Question: How to run 2 computers individually but control them with one mouse and keyboard

[Vicioussness]

Hey y'all,

So I have been a laptop user all my life and finally, with the quarantine I have decided to build my own desktop for more graphically intense games as well as some light video editing. The problem is I am still heavily reliant on my laptop for work-related things and I don't want to buy a mouse and keyboard to clutter up my desk.

 

As the title states, I want to control my desktop and laptop using 1 set of mouse and keyboard. It would be a big plus if I could control like a dual monitor set up where if I move my mouse to the end of the screen on one monitor it slides over to the next.

 

I have done some research on KVM switches and synergy but most of those seem to be about 2 computers on one monitor which isn't what I want.

 

Any help would be appreciated and thanks in advance yall!!

[Streetguru]

8 minutes ago, Vicioussness said:

Hey y'all,

I'm pretty sure you don't have to use Synergy with one monitor and it'll just keep scrolling to the next PC

[Vicioussness]

Thanks y'all yall the best

 

[Dravinian]

2 hours ago, Vicioussness said:

Thanks y'all yall the best

 

Synergy is a good cheap option.

 

However, you can buy a logitech keyboard and mouse and it does the same thing (in some respects better).  I was in need of an upgraded keyboard and mouse so I went that route.

 

I would not recommend the MK850, I have had issues with it and you have to 'choose' which device it is working on, rather than just move between screens.

 

However, logitech devices that work with their 'flow' software will do the same thing as synergy (actually more because Synergy doesn't allow for drag and drop except in beta on macs, but flow does allow drag and drop - according to their website I have not tested this yet).

 

Worth a look, but only if you were going to buy a new keyboard and mouse anyway.

[Dravinian]

5 hours ago, Intel Fanboy said:

Wait so if I have a logitech mouse and keyboard, I don't need synergy? The logitech mouse and keyboard can switch between machines without synergy?

If you can run the Flow software with your mouse and keyboard...yes, you have to install Flow on each device.

 

The mouse will move between devices by scrolling across the borders of your screen.  The keyboard will follow the mouse, if you enable it in the software (mine was off by default for some reason).

 

You can copy and paste from one device to another as well, I don't know how that works, but it does.  I copied text from a notepad that was open on my laptop onto my desktop device.

 

There are minor issues.

 

Firstly, when your mouse is very near the edge of your boundary screen (I run dual monitors so one screen does not have a boundary to another device) it can sometimes bounce over to the next device, even though you didn't intend to do that.

 

I noticed that the mouse speed on my laptop was WAY too fast as I am using a 1440p display on my desktop, so the mouse speed for that 27" display is quite high, but does not seem fast on the display.  When moved to a tiny laptop screen the mouse was very fast.

 

I have adjusted it in the software, but I think you may have to adjust it each time you boot up - will have to see on that one.

 

Other than those couple of issues, it works fine.  As I said if you have a logitech keyboard and mouse, it is worth having a look if Flow will work for you, as it is free.

[Dravinian]

I can't get drag and drop to work, and when I try it - it sorta breaks flow for a bit, and you have to wait for it to pick up again.

That might be because I am using a logitech keyboard and mouse that was not designed for flow, it works with flow, but was not designed for flow, so that could be the issue.

 

I have the MX master series on the way, which was designed for flow - I really don't like the comfort of this mouse and keyboard for either typing long documents or playing games so ordered an upgrade.

 

I will let you know if the drag and drop works with a KB & Mouse that was designed for it.

[Dravinian]

Just now, Intel Fanboy said:

@Dravinian Is flow free? And does it support headsets? 

Flow is free.

 

I don't think it would support headsets.  That is an entirely different technology.  You would need some sort of mixing device sending outputs to two or three different devices to have a single headset work, I would imagine.

[Dravinian]

3 minutes ago, Intel Fanboy said:

Does it work like synergy. Over network. there is a host machine and client machines

It works over the network, I don't know whether it is a 'host' machine.

It just works across your machines that have flow installed.  I didn't see anything to indicate that one machine was the host.

I don't know if there is a limit to the number of machines either.