Q&A: Problems With a Printer Switchbox
Hi, Dave. I use an MP LaserJet 2100 through a parallel connection. I just bought an HP 1215 PhotoSmart printer. I have both connected through a switchbox, but I cannot get the new PhotoSmart to work correctly. I have USB 1.1 ports and wonder if it is possible to have one printer connected via parallel and one connected to USB.
--Michelle White, Memphis, Tennessee
Back in the old days, no one ever needed to connect two printers to the same computer, but today a lot of people find that having a laser printer for text and an ink jet for digital images is a smart combination. But you've discovered a problem with using the parallel port. Switchboxes, which let you connect two printers to the same parallel port and toggle between them, don't always work properly--especially with Hewlett-Packard printers, which I've found to balk at switchboxes more often than many others.
You've already thought of the solution, though. Yes, you can connect your older laser printer via the parallel port and attach the new ink jet by way of the USB port. If you later replace your laser printer with a USB model, you'll find that it's possible to attach any number of printers to your PC via separate USB ports.
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