A single USB device is to be shared among multiple computers in the network, e.g. a scanner, a printer or a MFD. How does one do it?
If the computers are few and are right next to each other, this does not seem to be an issue – insert and re-insert the device to a USB port of one computer or another. Well, this is not a solution really – the hardware gets worn out, it’s troublesome, there is a cable clutter. And what do you do if the computers that need access are at a distance from each other?
Software solution
There is a software solution to the problem – USB Network Gate enables shared access to USB devices over network.
Here is your step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Get the application. It can be downloaded from the developer’s official website. Install it on all machines that need to connect to the device.
- Launch the application on a computer that has the device attached to it. In the list of available USB devices, locate the one you need and click “Share” button next to it.
- Launch the application on other computers. The shared device will be displayed as available there. Connect to it using ‘Connect’ button.
USB Network Gate allows adding a password to connect to a shared device. One can use compression feature for data transfer and change the port into which the device is inserted.
Pros:
- The app is available on Windows, Mac, Linux and Android.
- It allows working with a wide range of USB devices.
- There is a 14-day free trial version offered by the developer for you to test the functionality.
- Reliable support service to answer all your queries .
Cons
- The application is to be paid for.