USB periperals switch - switching time?

Soldato
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22 Jan 2014
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Morning OcUK,

Whilst working from home, I'm using a Dell WD19S dock for a Latitude 7400 laptop, at my desk with my gaming PC so I can use the keyboard, mouse, webcam and screens with the laptop closed.

Problem:

Bought a USB peripherals switch that's just arrived, but whilst the Corsair K70 keyboard switches over rapidly, the SteelSeries Sensei Ten mouse takes 22 seconds to switch, and the Logitech c930e webcam doesn't switch over at all unless I unplug/replug it.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08ZY3SDC1/ref=pe_27063361_487055811_TE_dp_1

Is this typical of a USB peripherals switch? If not, can someone recommend one with better switching times for four USB peripherals?

Hugh
 
i use this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01N6GD9JO/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which is a 2 input to 4 output usb with manual switching, however i use a vanilla kb/mouse to operate so don't know the effects of connecting a mechanical or fancy device to it... having said that, does the K70 have a USB passthrough? If you connect your mouse directly to your K70 instead, does that help wit hthe delay or not?

You saved it - connected the K70's passthrough to the hub, plugged the webcam into the keyboard and boom, switches over within a few seconds.
The labelled 'mouse' port on this one appears to delay things hugely, whilst a different port takes just a few seconds to switch, so that's now sorted. I've contacted them to see what might be going on, but in the meantime you've made it very usable! Thank you kindly.

The one you have was going to be the one I purchased, but this one had a remote control which I figured may come in handy if I have to stash the hub somewhere. If the manufacturer doesn't have any clues as to why there's an iffy mouse port, I'll be returning this one and getting the one you have.

Thank you again!

Edit: I've figured it out. The problem with the webcam is that I wasn't closing the video connection with it on the computer I was switching from (i.e. by closing the Camera or meeting software). So it was still feeding video to the original computer, thus the other computer had no feed. Sorted!
 
May I ask, how do USB drives cope with these switches without using the Safely Remove Hardware, or do you still do that before switching? Thanks.
 
May I ask, how do USB drives cope with these switches without using the Safely Remove Hardware, or do you still do that before switching? Thanks.

I've only ever done that when using external hard drives as Windows does not give an accurate processing time of when files have completed tranferring or whether files are still being accessed (to avoid IO write errors). Every other type of USB device such as keyboard etc are safe to pull out without that prompt imo.
 
May I ask, how do USB drives cope with these switches without using the Safely Remove Hardware, or do you still do that before switching? Thanks.
That's a really interesting question, and very good point! Thus far I've only ever attached USBs directly into the device that's using it, as the hub is well out of the way. I'd guess the sensible thing to do would be 'eject', then switch, and presumably the switch over will kick it back into life in the 'new' machine. But I can imagine it being very easy to switch between without remembering one is attached if you're not actively using that USB.
 
@hughtrimble Thanks, I suspect the same but was curious.
I find most of my USB to SATA dock drives spin down and sleep so I guess during those times I can switch and they’d wake up once attached to the other PC.
May look into one, comes in handy when doing rebuilds and reinstalls.
 
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