usb to ethernet converter
Kirk Strauser
kirk at strauser.com
Sun Aug 24 20:54:33 PDT 2003
At 2003-08-25T03:26:10Z, "Joseph I. Davida" <jd108 at pacbell.net> writes:
> If that is the case, how is it that the protocol can work over direct
> connection to USB port and not over ethernet?
I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "protocol", but I think you're
referring to the stream of printing codes sent from the computer to the
printer.
> This area needs a little clarification. All we are changing is the
> physical interface, but keeping the rest of the filters, which do the
> printer specific conversion to bitmaps (or whatever that format is) the
> same. So the only change would be in the physical connection.
Not even close. A computer needs a special driver to communicate with a USB
printer connected to it. Since this is commonly part of the OS, you don't
usually think of it, but it's there nonetheless. The computer needs a
different driver to communicate with a network adapter. In reverse, your
printer has drivers to decode the incoming signal from your computer. It
has no idea of how to decode the incoming signal from a network adapter. As
a simple example of that lack of functionality, how would you tell your
printer to set an IP address on the network adapter attached to it? Short
answer: you can't. Your printer has no concept of a network stack.
--
Kirk Strauser
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