Update: 12/2/2021
I have been using this switch for nearly 3 years, switching between personal and work computers every single weekday, sometimes multiple times a day in that time, as well as moving it to a new desk setup, and it has worked and continues to work flawlessly. I am very pleased with this device and cannot recommend it highly enough, even if it were to fail tomorrow.
Original Review:
I set up a docking station for my work laptop at my home office desk where I also use my personal computer. I quickly realized that swapping USB adapters for mouse and keyboard every time I wanted to switch between work and personal computers was a hassle and unnecessary wear and tear on the ports. Once I also realized that the built-in DAC in my work laptop was garbage when I was trying to listen to some music on Pandora while I worked, I decided to look for a USB switch and came across this one.
I am happy to report that the UGREEN USB 3.0 switch works almost perfectly with my setup. I have it connected to my personal computer and my laptop dock. Plugged into the front, I have my mouse adapter, wired keyboard, and a standalone DAC. I even used the 4th USB port for another keyboard adapter so that I can use my wireless keyboard from my couch when I want to switch the computer display over to my TV, and this works great as well.
Pressing the button on top of the UGREEN unit quickly switches control from one computer to another with no delay. A small, non-intrusive blue LED indicates which computer is active. Mouse, keyboard, and the audio DAC all immediately work correctly on the selected computer. The only thing that I sometimes have issues with is if the computer I am switching to is asleep. In that case, moving the mouse or pushing a key on the keyboard does not wake up the computer like it normally would, and I have to press the power button on the computer to wake it up. I'm not sure why this happens but it seems like if the USB connection was not active when the computer was put to sleep, it does not make the connection until it is manually woken up. I have checked in my power settings to make sure that USB ports are not turned off when the computer is asleep, as this would be an obvious cause for the issue, but that is not the case. This is a minor inconvenience since my personal computer and dock power buttons are both easily accessible, but would be nice if it worked.
The UGREEN unit is quite small and sits inconspicuously on my desk on top of my audio mixer. To keep the cables managed cleanly I do have to make a 180 degree bend with my two wired connections (keyboard and DAC) to route the cables back behind the switch. If I just had 4 USB adapters plugged in, that wouldn't be an issue. The only way to fix this would be to have all the ports on the back, and then the unit would have to be larger in size to accommodate 6 ports on one side instead of 4.
The switch is very lightweight (which means stiff cords sometimes lift it so it doesn't sit flat) and has a cheap feeling plastic housing with no mounting provision if you wanted to attach it to something, but these are minor complaints as it works well enough.
It appears you can power the switch with micro USB if your devices require a lot of power (if you were wanting to charge something via USB for example), but even with the backlit keyboard I am using, I do not have this switch connected to power, and it and my devices work just fine.
Overall I am happy with the UGREEN USB 3.0 switch. If it were able to always make a connection with a computer that is asleep when switched to, I would be even happier, but that may not even be the fault of the switch. I definitely recommend this if you are looking to share inputs between two computers without having to plug and unplug cords, dongles and adapters.
| Brand | UGREEN |
|---|---|
| Item model number | 30768 |
| Item Weight | 5.3 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 2.09 x 0.63 x 3.94 inches |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 2.09 x 0.63 x 3.94 inches |
| Color | Black |
| Computer Memory Type | 72-Pin EDO SIMM Memory |
| Voltage | 5 Volts |
| Manufacturer | Ugreen Group Limited |
| ASIN | B01N6GD9JO |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | March 31, 2017 |
