# hardware dongles and laptops **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [February 11, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271 "2008-02-11T09:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 9:00am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/1 "2008-02-11T09:00:01Z")
I need to find a laptop with a parallel port, or a viable solution to a software dongle. I have tried a pcmcia to parallel card that did not work. I may buy this one, but I’m not convinced that it will work. [http://sewelldirect.com/QuatechParallelPCMCIACard.asp](http://sewelldirect.com/QuatechParallelPCMCIACard.asp) Any thoughts? I DO NOT want to spend the $948 for a USB version. Thats right… Rofin wants $948 for a dongle. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Griff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f19dbf/32.png) [@Griff](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Griff)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 9:32am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/2 "2008-02-11T09:32:06Z")
don’t try a USB port extender … i did that for work and it didnt work either. ---
**Author:** ![Bacon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bacon/32/7230_2.png) [@Bacon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bacon)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 9:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/3 "2008-02-11T09:37:08Z")
Most laptops you’ll be looking at will be quite a bit older in all likelihood. And it’s quite difficult to determine if it would work using a PCMCIA port extender. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 9:39am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/4 "2008-02-11T09:39:52Z")
you might be SOL what is this for? A software license? ---
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 10:19am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/5 "2008-02-11T10:19:38Z")
Its for a parallel port software key. It works on a dock, so I thought there might be some hope. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 10:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/6 "2008-02-11T10:27:44Z")
hmmm, if it works on a dock, then I would keep looking. There has to be something that can do it for ya. Did you try calling the company that manufactures the device? they may be able to help you out ---
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 10:40am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/7 "2008-02-11T10:40:02Z")
i’m going to buy the $99 one that mentions the sentinal software. hopefully that will work. ---
**Author:** ![FightinMike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@FightinMike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FightinMike)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/8 "2008-02-11T13:14:16Z")
ive got an old 200mhz laptop running win95 with a parallel port $50 ---
**Author:** ![Tunerfreak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tunerfreak/32/7427_2.png) [@Tunerfreak](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Tunerfreak)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/9 "2008-02-11T15:24:14Z")
what about the parallel to USB cords or is that what you guys are talking about that dont work. cause i have one and it works fine for me ---
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 3:37am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/10 "2008-02-12T03:37:14Z")
You can print with the USB to parallel cords without issue. The issue is when you require anything more complex than printing. I’m lookin got fix the problem, not prolong it. I would rather buy a used thinkpad with the port than pay Rofin $900 for each key. On top of that, there are other applications that we require a parallel port for, and it would be nice to not require our customers have one. ---
**Author:** ![Tunerfreak](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/tunerfreak/32/7427_2.png) [@Tunerfreak](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Tunerfreak)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2008, 8:05am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/11 "2008-02-12T08:05:47Z")
[quote=“drvnkd,post:10,topic:43271"”] You can print with the USB to parallel cords without issue. The issue is when you require anything more complex than printing. I’m lookin got fix the problem, not prolong it. I would rather buy a used thinkpad with the port than pay Rofin $900 for each key. On top of that, there are other applications that we require a parallel port for, and it would be nice to not require our customers have one. [/quote] i didnt use it for a printer i used it for my fuel management on my old car ---
**Author:** ![redrum](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/redrum/32/7398_2.png) [@redrum](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/redrum)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/12 "2008-02-13T17:26:53Z")
OT ‘dongle’ is one of the stupidest words ever. ---
**Author:** ![MoparGuy](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/moparguy/32/5209_2.png) [@MoparGuy](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/MoparGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/13 "2008-02-13T18:02:55Z")
May be a stupid suggestion, but could you use something like [this](http://www.tiepie.com/images/products/large/usb2lpt.gif)? ---
**Author:** ![drvnkd](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/drvnkd/32/109615_2.png) [@drvnkd](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/drvnkd)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/hardware-dongles-and-laptops/43271/14 "2008-02-18T05:31:25Z")
not that anyone cares, but the quatech card worked. 🙂 It does not fit all our parallel needs, but at least we can use any laptop now.