From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Dec 21 15:09:18 2003 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 5248C16A4CE for ; Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:09:18 -0800 (PST) Received: from ms-smtp-01-eri0.southeast.rr.com (ms-smtp-01-lbl.southeast.rr.com [24.25.9.100]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A926D43D49 for ; Sun, 21 Dec 2003 15:09:16 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from wegster@mindcore.net) Received: from mindcore.net (rdu162-234-100.nc.rr.com [24.162.234.100]) hBLN9DHG003489; Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:09:14 -0500 (EST) Message-ID: <3FE62819.2070306@mindcore.net> Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2003 18:09:13 -0500 From: Scott W User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 5.1; en-US; rv:1.5) Gecko/20031007 X-Accept-Language: en-us, en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Doug Poland References: <4875.172.16.1.35.1072043663.squirrel@email.polands.org> In-Reply-To: <4875.172.16.1.35.1072043663.squirrel@email.polands.org> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Virus-Scanned: Symantec AntiVirus Scan Engine cc: questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Postscript printer, serial or parallel cable? X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 21 Dec 2003 23:09:18 -0000 Doug Poland wrote: >Hi, > >I recently got my hands on a free (woowho!) HP 4050 printer. I'm >going to hook it up to a FreeBSD 4.9-STABLE server. The printer has >two serial (one male/one female) connectors, a Centronix port, and >some odd looking port that looks like you plug a mouse into it. > >The handbook states that I can use serial or parallel cabling to a >postscript capable printer but there may be some advantage to a serial >cable as it is bi-directional. I've got several newer IEEE >something-or-another parallel cables lying around unused. They were >rather expensive and, IIRC, proported to be bi-directional. > >Question: Is a serial hookup preferable to parallel? As a future >possiblity, this modest FBSD box may become a dedicated print server >with a color laser and ink jet also hanging off it. I'll probably >install CUPS and "share" it with windows users via Samba. > >Thanks for your input > > > If I'm not totally mistaken (been a while since I've used a serial printer for anything), the parallel should be a fair amount quicker- the only thing I remember about the serials is it was easier/cheaper to find long serial cables, which was important when a server in the server room or on another floor was doing print server duties for a printer in a publicly accessible area.... Any reasonably modern parallel cable and parallel port is also bi-directional, so the only advantage I see with serial is if you're cabling it like above... Scott