Eric Legge Posted April 19, 2003 Share Posted April 19, 2003 Greetings,Can someone tell me how a switch box that connects several paralllel port devices to a computer works?Does it appear in the Device Manager and have a device driver?For instance, how does it make Windows load the driver for a scanner when you switch from using a printer?Erichttp://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quint Posted April 19, 2003 Share Posted April 19, 2003 Hopefully, this will answer some of your questions:http://members.aol.com/rollyh/page6.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Legge Posted April 19, 2003 Author Share Posted April 19, 2003 Thanks for the reply and link, quint.This is the relevant part on that page -3. Solution number three. Use a switch box. Switch boxes are devices that let you connect multiple devicesto one computer or multiple computers to variousdevices. Typical switch boxes allow for two peripheralsor four peripherals. Some are manual and othersautomatic. In the problem we are discussing, a cable from the computer LPT 1 port would connect to thecommon I/O (input/output) connector of the switch box.Each peripheral would have a cable connected to another connector on the switch box with a label such as A, B, C, or D. Turn the knob to the appropriate label (A, B C. or D) and that device is connected to the computer. Switch boxes range in cost from veryreasonable (about $10 for a simple two device manual switch box) to quite expensive for automatic multiple ones. So, no entry in the Device Manager, and no device driver unless the automatic ones need drivers.I take it Windows detects when you turn the a particular device's switch and loads the driver if the device is Plug and Play. Eric,PC Buyer Beware! http://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ComputerBob Posted April 19, 2003 Share Posted April 19, 2003 It's been several years since I first tackled the problem of printer switch boxes. At that time, Windows was relatively new. I remember warnings from laser printer manufacturers against using manual switch boxes. It seems that, while switching from one printer to another, it was possible to momentarily connect voltage to something in the printer that wasn't supposed to have voltage. If you blew that component, the laser printer manufacturers would not honor your warrantee. The only "safe" way to switch printers was to power off both printers, turn the switch, then power both printers back on. Not very convenient.The automatic printer switch boxes were supposed to solve that problem, but I never owned one because they were very expensive.If I remember correctly, you also had to set up a printer driver for each printer that you wanted to use, and then, after manually selecting the printer on the printer switch, you had to select the proper printer driver within your application. If you forgot to do that, then you ended up sending your print job in Printer x's language to printer y. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dicknite Posted April 19, 2003 Share Posted April 19, 2003 Pre-Windows it was easy - of course, you had to program the printer! (Remember Character strings, line feeds, carriage returns? "Now, what was the command for underline? Chr$9 - Oops! That was a beep!" )After moving to Windows, I gave up on the AB switches and went to just installing multiple printer ports. Now days with USB printers, it is as close to a no-brainer as it can get. I have 4 printers and 2 scanners running off of my main box and no IRQ conflicts, no resource problems, nothing. All I do is tell each program which printer to use...d|:^)Dick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Yes, the standard inexpensive parallel port switch boxes generally have problems with IEEE (bi-directional) type printers, especially those that want to initialize at boot.As ComputerBob mentioned, the autosensing switch is supposed to work but they are more expensive.A friend of mine used one of the belkin autosensing models to connect two computers to one printer quite sucessfully (it was an older laser printer). But haven't seem two printers used with them personally.Hopefully someone else can help there.dicknite is right .. the easiest way is to install additional parallel ports utilizing one of your computer's open slots. It's the cleanest and easist way if you have enough IRQ's. And less expensive probably than an autosensing switch.Or you can use a USB printer and a parallel printer if one of the printers will do USB, but would depend on what version of Windows you are using. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengeek Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 I use a four way parallel port switch box with my printer and scanner and four computers with no problems, I just switch to whichever computer I want to print from.Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 (edited) greengeek --Cool! This doesn't often work with your standard $10 switch.What kind of printers and scanners, as well as switch? Could help with future projects and Eric's situation.NOTE:Actually connecting multiple computers to a single printer with a pass-through is easier than connecting several printers (IEEE) printers to a single computer through a switch ;)The multiple bi-directional printers are the problem ... they are chatty fellas! Edited April 20, 2003 by LilBambi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengeek Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Lexmark Z11 printer, Canon N340P scanner, the printer connects to the scanner. The printer/scanner cable goes to the switch box then you need four cables, one for each computer. My four main computers are also hooked up to a KVM switch (one monitor, mouse and keyboard to four computers). Very space saving. I'm looking for ways now to hook up my best speakers to four computers and maybe my best external modem too.Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ComputerBob Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Wow, that's quite a setup you've got there, Joy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teacher Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Wow, that's quite a setup you've got there, Joy! You stole the words right out of my mouth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 It sure is quite a setup! I kinda figured the scanner must be a parallel pass-through, but what kind of switch are you using? Is it an autosensing Belkin switch or other maker? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greengeek Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 It's a manual switch, cost about AU$20.00. It's a no name brand, just says data switch on the front, I lost the box it came in. The KVM is auto, came with four sets of cables for AU$112.00. You probably won't be able to buy these brands over there but you should have something similar.I'm going to try networking soon (when I get a good book on the subject), I have eight PCs (and another three in bits) and four old Macs which I would like to hook up together and get them talking to each other. Most of the PCs dual or multi boot with Linux.Joy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Legge Posted April 20, 2003 Author Share Posted April 20, 2003 Thanks for the most interesting replies.That's what I though a switch box was - just a device that makes it possible to connect several parallel-port devices and switch between them.Someone asked me for advice because his Belkin parallel port switch box wasn't working anymore, so I told him to get another switch from a better manufacturer because Belkin make crap and that one was an ex switch box.Just one more point. Can you buy parallel port to USB converter plugs? If so, I would just use them and a USB hub.Erichttp://www.legge40.freeserve.co.uk/BuyerBeware.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 Here is a source for parallel to USB adapters from many sources on C|Net Shopper:http://shopper.cnet.com/shopping/resellers...-4778227-0.htmlAnd here at DealTime.com too:http://www.dealtime.com/dt-app/GS/PartnerI...nkinId-2063172/I also found a USB to parallel adapter to add a second printer ... looks like it might be a nice find too:http://www.synchrotech.com/product-usb/usb...arallel_01.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Legge Posted April 20, 2003 Author Share Posted April 20, 2003 Thanks for those links, LilBambi.This forum has only just started. Is it true that you have already made 598 posts?If so, how did you make the time?Ignore that. My mistake! - I've just noticed that you are a moderator. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LilBambi Posted April 20, 2003 Share Posted April 20, 2003 LOL! I work from home and that helps quite a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gus K Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 When I had the need to connect 2 PP devices, I added a ISA card (they are also available for PCI). Cheap, easy, and a more proper way to handle things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peachy Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 When I had the need to connect 2 PP devices, I added a ISA card (they are also available for PCI). Cheap, easy, and a more proper way to handle things.GusK,Good point! It's much easier now, with PCI cards and IRQ sharing. But back in the bad ol' days of Windows 95 and the ISA bus you always had to make sure you had enough IRQs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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