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I'll soon be gifting someone my old HP 5MP. I've always networked it with a LocalTalk-to-Ethernet adapter. I still have some of those setups, and the person I'm giving the printer to has a router.
But this person has had some unexplainable, hellish router-related issues that myself and this forum haven't been able to diagnose, and so I'm wondering if a USB-to-parallel port adapter isn't the better way to go for her. Her Mac runs Leopard, if that matters.
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What are the router problems? Have a link to the old discussions?
I don't have any experience with the USB-to-parallel adapters so I'm offering help where i can.
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Only tip I have regarding the Local-talk to Ethernet adapters is that some adapters will ONLY communicate via 10-Base-T ethernet, and will NOT work well, or at all, with a 10/100 switch, or device.
Took me many painful hours to figure this out....
I've missed any other threads you may have posted about this... so if this magically fixes your issues, sorry it's tardy :-)
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The router issues dealt with her MacBook not reliably, wirelessly seeing her Buffalo router without the router being restarted. And also not seeing the Internet when connected via Ethernet IF her other Mac, a B&W running 9.2.2, was ever turned on. She bought the router used, it could be defective. I've already recommended she try a new router, if only to remove one variable.
But like I said, I'm not here to try to get the connectivity issues resolved.
Paul, that's interesting about 10-Base-T. Guess I've been lucky, I have Farallon and Sonic adapters that don't mind being used with 10/100 routers.
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I've used a USB-to-parallel port cable to run an old HP LaserJet 6L on an Intel iMac; worked like a charm with a Gutenprint driver.
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I have my HP 6MP connected with a USB to Parallel adapter with Tiger. It works very well with the standard drivers bundled with the OS.
I used to use an Asante Localtalk adapter. It was more problematic than the USB to Paralell adapter.
I share this printer over the local network via software on the computer (Preferences-->Sharing-->Printer Sharing).
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>>But like I said, I'm not here to try to get the connectivity issues resolved.
I'd resolve those before introducing more complexity.
Restore the firmware and clear the settings OR just get a new router.
You shouldn't need to introduce the complexity of a poorly supported usb to parallel adapter.
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My mom uses a USB to Parallel adapter on her mini with a Laserjet 6MP. It's made by APC (yes, APC, I didn't know they made that stuff either) and I saw it on clearance at some store and bought it. I didn't think it would work at all but I figured it was so cheap that if it didn't work I wouldn't be out much. I plugged it in and It worked fine.
Although sometimes it's temperamental and doesn't see the printer the first time until you power cycle it.
