one you set as server for it

 

[DaveSimmons]

Im gonna ask ya a bunch of questions, and I want to have them answered immediately!!

"No. I'm not going to be your monkey"
-- Jon Stewart

 

[dguy6789]

Originally posted by: Gothgar
1. try www.google.com
2. is the printer a network printer?
3. which ever one you set as server for it

Ive googled, and only found parrallel to usb, not the other way around. I have no idea if the printer is network compatible. Before, I just used a regular printer and set it up on the router. I have no idea where I would go to set a pc as a server.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: dguy6789
Im gonna ask ya a bunch of questions, and I want to have them answered immediately!!

LoL :laugh:

 

[Looney]

I'm not sure, but even if you could, your functionality would be extremely limited. USB allows communications both ways, whereas Parallel only one way... so you may have to use generic printer drivers, which would then limit your printer to printing just black and white (and maybe limited color).

 

[halfadder]

You will need to use a real USB connection.

Your best bet is to connect the multifunction printer/scanner to the PC that you have running most of the time, then use printer sharing.

Routers and WAPs with built-in print servers are handy (I love my Apple AirPort Express 802.11ag/print-server/music-streamer) but even the models with USB support don't work too well with the scanning functions of the mutlifunction printers/scanners.

 

[Erasmus-X]

Converting a USB connection to parallel would require a special UART chip on the adapter, because USB (serial) and IEEE1284 (parallel) have fundamentally different ways of transferring data. I've seen adapters that will do this the other way around (parallel->USB) but never like this.

Now what I'm guessing is that you have a router that has a built-in parallel print server. If you still want to be able to share that printer without using one machine as a proxy server, your only option is purchasing a USB-compatible print server.