Does a USB switch exist for one input two ouput

[AlaanThryner]

I am trying to find out if there is a USB switch for connecting two printers to one computer. ( I know, sounds dumb, right)    I am looking for a USB version of a parallel  A/B printer switch.  I have a need for such device, yet have been unable to find.  I work in an industrial setting and we currently have two printers for each computer, on an A/B switcher using parallel cables.  We are wanting to switch to USB.  The program we use is set up to use one generic printer.  When something happens to a printer and it stops, the end-user can switch to the other printer.  I have found many, many, USB switches for multiple computers to share kb and mouse, but I have not found any that do two printers one computer.  Does anyone know if such a device exists and where to find it?

[rcmaehl]

A KVM switch?

 

Oh. I don't know any device like that off the top of my head. One second.

 

[AlaanThryner]

Not a KVM. Looking for an A/B switch for two USB printers.  

[rcmaehl]

Don't know of any A/B device. Closest thing is just disabling the other device possibly?
 

https://www.amazon.com/Onite-Female-Extension-Raspberry-Arduino/dp/B076P4TJCP/
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-4-Port-Individual-Switches-HB-UM43/dp/B00JX1ZS5O/

 

Otherwise maybe a script to change the default printer?

 

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/2564-how-to-set-the-default-printer-via-command-line-prompt

[rcmaehl]

Just now, VegetableStu said:

not sure if there are 8-pole single throw switches out there to DIY a solution here... o_o

If you find one let me know. I need to bribe a company to make a 100+ pole single throw switch so I can switch between ECUs in my wagon.

[IntMD]

So, is something along the lines of the below what you want?

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/USB-Manual-Share-Switch-Printer

[rcmaehl]

4 minutes ago, VegetableStu said:

OP wants the other way around

Actually...

 

Why not just hook it up backwards. USB is a 2 way street

[AlaanThryner]

If that works, it would mean, having to buy A to A and B to B cables for each setup.  instead of using existing A to B cables.  All great thoughts, I really do appreciate having more heads thinking about this.

[Windows7ge]

So some sort of reverse-KVM but for printers? Unless these printers provide unique functions I would question the work flow/method being used. Giving everyone 2 printers as a method of fail-over isn't cost effective at all. In an application where everyone needs printer access and fail-over is important it'd be arguably better to use 2 network printers and let people share them.

 

Assuming everybody doesn't start fighting over printer time/access.

[rcmaehl]

2 minutes ago, Windows7ge said:

So some sort of reverse-KVM but for printers? Unless these printers provide unique functions I would question the work flow/method being used. Giving everyone 2 printers as a method of fail-over isn't cost effective at all. In an application where everyone needs printer access and fail-over is important it'd be arguably better to use 2 network printers and let people share them.

 

Assuming everybody doesn't start fighting over printer time/access.

SHHHHH. As someone that's done support contracts for printers, they're highly lucrative, don't spoil it.  

[AlaanThryner]

This is in a manufacturing situation, downtime cost $$$$.  so when a printer stops working, the user needs to be able to quickly switch to the backup printer.  Most are thermal Zebra printers not networked.

[Windows7ge]

5 minutes ago, rcmaehl said:

SHHHHH. As someone that's done support contracts for printers, they're highly lucrative, don't spoil it.  

 Nah, I'm sure it's fine. It's just one company *One week passes, the news spread, printer industry crashes, widespread panic over toner & ink shortages ensues*.

 

9 minutes ago, AlaanThryner said:

This is in a manufacturing situation, downtime cost $$$$.  so when a printer stops working, the user needs to be able to quickly switch to the backup printer.  Most are thermal Zebra printers not networked.

I know a few companies that use those and they're all networked. I'd have to get back to you on the brand names/model numbers.

[mr moose]

I don't understand why you can't just have them both plugged into a hub and swap the default printer in the event of a failure or even just physically swap the cables over if that is too complicated.

[Kisai]

11 hours ago, AlaanThryner said:

I am trying to find out if there is a USB switch for connecting two printers to one computer. ( I know, sounds dumb, right)    I am looking for a USB version of a parallel  A/B printer switch.  I have a need for such device, yet have been unable to find.  I work in an industrial setting and we currently have two printers for each computer, on an A/B switcher using parallel cables.  We are wanting to switch to USB.  The program we use is set up to use one generic printer.  When something happens to a printer and it stops, the end-user can switch to the other printer.  I have found many, many, USB switches for multiple computers to share kb and mouse, but I have not found any that do two printers one computer.  Does anyone know if such a device exists and where to find it?

 

Maybe I'm not parsing this correctly, but what you want is a USB Hub. You plug both printers into the downstream ports, and plug the PC in to the upstream port of the hub, and the PC sees TWO printers. Nothing else needs to be done.

 

Those old A/B mechanical and auto-switches were notoriously rubbish, and they weren't designed to connect TWO printers, they were designed to connect two PC's to ONE printer. Often the switches would fail to connect all the pins and you'd have the printer spew garbage, they were only ever usable on dot-matrix printers. Laser and Inkjet printers would often misbehave when the parallel port pins shorted or disconnected.

 

Now let's cover both scenarios:

A) I want to connect two or more printers to one PC

and

B) I want to connect two or more PC's to one Printer

 

For A, connect two printers to one PC via USB, done. If you don't have enough ports add a USB Hub, or check if your monitor or keyboard has a hub in it already.

 

For B, connect two PC's together with an Ethernet cable, and share the printer on the PC it's connected to. Easily done. You can also use a Ethernet Switch or your internet router to connect both PC's.

 

Some printers already have WiFi or Ethernet ports and don't need to be connected via USB. Usually multi-function printer/scanner's have this.

 

Now for your specific use case, the problem is what you're try to actually do. Two printers at each computer, but a software product that only prints to one, because it was only designed for one. My solution here would be to just get rid of the individual printers entirely and have the software print to PDF, and then if you actually need to print it, print the PDF on the USB or Network attached printer. To "print to PDF", I'm assuming the software is running on Windows or a Mac that may already have this driver, but there's also things like PDF-XChange that do it. Now if this software isn't smart enough to print to anything but LPT1, then you won't be able to move to USB in the first place.

 

The office I work at, and another client just pay Xerox for leased color laser printers, and those use an embedded linux print server. If you print to one of these things (assuming you're printing enough to justify the printer) everyone can share it, and the printer can even directly be in the room where the paper is actually used. So you don't need two printers at every PC, rather you can get away with just two printers for the entire floor. 

 

 

[Kisai]

11 hours ago, rcmaehl said:

Don't know of any A/B device. Closest thing is just disabling the other device possibly?
 

https://www.amazon.com/Onite-Female-Extension-Raspberry-Arduino/dp/B076P4TJCP/
https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-4-Port-Individual-Switches-HB-UM43/dp/B00JX1ZS5O/

 

Otherwise maybe a script to change the default printer?

 

https://community.spiceworks.com/how_to/2564-how-to-set-the-default-printer-via-command-line-prompt

 

Seems to me the occams razor solution is just to just create a (windows powershell, unix shell, macos shell) script that switches the default printer based on the other printer being online or not. That's pretty much how the Auto A/B switches worked, when they worked.

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/scriptcenter/How-to-set-default-printer-cf89670b

 

Make two copies of the script, make one called "Printer A", the other "Printer B", and just run the script when you need to change printers.

 

Hmm I mighty actually use this at the office tomorrow to work around a bug in Excel.

[thejackalope]

This is really simple. Buy a USB hub with switches https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-4-Port-Individual-Switches-HB-UM43/dp/B00JX1ZS5O/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=usb+hub+switch&qid=1566418512&s=electronics&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&sr=1-3