How do I take advantage of these ECP mode on parallel port

[Win_98]

I've never used most likely because it incompatible with my parallel cable?! Im sure all of my computer had it but I alway had to put it in normal mode for it to work with my printer, or transferring file using null cable but the null cable itself is not ECP capable. I think they were really expensive say 30-40 buck and not 10 bucks?! anyway somehow if I i try to use it my printer would print half way then stop all of a sudden and just flush out the rest as blank. I read on a FAQ page that ECP/EPP mode is capable of 3meg/sec while normal mode is only 115K/sec. HMM a major difference between the 2. That about 30 times faster! which is even faster then USB which is about 1.5MB/sec or 12MBit/sec. I can never get the built in windows98 direct parallel connection thing to work yet has anyone? does it use ECP mode giving you a transfer as fast as your harddrive?

[Roy]

In my experience, some printers and scanners require these settings to function. I've used cheap cables for them without problems, I don't think anyone is still selling ones that don't have all the wires carried through. Part of the expense may be from better shielding, but even that doesn't make a difference until you try to go beyond six feet or so. Try what you have first.

[Richard_Cranium72]

There ARE cheap cables out there that don't do bi-directional(iee1284)

To enable ecp or bi-directional, depends.

Some folks in here have mentioned BIOS changes to enable.

My experience is to go to "Printer Properties" + "details" + "spool settings" and there you can enable "bi-directional" communications.

DrVette