C2G
C2G 16899 USB To DB25 Parallel Printer Adapter Cable, Beige (6 Feet, 1.82 Meters)
Bottom line: The C2G 16899 USB To DB25 Parallel Printer Adapter Cable ($17.99 on Amazon as of 2026-10-06): Revives IEEE-1284 printers on modern PCs with no DB25 port; main trade-off: not designed for multi-function or all-in-one parallel printers.
As an Amazon Associate, SpecPicks earns from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure →
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ✓ Revives IEEE-1284 printers on modern PCs with no DB25 port
- ✓ Plug-and-play via the OS USB Printing Support function, no driver disc
- ✓ 6 ft (1.82 m) reach clears most desk-to-printer runs
- ✓ Replaces a mechanical switchbox: one USB port per printer
- ✓ Bi-directional link passes printer status back to the host
Cons
- ✗ Not designed for multi-function or all-in-one parallel printers
- ✗ Does not create an LPT port, so DOS and LPT1-bound apps fail
- ✗ Won't drive non-printer parallel devices like scanners or dongles
- ✗ Beige housing clashes with black or silver modern hardware
Manufacturer description
The C2G 16899 solves a specific problem: you have a working IEEE-1284 parallel printer and a PC that no longer has a DB25 port. This 6-foot (1.82 m) beige adapter cable bridges that gap, routing your inkjet, laser, or high-speed parallel printer through any USB port on your computer or hub. Because it rides the operating system's built-in USB Printing Support function, setup is plug-and-play with auto-negotiated hardware recognition, and you sidestep the IRQ-sharing headaches that made legacy parallel ports painful. If you run more than one printer, the USB approach removes the need for a…
SpecPicks Verdict
SpecPicks scored C2G 16899 USB To DB25 Parallel Printer Adapter Cable using a rating × review-volume × price-fit model applied to published specs and reviews across the cables & connectors category. C2G's cables & connectors lineup sits within the broader category mid-tier; price and specs are the deciding factors over brand loyalty here. Judge it on the specification table and the price rather than on sentiment: check the figures that decide your use case, then put it side-by-side with two or three close alternatives in the Compare tool before clicking through.
Common buyer scenarios for cables & connectors of this kind: matching it to an existing build, replacing a failing part, or upgrading from a previous-generation equivalent. Check the spec table below against your current setup — particularly socket / form-factor / power-rating fields — and confirm compatibility on the retailer's listing before purchase. Prices and stock are set by the retailer and may have moved since this page was last updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will this let me print from an old parallel printer on a laptop with only USB ports?
Yes, that is its intended use. It connects a standard IEEE-1284 parallel printer to any USB port on a PC or USB hub, using the operating system's USB Printing Support function.
Does this create an LPT1 port for older software?
No. C2G states explicitly that the adapter uses the OS USB Printing Support function and is not designed to create an LPT port, so software that writes directly to LPT1 will not see it.
Will it work with my all-in-one printer/scanner/copier?
No. The manufacturer notes it is designed for a standard parallel printer only and is not designed to support multi-function printers or other parallel devices.
How long is the cable?
6 feet, or 1.82 meters, which is enough to reach a printer on an adjacent desk or a shelf above the PC without an extension.
Key Features
- Connect your Parallel, IEEE-1284, printer to a USB port on your PC or hub
- Keeps the parallel port on a PC free by using USB instead
- Connect multiple printers using USB instead of parallel
- Eliminates the need for a switchbox by using USB ports
- Package Contents: One adapter cable, User manual
- Note: This adapter is designed for use with a standard Parallel printer and is not designed to support multi-function printers or other parallel devices. This adapter uses the USB Printing Support function of the operating system and is not designed to create a LPT port
Full Specifications
| Brand | C2G |
|---|---|
| Color | Beige |
| Finish | Ink |
| Weight | 2g |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Connectivity | USB |
| Model Number | 16899 |
| Compatibility | PC |
| Warranty Type | 5-Year |
| Built-In Media | DB25 to USB Cable |
| Connector Type | USB |
| Item Dimensions | 4 x 5 x 1 inches |
| Mfr Part Number | 16899 |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Number of Ports | 6 |
| Power Plug Type | Type A - 2 pin (North American) |
| Package Contents | One adapter cable, User manual |
| Compatible Devices | Personal Computer |
| Warranty Description | 1 Year |
| Item dimensions L x W x H | 4 x 5 x 1 inches |
Ready to buy?
C2G 16899 USB To DB25 Parallel Printer Adapter Cable, Beige (6 Feet, 1.82 Meters) is listed on Amazon. Price, availability, shipping and returns are set by Amazon and its sellers — check the listing for current terms. SpecPicks earns a small commission on qualifying purchases — thank you for supporting independent review work.
*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated 2026-10-06. Price and availability subject to change.
Related Cables & Connectors
More guides & deep dives from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all articles & guides →- How to Build a Windows 98 Retro PC in 2026
- RTX 4070 Super vs RX 7800 XT — Which to Buy in 2026
- The Complete Voodoo5 5500 AGP Driver Guide (2026 Edition)
- Emulation Hardware in 2026: FPGA, Software, and Cart-Reader Ecosystems
- Best 1440p Gaming GPUs in 2026
- Best Budget Gaming PC Build 2026 — ~$1,000 ($800 on Sale)
- Best Retro Handhelds in 2026 — From $35 to $500
More reviews from the SpecPicks archive
Browse all reviews →- Best SATA SSDs for Console and Retro PC Upgrades in 2026
- Qwen 3.6 vs Frontier Models on a Local Rig: The Honest Gap
- Best Budget Sim Racing Wheel: Logitech G29 vs HORI vs Thrustmaster
- Best SSDs and Storage Adapters for Retro PC Builds in 2026
- Inkling 975B Open Weights: What a Frontier Speech Model Means for Local Rigs
- Best Single-Board Computer Kits for Beginners (2026)
- AOOSTAR MACO 6850H as a Proxmox 9 Home Server
- Best Mouse Pad for Office Productivity and Long Hours (2026)
- MSI RTX 3060 12GB in 2026: Still the Right 1080p GPU?
- Apple Intelligence Gets a Second Shot With Google and Nvidia Help
- A 4B Local Coding Agent That Hits 87%: Does It Run on a 3060?
- Steam Deck OLED vs Legion Go S: 2026 Comparison
- Vision LLMs Driving Win98 Driver Installs: Inside Our 4-PC Retro Fleet
- GameSir G7 SE vs DualSense for PC Emulation in 2026
- DIY Power Supply for a 10-Inch Rack Mini PC Cluster
- A 180Hz 1440p Gaming Monitor at Entry-Level Pricing — How It Stacks Against Our 4K Picks
- Best Budget Streaming & Content-Creation Gear in 2026: 5 Picks That Punch Above Their Price
- DeepSeek Seeks More Cash Weeks After $7B Round
- Microsoft's Copilot Super App vs a Local RTX 3060 Ollama Box in 2026
- Orange Pi 5 Plus vs Raspberry Pi 5: The Honest Head-to-Head (2026)
- Ryzen 5 5600G vs Ryzen 7 5800X for a 24/7 Ollama Box
- Best CPU Cooler for Ryzen 7 5800X and 5700X in 2026
- AMD Ryzen AI Max 395 Box: Can a 128GB Unified-Memory APU Replace a Dual-3090 Local LLM Rig?
- Active Quake 3 and OpenArena Servers in 2026 — How to Find and Join Them
Earliest SpecPicks reviews
Browse full archive →- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 8B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 14B (2026)
- Best GPU for Qwen 3 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 70B (2026)
- Best GPU for DeepSeek-R1 32B (2026)
- Best GPU for Llama 3.1 405B (2026)
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 14B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Qwen 3 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 70B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run DeepSeek-R1 32B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090
- How to run Llama 3.1 8B on NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090