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Hardware

USB Switches? 15

Posted by Cliff from the joining-K-V-and-M-in-the-market dept.
RukhWunder asks: "I have two computers and one USB printer. Is there a USB splitter or something around so I can connect them both to the printer? Networking the computers is out of the question because they are on the university network already." There was an earlier question about USB on KVM switches that was done last year, however I too would be curious to note if there are switches for just USB devices.
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USB Switches? More

USB Switches?

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  • Both on the university network? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by PD ( 9577 ) <slashdotlinux@pdrap.org> on Sunday September 30, 2001 @07:36AM (#2370052) Homepage Journal
    Why not just use that network to carry your printer traffic? Set up one computer with the printer. The other computer prints to that printer just like it would print to any other kind of network printer. Of course, you need to set up your hosts.allow and host.deny to only let authorized systems print.

  • Good ole' google (Score:3, Informative)

    by Slynkie ( 18861 ) <jsalit@NoSPAm.slunk.net> on Sunday September 30, 2001 @09:53AM (#2370177) Homepage
    search for 'usb switch' and the first link that comes up... usbgear.net [usbgear.net]. $26.50 fer four ports. pretty cool.

  • Try: (Score:3, Informative)

    by TheTomcat ( 53158 ) on Sunday September 30, 2001 @11:29AM (#2370331) Homepage
    This: http://www.hawkingtech.com/products/cs102u.htm [hawkingtech.com]

    It's a K[v]M, but it'll work with printers.
  • You could get a usb direct connect cable and share the printer over that network, then you wouldn't have to push any buttons, but I'm not sure about the linux driver support for USB direct connect. The switch is still probably the easiest answer.

    KidA
  • Belkin makes EXACTLY this sort of device. In fact, the box is labeled "USB Switch [belkin.com]". I saw it yesterday when I was going to pick up my Mac OS X 10.1 CD's at CompUSA... (Hey, I don't like CrapUSA either, but they had the CD's...)

    I was thinking to myself, "Hey, cool, a switched fabric for USB! Now my subwoofer won't share bandwidth with my digital camera!" But that isn't what they meant. :-)

    Good luck!

    --DM
    • "Hey, cool, a switched fabric for USB! Now my subwoofer won't share bandwidth with my digital camera!"

      That's exactly what I was thinking when I read the /. article title! So how about it? Are there any USB switches of this type in existance?
    • I don't really think it's possible to 'switch' USB in the same sense that networking does, directly. But you can always grab another USB PCI card, if you've got a slot.
    • I was thinking to myself, "Hey, cool, a switched fabric for USB! Now my subwoofer won't share bandwidth with my digital camera!"
      Why on earth did you buy USB speakers? And are they any good? I just don't trust 'em for some reason...
      • the excuse i heard (from Alan Cox, no less) was that you don't get as much noise on the output, since the DAC is located outside of the enclosure. less EM noise and all that. it made me very curious. haven't really dont much tinkering though.
        • Welllllll.....

          The honest-to-goodness reason I bought external USB speakers is because that's what Apple sells. [grin] Seriously though, I actually _like_ the USB audio options.... USB itself kicks arse... at least on the Mac. :-)

          The iSub from Harmon/Kardon looks super-cool and sounds excellent. I have a Power Mac G4 with the Apple Pro Audio Speakears and the h/k iSub. It R-O-C-K-S!!

          And iTunes is quite possibly the best (and simplest) MP3 player ever written....

          --dmurphy AT osxadm DOT com

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