Archived from groups: comp.periphs.printers (
More info?)
You can't do much with the serial port on the laptop, apart from
connecting an external dialup modem.
So maybe you could look for a laptop with a better hardware configuration.
I don't doubt the HP Laserjet 5P will work with the parallel/USB
conversion but never tried it myself.
I'm using 5 computers in a small network, using a Draytek Vigor 2600We
ADSL Router/Wireless LAN.
All computers, four desktops and a laptop, run Windows 98SE.
One desktop can in addition run Windows XP Home from an extra harddisk
instead.
Two computers are connected wireless 802 11b, one of them is a 5 year
old Toshiba laptop running Windows 98SE.
I have an HP Laserjet 4100N connected to the parallel port of a desktop
running Windows 98SE as a local printer and use this one to print from
the other computers in the network.
Indeed there are networkadapters you can connect to USB, I have some of
them in my collection.
But using a regular NIC connected to PCI is just as simple.
Tony Stanford wrote:
>
> Many thanks for the helpful reply. I thought it was a stupid question
> because USB is a serial device, while parallel gives eight bits on 8
> separate lines. Does the device you suggest 'collect' 8 serial bits and
> then transmit down 8 lines, so to speak?
>
> Does anyone know if HP's 5P parallel driver will actually recognise a
> USB/parallel converter? HP's drivers usually fail to install if they
> don't recognise the appropriate port.
>
> I haven't yet taken delivery of the laptop. It's a Dell running Windows
> XP. It has an Intel ProWireless 802 11b/g mini PCI card in it. Now, I
> have an old desktop machine running Wndows 98 which does have a parallel
> port. Is there a dongle I can get to hang on its USB port to network to
> the Dell, thus allowing me to print to the HP via the network.
>
> I don't know much about this kind of thing, and wonder if I would need
> XP on the desktop to do that.
>
> Many thanks for the advice.
>
> Tony
>
> On Sun, 14 Aug 2005,13:44:28, Eric P. wrote
>
>> Maybe something like USB to Parallel Cable shown here
>>
http://www.sweex.nl/product.asp?pid=301
>
>