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Is there a USB splitter that would allow me to quickly switch between multiple PC's?

PizzaTacoCat

I have a desktop at home I use regularly but I also have a work laptop that I sometimes have to use. When I work from home I hook my laptop up to two of my monitors and then I just unplug my keyboard, mouse, and amp/dac from my desktop and plug it into my laptop. Is there some kind of splitter I can use to quickly switch between devices without having to unplug cords everytime? 

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You're looking for a KVM, which stands for Keyboard, Video, mouse.

Of course the video part of these items is optional.

 

There are tons of different models, but the basic idea is:

You got a hub of some sorts, with USB and video inputs, where you plug in your keyboard, mouse and whatever other USB stuff (typically they have 2 USB ports). Then it has two sets of cables out, one set goes to your PC, the other to your laptop.

They typically have a switch/button on them which you click to be connected to either one or the other.

 

Using a solution like this, you will only have to plug in the cables from the KVM to your laptop, but pair it with a docking station which uses just 1 plug on your laptop, you could bring it down to just 1 cable (the cable from the docking station to your laptop, the docking station has the monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc. and that plugs into the KVM).

"We're all in this together, might as well be friends" Tom, Toonami.

 

mini eLiXiVy: my open source 65% mechanical PCB, a build log, PCB anatomy and discussing open source licenses: https://linustechtips.com/topic/1366493-elixivy-a-65-mechanical-keyboard-build-log-pcb-anatomy-and-how-i-open-sourced-this-project/

 

mini_cardboard: a 4% keyboard build log and how keyboards workhttps://linustechtips.com/topic/1328547-mini_cardboard-a-4-keyboard-build-log-and-how-keyboards-work/

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