Connecting printer to USB port

[scotman]

I have an old printer which connects to the 25pin printer connector on my PC. The connector on the printer is 36 way. I would like to connect this printer to a USB port.
Maplin have item A94BF which looks like what I need but is expensive and also needs a driver installed.
Is it possible to connect using the existing cable along with various adaptors and get a functional printer? Maplin item ZP43W would be the start and then 9-pin to 25-pin adaptor then the existing cable.

[Mailmutt]

Sorry, I can't help technically, but I have to be honest, if it were me, and my printer was old enough to have such connections, I'd personally consider a new printer - they are cheap to buy, even all ins.

[ACtheTROLL]

not good
A94BF might or might not - you've omitted 1 tiny piece of info - Ive heard of the American olds mobile - but never an olds printer - WHICH OLD PRINTER !!! - and what age is your PC - with what ports? (usb 1 or 2)

serial port is - verrrrry sloooooow
some printers need special commands which it's possible the usb driver won't deliver.

mail might be non tech - but he's right - for twice the price of the doobie - you can have a shiny new printer that possibly will be more economical with the juice.

[scotman]

I am considering a new printer. I will still have a perfectly good old one which I can pass on to relative! It is a HP laserjet 4L.
I don't know the type of computer she has except it's a laptop so I imagine only USB ports.

[ACtheTROLL]

woah there bigboy - you didn't say it was a laser ....
that's different - I'd never consider an inkjet if I had a laser (I have and I won't)

rather than the cable ... consider
for desktop
http://www.whizzbitz.com/parallel-interface-db 25-female-with-backplate-bulk-packaged-p-78230 .html
for laptop
http://www.toyfeast.co.uk/store/index.php/newl ink-parallel-port-cardbus-pc-card.html
drivers

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSuppo rt/DriverDownload.jsp?prodNameId=15034&lang=en &cc=us&taskId=135&prodSeriesId=25486&prodTypeI d=18972

[scotman]

ACtheT
Thanks for that info.
I also don't know if her laptop has a card slot but I can find out. I am assuming that the adaptor connector will match the existing cable or have I got that wrong?
If USB is to be used does it matter which USB type is fitted? It is unlikely that my relative will know which she has.

[ACtheTROLL]

both doofers are just bog standard parallel ports - your standard printer port - so the 25/36 cable will be fine

laptops unfortinately come with a couple of different slots so it's worth checking before spending that it's the right one. - but again the 25/36 (centronics)

if you go for usb - if the lappy is reasonably new it will be OK

[ChuckFickens]

I'll throw another option into the fray :)

Assuming you use broadband and have a router then add something along these lines

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NetGear-PS105-Network-Pr int-Server_W0QQitemZ270413755693QQcmdZViewItem QQptZUK_Computing_Networking_SM?hash=item3ef5e a752d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

And then you can print from any computer connected to your broadband

(BTW I agree, hang on to the LJ4, they are a really good basic laser printer and will last for ever)

[scotman]

Thanks for all the help. I will enquire about relative's laptop and take it from there.
Agree about the LJ4L being reliable. I can't remember when i bought mine but it is many many years ago. The slow speed has not been a problem but unfortunately 300x300 dpi is no longer good enough for some of my needs.

[beso]

Those old HP Laserjets were next to indestructible. Where I work we have a few LJ5 printers still working after more than a decade of service in a business environment.

The Centronics connector was pretty much the standard on printers until the USB was introduced. The port on your computer is a parallel port. It will have holes rather than pins. Laptops dropped their parallel port a very long time ago as they were so huge.

The adaptor is you suggested is the wrong type as it is a USB to Serial adaptor. Serial ports on computers also used to be 25 pin in the same format (D25) as parallel except they had pins rather than holes. Later they changed to 9 pins because they really only used about seven in most devices and often only four.

There must have been thousands of those Print Servers AC mentined thrown away as printers were discarded when business level printers started including Ethernet ports. You might be able to pick up one second hand.