Autoswitch Troubleshooting Guide

  Q. What is the IEEE-1284 Family?
A. Autoswitches from Cables To GoThis family of Autoswitches (IA-221B, IA-421B, IA-221BPR, and IA-421BPR) are the first ASP products to support IEEE-1284 printers and peripherals, allowing these devices to be shared via a parallel port. Previously, connecting an IEEE-1284 printer to a switch required modification to the printer drivers to allow the device to be shared, a process not always desirable, nor intuitive. With the new IEEE-1284 Autoswitch family, this is no longer an issue. You can connect and share your IEEE-1284 printer and enjoy all its benefits and features. ASP's newest models also allow sharing of other parallel peripherals such as removable disk drives, scanners, digital cameras, etc.

Q. You have five models. Which one do I choose?
A. That depends on what you need the switch for. Here is the breakdown of the five models currently in this family:
  • 12416 (IA-221B) - this model is for connecting 2 computers to 1 IEEE-1284 printer.
  • 12412 (IA-221) - this model is for connecting 2 computers to 1 uni-directional printer.
  • 12413 (IA-222) - this model is for connecting 2 computers to 2 uni-directional printers.
  • 17228 (IA-221BPR) - R means reversible, which means that this model allows for the connection of 2 computers to 1 printer, or 1 computer to 2 printers. In addition, this model allows for the sharing of parallel peripherals other than printers, such as scanners, disk drives, etc.
  • 17978 (IA-421BPR) - as above, but with 4 ports.


    • Q. Will they work with Windows x?
    A. Yes! The IA-221B and IA-421B are plug and play. No software installation is required! The IA-221BPR and IA-421BPR come with a Windows utility that makes it easy to select what peripheral you want to use. The utility works on Windows 95/98/Me and also Windows NT/2000/XP.

    Q. Do I need IEEE cables to use the IEEE switch?
    A. IEEE-1284 cables are required to utilize the IEEE switch family and connected peripherals that support the IEEE-1284 standard.

    Q. What is the maximum length of cable I can use?
    A. IEEE-1284 standards dictate that cable lengths cannot exceed a maximum of 5 meters (16 feet) from the computer to the peripheral. This means that typically the cables to and from the switch cannot exceed 6 to 10 foot in length.

    Q. Do I require an ECP/EPP parallel port to use the IEEE switch?
    A. The IEEE switch can work with a standard parallel port to a non-IEEE peripheral. If the peripheral is IEEE compliant, an ECP/EPP parallel port on your computer is required.

    Q. Does the IEEE switch require a power supply?
    A. The IEEE switch does not require a power supply, as it draws its power from the PC's and attached peripherals. However, there are some peripherals that provide marginal or insufficient power which may in turn affect the operation of the switch. In this case, we recommend the use of an external power supply (9VDC, 500mA, with center tip (+) positive).

    Q. When I have more that one device attached to my PC via the switch and try to use a specific device, why won't the IEEE switch automatically connect to the desired peripheral?
    A. When in reverse mode, the IEEE switch requires user intervention to select the specific port the peripheral is attached to. Use the software utility to make the selection, or simply press the Select button on the switch.

    Q. Will the IEEE switch work with the "OfficeJet" or other multi-function devices (printer, scanner, fax, copier)?
    A. Because of the special nature of these devices, we cannot guarantee the compatibility of the IEEE switch at this time.

    Q. I am using IEEE cables with an IEEE peripheral. Why can't I use the device when connected to the switch?
    A. Make sure that your computer has an ECP/EPP parallel port, and that it is enabled within the BIOS of the PC. If the PC's port is set to ECP and fails to communicate, try using the EPP setting.

    Q. Upon startup or after a reboot, Windows cannot see device X when connected to the switch. What is the problem?
    A. Some devices require that they are available at bootup so that device drivers can load properly. If you have such a device, make sure it is connected to port A on the switch. The switch defaults to Port A after a reboot or a reset.

    Q. My IEEE switch has locked up, and I cannot switch. What do I do?
    A. The IEEE has encountered an error. Press the 'RESET' button located on the side of the unit, next to the select button. IA-221B and IA-421B owners should flip DIP switch 4 back and forth to reset the unit. After the reset, the IEEE switch will resume normal operation.

    Q. What are these DIP switches for?
    A. On the IA-221B/421B model, the DIP switches are as follows:
  • 1 - Form Feed Select. Turn this ON to print an extra sheet after each print job.
  • 2,3 - Set the device Time Out. This is how long the switch will wait after a print job before it will resume scanning. 2-ON, 3-ON sets a 5 second timeout. 2-ON, 3-OFF sets a 10 second timeout. 2-OFF, 3-ON sets a 20 second timeout, and 2-OFF, 3-OFF sets a 40 second time out.
  • 4 - This resets the unit. Flip ON wait a few seconds, then flip OFF to initate a reset.


    • On the 17228 and 17978 models, the DIP switches are as follows:
  • 1 - Sets the device mode. ON sets the unit to be used to connect 1 computer to multiple printers. This is called reverse mode. OFF sets the unit for multiple computers to 1 peripheral. This is the default mode.
  • 2,3 - Set the device Time Out. Same values as for the IA-221B/421B above.
  • 4 - Not used.


    • Q. I didn't find what I was looking for. Help!
    If you still have a question or issue not covered here, please send an e-mail to techsupport@cablestogo.com .