With C2 Gs USB (Universal Serial Bus) to IEEE-1284 Printer Cable, you can use your USB (Universal Serial Bus) port on your PC or hub & free-up the parallel port for a Zip drive or scanner. If you have multiple printers, you can eliminate the need for a switchbox by connecting each printer to a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port. The device is fully transparent to the user, & is ideal for true bi-directional communication.