Best hardware device for share one monitor / keyboard / mouse with two computers

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timmmay

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#268441 19-Mar-2020 20:35

Like many people, I'm needing to work from home full time. I've worked from home regularly before, so no real problem.

I have a work laptop and a home desktop. The laptop is a Microsoft Surface Laptop 2, which has one USB port and no Ethernet port, and WiFi in my office isn't great, so I need Ethernet. Currently I have a three port USB hub that includes an Ethernet adapter. I plug my keyboard, mouse, and wireless dongle in, plug Ethernet in, and swap the hub between the laptop and the desktop. This works fine. Monitors are no problem, laptop is DisplayPort, home PC is HDMI, and the monitor auto-detects.

I'd like to avoid having to move the plug twice a day, as it's not especially easy to get to. What's the best solution? A KVM switch? A USB switch? Some kind of dock that supports more than one computer?

davidcole

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#2441727 19-Mar-2020 21:58

I used to have (well still do I think) a cheap two machine KVM. Has ps2 ports for keyboard and mouse which is the biggest limitation. And shows you the age of it. But it used to work well.

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wazzageek

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#2441736 19-Mar-2020 22:12

Something like this: https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/KVMATN0028/Aten-CS22D-2-Port-USB-DVI-Cable-KVM-Switch-with-Re

you would need dongles for the display (otherwise you’d need to switch the monitor all the time.)

timmmay

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#2441737 19-Mar-2020 22:13

KVM or a USB switch is leading option, just seeing what others do. I have a Dynadock at work I could bring home but I don't think it would help. I wonder if other dock types might support two computers.

hbngan

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#2441753 19-Mar-2020 22:52

I had the same reqd as you
In the end the easiest was just connect work laptop to lan
On my main home computer with 27" monitor , keyboard, mouse etc, I just remoted onto the laptop using remote desktop from my home computer to work laptop

The most important thing that worked was plugging headset to home computer so I could use skype on work laptop

hbngan

timmmay

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#2441825 20-Mar-2020 07:49

THAT is a good idea @hbngan. Unfortunately RDP is disabled by organisational policy, but I will ask them to enable it which they probably will given the current situation.

lchiu7

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#2449538 29-Mar-2020 15:11

Not sure mine is the best way but you make do with what you have in the circumstances.

I have a work laptop what has USBC and HDMI. My monitor has 2 HDMI and one VGA which I use with two desktops at home, with one connected to each HDMI input. I also have a KVM but that only works with VGA monitors (as well as my one keyboard and mouse).

So now I have the work laptop connected via USBC to VGA adapter to the monitor and also connected to the KVM.

So when switching from work mode to home mode I have two

1. switch monitor from VGA input to HDMI

2. Click KVM switch to enable the keyboard and mouse for my home PC.

The most annoying thing is the monitor input selection is on screen - press a button to see options and then press and/down to choose input and then press Select

I think I could RDP from the work laptop to my home PC but that would stop working as soon as I connect to the VPN as the VPN adapter blocks access to local network resources.

So in these times we make do I guess.

Best option would be a HDMI switch which I might look at.

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#2449636 29-Mar-2020 17:55

I can't quite wrap my head around what you are trying to do here but turning it around the other way - my wireless keyboard and mouse (logitech, matthias) can pair to more than one device. So I have a Mac Mini (home) and MacBook Pro (work) which similar connect by TB2 to DP or HDMI and again, monitor autodetects.

So I can just flick the keyboard and mouse from one to another, and flick across the display; this saves any plugging/unplugging stuff.

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#2449660 29-Mar-2020 18:31

IF you just want to run computers simultaneously and quickly switch between them, then the software switches - synergy, mouse-without-borders etc. - work really well and seamlessly.

They do not switch monitors i.e. you cannot share a single external monitor on two computers.

You just move your mouse pointer "off" one laptop screen and "on" to the other to switch keyboard and mouse.

timmmay

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#2449744 29-Mar-2020 21:06

Thanks all. I've set up RDP from my main PC to the laptop, which is fairly fast and not too much lag over the Gigabit network (USB ethernet on the laptop). I'll find out tomorrow if that works with the VPN turned on. If that works it will be good enough. If not I'll just sit the laptop beside my main computer, and do customer stuff on the laptop and other stuff on the main computer.

The main thing it to have my keyboard and mouse working. I prefer wired generally as they're more responsive, though I do have a couple of MX master mice I prefer my Logitech G5 - wish you could still get them.

A USB switch would solve the problem. A USB switch that could also switch HDMI and such would be better, as I have a variety of hardware around.

lchiu7

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#2449847 30-Mar-2020 08:16

timmmay:

Thanks all. I've set up RDP from my main PC to the laptop, which is fairly fast and not too much lag over the Gigabit network (USB ethernet on the laptop). I'll find out tomorrow if that works with the VPN turned on. If that works it will be good enough. If not I'll just sit the laptop beside my main computer, and do customer stuff on the laptop and other stuff on the main computer.

...

I'd be surprised if you could RDP to your home machine when the VPN is on. From my experience once a VPN is on, then access to the local network is blocked since at least the NIC now has a different IP address and is on a different network completely. If it can then that sounds like a security risk.

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timmmay

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#2449858 30-Mar-2020 08:35

lchiu7:

timmmay:

Thanks all. I've set up RDP from my main PC to the laptop, which is fairly fast and not too much lag over the Gigabit network (USB ethernet on the laptop). I'll find out tomorrow if that works with the VPN turned on. If that works it will be good enough. If not I'll just sit the laptop beside my main computer, and do customer stuff on the laptop and other stuff on the main computer.

...

I'd be surprised if you could RDP to your home machine when the VPN is on. From my experience once a VPN is on, then access to the local network is blocked since at least the NIC now has a different IP address and is on a different network completely. If it can then that sounds like a security risk.

I set up RDP from my home PC to my work laptop, turned on the VPN, and everything seemed to keep working... so far.

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MikeAqua

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#2449904 30-Mar-2020 09:57

We have dyna dock and USB switch for this.

Mike

lchiu7

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#2449982 30-Mar-2020 12:02

timmmay:

I set up RDP from my home PC to my work laptop, turned on the VPN, and everything seemed to keep working... so far.

I probably misunderstood you. I was thinking of RDP from the work machine to your home machine. Never occurred to me to try the other way.

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timmmay

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#2450014 30-Mar-2020 12:40

MikeAqua:

We have dyna dock and USB switch for this.

What USB switch do you use? I have a Dynadock but it doesn't seem to include a USB switch.