Customer Reviews

4 PC to 1 USB 2.0 Device ABCD Switch Box (Printer, Scanner, etc...)

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

The switch is just that - simple and effective. It's sturdy and it works as described. No software to install, no operating system incompatibilities, no icons to locate. Just push the button and you switch uour device (printer in my case) to that computer.

I needed to share an all-in-one printer across 4 PCs in a compact home office space and none of the rather pricey print servers out there support the various bi-directional features of my printer and I have 2 other single function printers on my home network already. This little USB switch is priced right and it only takes a couple or three seconds for the USB printer to reinstall when I select a PC to connect via the push button switches. Each push button has its own indicator LED, so it's very easy to see if the selected machine has a live connection to the printer. I've had no problems using any of the printer/scanner/fax/copier & management functions with this. My only complaint & it's a nit-pick is that with the weight of 4 PC cables and a printer cable connected, it wants to be pulled off the edge of the desk. Putting it back in its place repeatedly will on occasion loosen a cable. A simple strain relief and/or careful routing mostly takes care of that problem - I really only downgraded a star because it would not have cost anything to mold a foot into the base that could take a polyurethane bumper to help keep the thing from sliding around. At the price I paid, I'd definitely buy it again though.

We needed to share a printer in a field office. Moving the printer cable several times during the day is tedious and is more wear on the connectors.
This manual switch works great.

This unit was a plug and play that allows different computers to get manually switched to share a peripheral, like a printer. I got ambitious and put a usb hub so that theoretically 4 computers could 4 different peripherals. I found that I hit some limitation here. Some of the computers in the network recognized the switchbox and the usb hub and others did not. When I tested some, they worked okay when I bypassed either the usb hub or the switchbox. Some computers could configure to handle all three (the peripheral, the usb hub, and the switchbox) and some were not able to. I suspected in one case that it was the need to rely on the usb port as a power source that was limiting what one computer could handle (this one had a usb extension as well!). I do not blame the product for this, though, and that is why it still gets five stars. It did okay when I pushed it beyond just one peripheral and it did work for the most part, just not perfectly. Another thing is to make sure that you have the right cables. I do not know the exact terminology, but the part that goes into the computer is the usual flat usb plug and the part that goes into the switchbox is the next smaller size that looks like a window with a rounded top. These can be bought if you do not have them and they are a significant cost if you get them retail and need 4 of them. I seem to manage to pick them up at thrift stores and computer part recycle places at a lower cost. The product description on Amazon did not mention the plugs needed, though they are implied. I assumed that the plugs were flat usbs on both sides and almost bought some in advance, but was glad I waited to see what was needed. You would also need a usb extension to add a usb hub (pick a short one if you can, so that the usb power is not weakened too much). I use mine to run a printer on two computers and use a usb memory stick to transfer files between them. I had two other computers, but as mentioned above they had a limit. I also found that when I put an external harddrive to share that Windows would have to read through the entire file contents to index it and it would get a little bogged down, and when I switched a way and back from the computer it would have to reindex each time (so I left it out of the loop). The Linux (Crunch Bang) OS did not have this issue and worked more smoothly with the external harddrive, but only on one of the four computers (the other one needed to have the external plug directly into a usb port to work right and could not do it through the switch box and usb or even just the switch box, it seems that the Linux OS configured differently in a Dell and HP computer, with the HP handling more options better). All in all, I liked it and just wanted to give a caveat for those who are planning to push it beyond sharing one peripheral.

It does exactly what it is supposed to do for an incredibly low price. My only regret is that I didn't buy two. I'm using it to share a Logitech wireless keyboard and mouse (they use the same USB receiver) among three computers. I didn't need a KVM because they all have their own monitors. Sure this thing feels a bit cheap--it only cost $14--but it works perfectly. I suppose there could be longevity issues, and time will tell, but I'm quite happy for now.

In my home office, I have my PC and work laptop on the same table that need to share all the peripherals- (1) keyboard, (2) mouse, (3) camera, (4) scanner, and (5) USB hard drive, in addition to anything else we may have to connect. The two computers also share the Dell monitor that has the capability to act as 4-port USB hub. In the same room on a different table, my wife's computer needs access to the printer, scanner, and the same hard drive.

The two and four PC switch boxes come very handy in solving the problem. The two pc switch is used to share the keyboard, mouse, and camera through the Dell monitor USB hub with my two PCs on the same table. The printer, scanner, and the hard drive connect to a powered Belkin 4-port USB hub and then to the 4-port switch to share these peripherals with the 3 computers.

It is mechanical solution to a problem that has partial solution using home networing. We stayed away from that and used a mechanical solution instead. I have used these switches for about a month. It is a very simple mechanical device that works very well in my case. I had no problems with being able to access data from the hard drives or being able to print or scan. The powered USB hubs are important in sharing so many devices, but this switch does not creae any bottleneck in this complex sharing arrangement. I will highly recommend this product.

The few things that can be improved in this product are: (1) some mechanism to keep it firmly in place on the table as the pressure from wires in the back can easily move it. I have used a two sided adhesive pad to keep it on the table where I want and it works. (2) Some way to label the switches. I have written on the knobs with a sharpie, but can foresee ways to make it easier by changing the product design.

does not come with cables, so buy them separetely. product works perfectly and was a snap to set-up.

What a piece of garbage! It worked well for 2 weeks, then I was on vacation for a week, and when I rebooted all our computers, none of them recognize the printer any more if it's connected through this. So now I'm stuck with a worthless piece of plastic, and still need to go buy a KVM switch.

I have several different computers on my desk - my main PC, a gaming rig, a server, and a laptop dock for work. This switch allows me to change KB/mouse between all of them, and I manage display switching between two monitors with multiple inputs. Much cheaper than a KVM switch. While it does move around easily, I just mounted it to my PC case with a bit of adhesive tape and it stays put.

I paired this with a StarTech USB to PS2 Keyboard and Mouse Adapter so that I could share one keyboard and mouse between two computers (Windows Vista desktop and Windows 7 laptop), and it's working great for me. It only takes a couple of seconds for my computers to recognize that the connection has been switched, which is far more convenient than pulling out a second keyboard and mouse. After four years of doing just that, I'm ecstatic that I finally got this setup.

Kevin, another reviewer, noted that a USB hub didn't work with his, and my only (unpowered) hub didn't work, either. Connecting through the PS/2 to USB adapter works great, though, and does allow me to use both devices.

The switch is incredibly simple to setup (connect the cables) and use (push the buttons). It's smaller than I had imagined and fits on my desk without any trouble. I'd prefer a horizontal configuration for stability, as the cables tend to want to pull it off balance, but it wasn't too hard to get it to stay in place.

As noted in other reviews, this doesn't come with any cables, so make sure that you have some or get some.

Overall, highly recommended if you want a USB switch box.