I need to buy a switch to be able to use my printer and scanner from 2 computers. Any ideas?
Are the two computers networked together?
No.
That will be annoying.
Every time you flip the switch, both computers will boing at you; one saying that new devices have been found, the other that devices are no longer connected (or maybe “unsafely disconnected”). And possibly it will want you to wait while it readies the driver for that printer.
USB Data Port switches (you’ll need 2) run about $25-$50 apiece. For that price, you could buy a second printer.
You can make such a switch yourself for a couple of dollars using a 4 pole single throw switch, a female USB socket and two male USB cables
Could you give a few more precisions on your needs, a switch seems to imply physical proximity, and a permanent connection. Sharing a printer is easy, the scanner is a bit more sticky but possible. Give us a nut, there may be a better solution than a switchl
Signal integrity fail. It will probably work, but the USB-IF will roll over in their collective grave.
The USB device-sharing switches you want do exist, but a single network cable is probably all you need and much cheaper.
If you really don’t want to network them together, I’d suggest you plug them both in to a USB hub and then just move the cable that comes from the hub between the two computers. If you don’t need to use them on the same computer at the same time, it’ll probably be easiest just to unplug the device you want to use from one computer and plug it into the other computer. If the USB slots are on the back of the computers a USB extension cable or hubs will make it easier.
Given that USB devices tend to load rather readily when plugged into a computer and from a mechanical standpoint it’s pretty easy to unplug and plug them in (as opposed to older cables with clips or screws), I wouldn’t consider this a big deal.
Well if you’re using a Microsoft OS, yeah!