Best Parallel Adapters in 2022

Last update: January 14, 2023

Are parallel ports still used?

A parallel port is a type of interface found on computers (personal and otherwise) for connecting various peripherals. The name refers to the way the data is transmitted – in parallel form. While once a popular way to connect devices such as printers, scanners and external hard drives, parallel ports have largely been replaced by USB ports in recent years. Nevertheless, there are some devices that still use parallel ports and so they can be found on some computers, though not as many as in the past.

Can USB device be shared between 2 computers?

A USB device, such as a flash drive, can be shared between two computers by connecting it to a USB port on each computer. When the device is connected to a computer, that computer can access the files stored on the device.

Can you connect 2 computers using USB?

Yes, it is possible to connect two computers using a USB cable. This is done by connecting the USB cable from one computer to the USB port on the other computer. Once the connection is made, the two computers will be able to communicate with each other.

Can you connect multiple devices to one USB port?

Most USB ports on computers are designed to allow multiple devices to be connected at the same time. However, some older computers only have one USB port, which can make it difficult to connect more than one device. There are a few ways to connect multiple devices to one USB port, but it is important to note that not all devices will work when connected this way. One way to connect multiple devices to one USB port is to use a USB hub. A USB hub is a device that allows multiple USB devices to be connected to one port. Most USB hubs have four or more ports, so


UGREEN USB 2.0 to RS232 DB9 Serial Cable Male A Converter Adapter with FTDI Chipset for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, Linux and Mac OS X 10.6 and Above (6ft) Review:


It was finicky but it worked for me. Actually, I first had trouble getting my serial devices to be detected. I looked over the FTDI website for a while. I discovered that the device manager in Windows has a ton of settings for the com port. They are located in the com port properties' "advanced" subwindow. For read and write buffers, timeouts, and a few other things, you can modify them. This implies that the driver is correctly installed and that the correct com port is being edited. It should say FTDI and not Microsoft as the driver's name if you go under the "driver" page for the com port. Please be aware that the device manager has 2 things, one of which is under "ports" (the com port) and the other under "usb devices." The accompanying CD contains comprehensive instructions for installing the drivers. Windows might conduct the driver installation for you. On the website, there is a WHQL Windows 10 driver that is only a few months old. If you use Windows 10, you might want to download it. Instead of using what is on the CD, you should probably just go there to acquire the most recent drivers.Anyway, I was prepared to modify every parameter for the com port because I was having trouble getting two outdated devices to work with Windows 8.1 (32-bit) on an HP Stream 7 tablet (using an otg usb converter attached to this adapter). When I used an old OBD2 (vehicle) reader, the software failed to recognize the gadget. When I plugged in an old external modem, Windows did not recognize it. Windows did recognize the COM port, and it appeared that the drivers had been properly set up. I had already restarted a few times. I have repeatedly unplugged the wire. It simply didn't seem to function. When I tried it again this morning, it just worked. I was prepared to experiment with altering every setting (since they advise reducing some of the speeds and buffer sizes for compatibility), but now it functions for whatever reason. Both the modem and the OBD2 gadget were visible to me. I have no idea why. It might have been as straightforward as a loose connection or Windows just being Windows. Since I don't intend to use this every day, all I can do is pray that it will function when I need it.It is the FTDI chipset, and it appears to be well-made (or a good clone, but I suspect it is legit)



UGREEN USB 2.0 to RS232 DB9 Serial Cable Male A Converter Adapter with FTDI Chipset for Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7, Vista, XP, 2000, Linux and Mac OS X 10.6 and Above (3ft) Review:


It was finicky but it worked for me. Actually, I first had trouble getting my serial devices to be detected. I looked over the FTDI website for a while. I discovered that the device manager in Windows has a ton of settings for the com port. They are located in the com port properties' "advanced" subwindow. For read and write buffers, timeouts, and a few other things, you can modify them. This implies that the driver is correctly installed and that the correct com port is being edited. It should say FTDI and not Microsoft as the driver's name if you go under the "driver" page for the com port. Please be aware that the device manager has 2 things, one of which is under "ports" (the com port) and the other under "usb devices." The accompanying CD contains comprehensive instructions for installing the drivers. Windows might conduct the driver installation for you. On the website, there is a WHQL Windows 10 driver that is only a few months old. If you use Windows 10, you might want to download it. Instead of using what is on the CD, you should probably just go there to acquire the most recent drivers.Anyway, I was prepared to modify every parameter for the com port because I was having trouble getting two outdated devices to work with Windows 8.1 (32-bit) on an HP Stream 7 tablet (using an otg usb converter attached to this adapter). When I used an old OBD2 (vehicle) reader, the software failed to recognize the gadget. When I plugged in an old external modem, Windows did not recognize it. Windows did recognize the COM port, and it appeared that the drivers had been properly set up. I had already restarted a few times. I have repeatedly unplugged the wire. It simply didn't seem to function. When I tried it again this morning, it just worked. I was prepared to experiment with altering every setting (since they advise reducing some of the speeds and buffer sizes for compatibility), but now it functions for whatever reason. Both the modem and the OBD2 gadget were visible to me. I have no idea why. It might have been as straightforward as a loose connection or Windows just being Windows. Since I don't intend to use this every day, all I can do is pray that it will function when I need it.It is the FTDI chipset, and it appears to be well-made (or a good clone, but I suspect it is legit)



DuKabel Mini DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter Converter, Aluminum Casing Thunderbolt to HDMI Adapter, Dongle-Style Mini dp to HDMI Cable Converter, Compatible for MacBook, Microsoft Surface, and More Review:


I bought this DuKabel product to replace a tiny display port to HDMI converter made by a different company that, for some reason, stopped performing consistently. The DuKabel adapter may be less prone to break because its cable has a greater diameter and is shorter. The aluminum housing enhances both performance and appearance.I work with clients who use a variety of branded devices, including Apple, Toshiba, and Acer, and I use a Lenovo ThinkPad X230 myself. Since I was replacing an X220, which uses the older Display Port, and I was using a DP to HDMI setup on an MDP to DP setup (which worked fine but took up as much space as two iPhone 4's), I initially searched for a Lenovo-compatible solution. However, I also wanted something that was Thunderbolt compatible. The $40 Moshi-branded adapter wasn't as well built as Belkin's and wasn't as thin. It also wasn't as expensive. I'm quite happy with my buy thus far.



BENFEI DisplayPort to HDMI, Gold-Plated DP Display Port to HDMI Adapter (Male to Female) Compatible for Lenovo Dell HP and Other Brand Review:


The evaluation: The adapter appears to be well-made. Although it was packaged in a plastic bag rather than a box, the male DisplayPort end did have a protective cap, and the housing of the HDMI end was wrapped in plastic. It connected firmly, and I successfully tested the release. I wonder if some of the individuals who experienced problems with it breaking off during removal weren't aware that DP has an active retention mechanism that needs to be depressed in order to remove. video and audio were seamlessly transmitted to my TV and surround sound, as planned (or at least hoped).Because I frequently look to questions and reviews for information, I also want to include personal experience in my reviews because I believe that doing so can benefit others:Active versus passive adapters: My home theater computer, a Lenovo M83 Tiny PC, has a DisplayPort output. This passive adaptor, as others have noted, MAY not function with your output unless it is marked DP . The term "DisplayPort Dual-Mode" (DP ) merely denotes that the port will automatically determine if an HDMI or DVI adapter is connected and will send the proper signals in place of the DP signals. It is crucial to understand that the majority of contemporary DP ports are dual mode, whether or not the DP emblem is visible. As a result, you should conduct preliminary research to determine whether your device has a dual mode port, or risk learning this information the hard way.Regarding the adapter's ability to transmit audio from the DP to the HDMI wire that connects to my surround sound system, that was my main worry. To be clear, the configuration in my case is as follows: PC Display Port > this adapter > HDMI cable > Receiver > HDMI cable > TV. My computer immediately started playing video on my TV when I first powered it on (after installing Windows 10 Pro), but the surround sound speakers were silent (I was clicking the Windows volume slider and listening for the "ding"). I went into the Sounds choices in Control Panel (not the crappy Windows 10 Settings app; what was wrong with the Control Panel, Microsoft?!). There was only one item under "playback devices": "Speakers." But as soon as I entered the sound menu, a different device with the same name as my receiver's model number appeared. It was made the default device by Windows automatically. To be cautious, I decided to disable the other "Speakers" gadget. All settings stayed after the reboot, and sound continued to function as intended.The playback device should also be clicked on and the Configure option should be chosen if you are using a surround sound receiver. Make sure you choose the correct option. I was able to specify that I have 5.1 surround here, but there were also options for stereo and 7.1. Stereo is the default setting if you are plugging this directly into a TV, which is what you need. I was able to confirm that the 5.1 signal was truly making it via the adaptor because it does transmit a test sound to each speaker separately. The source material or program that is providing the audio may determine whether this is an uncompressed PCM signal or some other type of compressed audio stream.



BENFEI DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter 2 Pack, DP Display Port to HDMI Converter Male to Female Gold-Plated Cord Compatible for Lenovo Dell HP and Other Brand Review:


The evaluation: The adapter appears to be well-made. Although it was packaged in a plastic bag rather than a box, the male DisplayPort end did have a protective cap, and the housing of the HDMI end was wrapped in plastic. It connected firmly, and I successfully tested the release. I wonder if some of the individuals who experienced problems with it breaking off during removal weren't aware that DP has an active retention mechanism that needs to be depressed in order to remove. video and audio were seamlessly transmitted to my TV and surround sound, as planned (or at least hoped).Because I frequently look to questions and reviews for information, I also want to include personal experience in my reviews because I believe that doing so can benefit others:Active versus passive adapters: My home theater computer, a Lenovo M83 Tiny PC, has a DisplayPort output. This passive adaptor, as others have noted, MAY not function with your output unless it is marked DP . The term "DisplayPort Dual-Mode" (DP ) merely denotes that the port will automatically determine if an HDMI or DVI adapter is connected and will send the proper signals in place of the DP signals. It is crucial to understand that the majority of contemporary DP ports are dual mode, whether or not the DP emblem is visible. As a result, you should conduct preliminary research to determine whether your device has a dual mode port, or risk learning this information the hard way.Regarding the adapter's ability to transmit audio from the DP to the HDMI wire that connects to my surround sound system, that was my main worry. To be clear, the configuration in my case is as follows: PC Display Port > this adapter > HDMI cable > Receiver > HDMI cable > TV. My computer immediately started playing video on my TV when I first powered it on (after installing Windows 10 Pro), but the surround sound speakers were silent (I was clicking the Windows volume slider and listening for the "ding"). I went into the Sounds choices in Control Panel (not the crappy Windows 10 Settings app; what was wrong with the Control Panel, Microsoft?!). There was only one item under "playback devices": "Speakers." But as soon as I entered the sound menu, a different device with the same name as my receiver's model number appeared. It was made the default device by Windows automatically. To be cautious, I decided to disable the other "Speakers" gadget. All settings stayed after the reboot, and sound continued to function as intended.The playback device should also be clicked on and the Configure option should be chosen if you are using a surround sound receiver. Make sure you choose the correct option. I was able to specify that I have 5.1 surround here, but there were also options for stereo and 7.1. Stereo is the default setting if you are plugging this directly into a TV, which is what you need. I was able to confirm that the 5.1 signal was truly making it via the adaptor because it does transmit a test sound to each speaker separately. The source material or program that is providing the audio may determine whether this is an uncompressed PCM signal or some other type of compressed audio stream.



BENFEI DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter 5 Pack, DP Display Port to HDMI Converter Male to Female Gold-Plated Cord Compatible for Lenovo Dell HP and Other Brand Review:


For converting regular video from DP to HDMI, this converter performs admirably. This will function perfectly if you intend to use it with a multi-monitor setup and have more display ports than HDMI. I've noticed that the DP output is awash, with black screens that aren't quite black, but I'm confident that this is not a problem with this product. I have solved most problems because I use nVidia products (GTX 970, GTX 980, GTX 1070, and an RTX 2080).It won't work, though, if you want to use this with a VR headset like the HTC Vive (like I did). I probably should have done more study on this, but using this converter with a VR headset does not work at all. VR headsets must be directly connected to the HDMI port. Maybe other people have luck. I tested a few different video cards (above), but this converter does not support the VR headset.Nevertheless, it works flawlessly for ordinary display applications.



DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter 10 Pack, Benfei DP Display Port to HDMI Converter Male to Female Gold-Plated Cord Compatible for Lenovo Dell HP and Other Brand Review:


For converting regular video from DP to HDMI, this converter performs admirably. This will function perfectly if you intend to use it with a multi-monitor setup and have more display ports than HDMI. I've noticed that the DP output is awash, with black screens that aren't quite black, but I'm confident that this is not a problem with this product. I have solved most problems because I use nVidia products (GTX 970, GTX 980, GTX 1070, and an RTX 2080).It won't work, though, if you want to use this with a VR headset like the HTC Vive (like I did). I probably should have done more study on this, but using this converter with a VR headset does not work at all. VR headsets must be directly connected to the HDMI port. Maybe other people have luck. I tested a few different video cards (above), but this converter does not support the VR headset.Nevertheless, it works flawlessly for ordinary display applications.



Sabrent USB 2.0 to DB25 IEEE-1284 Parallel Printer Cable Adapter [HEXNUT Connectors] (CB-1284) Review:


I required a cable to connect an old printer to a new PC. These were configured properly in this one. I was pleasantly surprised by the length because, contrary to what I had anticipated, I was able to cover the complete distance with only the two components (increased length and added junctions can decrease function). Installing the system was easy and simply plug-and-play.



Mvpone Extension Cable (Black, 3.3FT) Extender Dock Cable Pass Video, Data, Audio Review:


I purchased this for my car (a Mini Cooper with an auxiliary/usb Y split cable, similar to certain BMWs). I recently purchased a new case for my iPhone, but it wouldn't fit the cable I purchased for the upgraded lightning charger. I've experienced this issue before and have since chosen not to play phone case roulette. Although this lightning cable is not as small as I was hoping, it is still compatible with my new otter box case. It is thinner than many parts. As the package stated support for data, video, and audio, I was prepared to return. At first, it didn't accomplish any of those things. However, I tried the original cable that came with my car and the Apple brand Lightning Short Adapter with this cable as a last-ditch effort, and it works! Does everything as promised, and I can once more use my phone while driving. Although it's not the fastest charger, it does the job, so we'll see how long it lasts.



RJ45 Network Splitter Adapter Cable, ALife RJ45 1 Male to 2 Female Socket Port LAN Ethernet Network Splitter Y Adapter Cable Suitable for Super Category 5 Ethernet, Category 6 Ethernet Review:


Despite using shielded RJ45 jacks, our application would not be compatible because the shields are not attached to a drain wire. We utilised a multimeter to evaluate it. I don't see why shielded connectors would be more expensive to purchase only to be left unconnected. The extra drain lead will require some additional CAT6A cable, but since they already paid for the protected connectors, why not? Fair enough, they did not market this as CAT6A, and it ought to function for its ostensible but dubious purpose.


Can you daisy chain USB devices?

You can daisy chain USB devices by connecting them in series. This allows you to connect multiple devices to a single port on your computer. Daisy chaining is a convenient way to connect multiple USB devices, but it can also cause problems if not done correctly. Make sure to check the specifications of your USB devices before daisy chaining them.

Do USB splitters cause lag?

USB splitters are devices that allow multiple USB devices to be connected to a single port. While they are convenient, some users have reported that they can cause lag. This is most likely due to the fact that the devices are sharing a single port, and therefore the bandwidth is divided between them. If you are experiencing lag when using a USB splitter, you may want to try connecting the devices to separate ports.

Do USB splitters reduce speed?

USB splitters are used to connect multiple devices to a single USB port. While they are useful for connecting multiple devices, they can also reduce the speed of the USB connection. This is because the USB connection is divided among the devices that are connected to the splitter. If you are looking to use a USB splitter, it is important to keep this in mind.

Do USB to parallel adapters work?

Yes, USB to parallel adapters work. They are used to connect a parallel device, such as a printer, to a computer via a USB port.

How fast is parallel port?

The parallel port is a computer interface used for connecting peripherals, most often printers. The port is also known by several other names, including printer port, Centronics port, and LPT port. The parallel port is a relatively fast interface, with data transfer rates of up to 150 kbps. However, it is not as fast as some of the other interfaces available, such as USB or Firewire.

How many devices can share a single USB port?

One USB port can support up to 127 devices, though it's more likely that it will support between 4 and 8 devices.