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220-1201 Practice Question: A technician is tasked with connecting a legacy…
A technician is tasked with connecting a legacy printer that uses a parallel port to a modern laptop that only has USB ports. Which adapter is required to make this connection work?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
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USB to parallel adapter
A USB to parallel adapter allows a modern laptop to communicate with a legacy parallel printer. This requires an active adapter that converts USB signals to parallel. This tests knowledge of legacy connector adaptation and the need for active conversion.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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USB to serial adapter
Why it's wrong here
A USB to serial adapter is designed to convert USB signals to the RS-232 standard, which transmits data one bit at a time over a single line. Legacy parallel printers, however, utilize a parallel port (typically DB-25 or Centronics) that transmits multiple bits simultaneously across several data lines. The fundamental difference in data transmission methods and connector types makes a serial adapter incompatible with a parallel printer.
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USB to parallel adapter
Why this is correct
A USB to parallel adapter is the correct solution because it bridges the modern Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface with the legacy parallel port standard, often IEEE 1284. This adapter translates the USB data stream into the specific voltage levels and timing signals required by the parallel printer, effectively allowing a contemporary computer without a built-in parallel port to communicate with and print to an older parallel printer.
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USB to PS/2 adapter
Why it's wrong here
A USB to PS/2 adapter is designed to connect legacy PS/2 keyboards and mice to a USB port. The PS/2 interface uses a 6-pin mini-DIN connector and a specific low-speed, bidirectional serial protocol for input devices. This is fundamentally different from the parallel data transfer and connector types (e.g., DB-25, Centronics) used by printers, rendering a PS/2 adapter unsuitable for printer connectivity.
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USB to VGA adapter
Why it's wrong here
A USB to VGA adapter is used to connect a display device (like a monitor or projector) that uses a Video Graphics Array (VGA) input to a computer's USB port. VGA is an analog video standard, transmitting image data for visual output. It has no functionality for peripheral data communication, such as sending print jobs to a printer, which requires a data transfer protocol rather than a video signal.
Go deeper
Related to this question
Learn chapter
Laptop Hardware and Components
Key term
Universal Serial Bus
A Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a standard interface that allows you to connect devices like keyboards, mice, storage drives, and printers to a computer for data transfer and power delivery.
Key term
Laptop
A portable personal computer that integrates a display, keyboard, touchpad, battery, and internal components into a single clamshell device for mobile computing.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
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