Nippon Labs USB 2.0 USB-A to USB-B Cable, Beige 480Mbps, M/M

The printer cable: USB 2.0 type-A to type-B, male to male, in beige, with foil and braid shielding, a metal connector shell and moulded strain relief, in 3, 6, 10 and 15 ft. Data to 480 Mbps, UL listed, and compatible with PC and Mac.

What it's for

• Printers, scanners and multifunction devices — the square type-B port is almost always one of these.
• USB audio interfaces, MIDI keyboards and studio gear.
• Older external hard drive enclosures and docking stations with a type-B socket.
• Replacing the cable that never came in the box, which for printers is most of the time.

Good to know

Is USB 2.0 fast enough for a printer?
Yes, comfortably. 480 Mbps is far more than a print job needs, and USB 2.0 type-B remains the standard printer connection. Scanners at very high resolutions are the only common case where more bandwidth helps.

What does the type-B connector look like?
Square, with two bevelled top corners. It is deliberately unlike anything else, so if the port on your device is a chunky square, this is the cable.

Does shielding matter on a USB cable?
It does over longer runs and near noisy equipment. Foil plus braid and a metal connector shell keep interference out of the pair and keep the cable inside FCC emission limits — which is why a shielded cable is more reliable at 15 ft than an unshielded one.

Related reading

Why your USB-C cable will not charge or carry video · The history of USB · USB 2.0 and 3.0 cables and adapters