How to Connect a Printer to Two Computers Using a Hama Data Switchbox 4:1

The Hama Data Switchbox 4:1 can be used to connect up to four computers to one USB device, such as a printer, digital camera, scanner or other peripheral. The process is simple and can save you a lot of desk space, especially in an office where space is limited.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Parallel or Centronics cables
• Centronics-to-USB converter
• USB cables

1. Ensure your printer has a USB interface. Many of the older printers use parallel or Centronics cables and can't connect directly to the switchbox. For these, you'll need to purchase a Centronics-to-USB converter.
2. Connect up to four computers using USB cables to the A, B, C and D inputs on the back of the switchbox. If available, attach the cable to a high-speed USB 2.0 port on your computers. It will also work with USB 1.1, but the data transfer rate will be a lot slower.
3. Install your printer's software and drivers on each of the computers attached to the switchbox before adding the printer to your system. This will allow them to recognize the printer as a new device once it's attached.
4. Connect your printer to the USB port on the back of the switchbox, and turn it on.
5. Set the switch on the front of the switchbox to "A" to connect it to your first computer. The computer should recognize the printer as a new hardware device and install it. Repeat the process for the other computers.
6. Print a test page from each computer to make sure they're working properly.

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