Install a parallel printer on a Base Station

Sep 10, '04 09:33:00AM

Contributed by: Anonymous

Perhaps because it turns out to be so simple, I have not found simple instructions for installing a parallel printer on an Airport Base Station, and web searches kept turning up pages that made it look much more complicated than it turned out to be. So, here are instructions. I'm using a LaserJet 5MP on an Airport Extreme "Snow" Base Station with OS X 10.2 and 10.3.

  1. Obtain a USB -> Parallel cable. I found one for $19 plus change including shipping on the web.
  2. Connect printer to Base Station.
  3. Restart Base Station.
  4. Open Print Center application (or Printer Setup Utility) on OS X machines that are networked to the Base Station.
  5. Select 'Add new printer.' The LaserJet 5MP showed up automatically as a Rendezvous printer. If you have something different that does not show up, you probably need to install a printer driver.
That's it! No special software required, just the Parallel to USB cable. Everything just seems to work!

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