Plugable USB 2.0 Sharing Switch for One-Button USB Device Port Sharing Between Two Computers (A/B Dual Computer Switch)

Nowadays, many of us like to have everything "wireless", especially peripherals, like printers, so they can be shared. I have two laptops that I use in my home and everything is wireless and shared except for my Epson scanner. I could have purchased a wireless scanner but couldn't justify the extra cost for my needs at that time.Now, I want to share this scanner with my second laptop located across the room. At first, I looked into wireless devices, like print servers. Over the last 20 years I've had several and none of them worked well. The connection was either unreliable or communication was only one way or something else that ultimately resulted in getting rid of them. I usually had too much trouble setting them up and there wasn't a good manual or support. So, here we go again, I thought!Before purchasing this switch, I was looking at a $70 I/O Gear wireless unit that had less than stellar reviews. But, it was cheap. Searching for just a "USB switch", I came across this unit and purchased and it works just fine. I did take it apart to look at the quality. The solder joints and everything else looks fine. In the past, I've found that some cheap devices, like cheap USB hubs, simply don't work reliably and have poor workmanship. Here, this IS just a switch, but there are some R's and C's in addition which says there was some engineering design.The unit comes with two identical USB cables, one to connect the peripheral to the switch, and one to connect the switch to the PC where you had connected the peripheral initially. You have supply the third cable which runs from the switch to the second device. As it turned out, I had to use extra long USB cables, which I already had, to connect the switch to the two PC's. Using long USB cables can be "iffy" if they are not of good electrical quality.During initial hookup, I had some problems with the computers recognizing that the USB peripheral had been connected (the driver did not load). Restarting the computers fixed this. I don't know how all this works, but I have observed that sometimes a USB connection (driver loading) will not occur after it has been unloaded without a PC restart. I was initially concerned that simply switching form one computer to the other would require a restart which you switched back to the first PC. But, this was not the case.So, for once, a 5 minute job was a 5 minute job!

I work at home 4 days /wk, and have on my home office desk, my personal home computer, wireless mouse and keyboard, printer and monitor and right next to it is my company owned computer, wireless mouse and keyboard (which I purchased), printer and 2 monitors. The desk has 1 roll out typing drawer under the top of the desk, it can hold 1 keyboard and mouse at a time. I also have both printers on the shelf above the wall. I wanted to use just 1 keyboard and mouse to use with both computers, went to 2 "box" electronic stores, and all the "experts" told me you can't use the 1 keyboard and mouse between 2 computers, so before work I put the work computers board and mouse there, then after work switch them out with my own.Then for printers, I have purchased 2 printers for my home computer, I use it so infrequently for home software, the ink usually dries out and when I go try to find ink the printer has been obsoleted and ink is only available on line at premium prices. I thought there must be a solution, then came across this little beauty. For less than $15 and free shipping, I was able to run 1 line to the companies printer , and two lines to each of my computers. Now I can do all my printing off 1 current printer with good ink. After I saw how well that worked, I bought a second one to try with keyboard and mouse....Worked perfect! Put the transmitter in the one end, and a line to each computer.This switch is fantastic, much less costly than many other models I saw. It requires no software or confusing hookups. One end has 1 USB connector you plug in the line coming from whatever you want to share, the other end has 2 connectors labelled "A" and "B". You plug one end of the supplied cables (all cables needed are INCLUDED) into the box and the other end is a USB, plug that right into the computer where you removed the old plug from. Then do the same with the other cord to the other computer, you are finished, both computers now share whatever you want. If you have multiple boxes, just keep all connections for 1 computer in the "A" plugs, and use the "B" plugs for the other computer. The easy to push switch has a light that glows green for "A" switch and blue when B switch is active, so if all switches are green, that means all the "A" plugs are active, blue would mean the "B" switches are active. No power to connect either, hate those little red lights that glow using power all day or all year? These lights only glow when computer is on, when off, they do not light. Just a fantastic product for the price....