# Parallel A/B switch to USB Printer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 7, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parallel-a-b-switch-to-usb-printer/343400 "2006-02-07T16:27:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![daffyduck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ec9cab/32.png) [@daffyduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/daffyduck)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parallel-a-b-switch-to-usb-printer/343400/1 "2006-02-07T16:27:46Z")
We have a printer that only has a USB connection and I need to interface it to an A/B switch that only has parallel connections. The USB to Parallel cords I find by googling all say they are for connecting the USB port on the computer with a parallel printer connection, but I need to go the other direction, as it were. Will these cords work in my situation? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parallel-a-b-switch-to-usb-printer/343400/2 "2006-02-07T16:36:59Z")
Can’t be done in any way easy enough to make it worthwhile; best option for sharing the printer is to network the two PCs, plug the printer into one of them and share the printer on the Windows network (assuming your OS is Windows). Or just get another printer of the same make and model and don’t share at all; we can’t be talking about an expensive model here, can we, if it’s USB only? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parallel-a-b-switch-to-usb-printer/343400/3 "2006-02-07T17:20:46Z")
I agree with **Mangetout**. Another option is to get a USB A/B switch.