AIMOS USB KVM Switcher 4 Computers Sharing 4 USB Devices One-Button Swapping, for Sharing Mouse, Keyboard, Printer, Scanner

Bought this nearly 3 years ago. Still works. Very reliable. The remote is the best thing because I can stash it all away in a box with my cables and switch to the desired machine with the remote.

I tried several different options before landing on this device, and I really like this for the following reasons:- Individual input selectorThis allows you to select directly the computer you need to connect to.Other similar devices only have one button, which forces you to cycle through inputs, and it gets annoying if you have more than 2 computers.Additionally, these buttons are not mechanical, and there is a green LED that indicates which input is selected.Yes there is some "bleeding" of light but not very annoying, and becomes irrelevant if you just use the wired remote on your desk.- Optional wired remoteThis welcome feature allows you to "tuck away" this device and reduce clutter on your desk.The only small "con" is that this device does not have mounting holes, no big deal.Note that the wired remote is detachable, so you can reduce clutter on your desk if you do not need it.- Four ports available for devices (output)This might seem a minor thing, though I find 4 ports to be the perfect number for all you need.Other similar devices only have 2 ports and will force you to use a USB hub expansion like this one:https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BWF5U0M/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1While this may seem OK to do, it will make a difference if you connect any of the inputs to a docking station.Daisy-chaining USB hubs is never a good idea.- It is a compact deviceEven if you do not use the wired remote included with this device, it will not use much spaceThe metal casing feel sturdy and does not look cheap.- comes with 4 input cablesThese are standard USB "printer" cables, and makes this item "ready to go, out of the box"The other devices I tried and used before switching to this one are the following:4 inputs + 2 outputs, 4 electronic buttons switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07L6VSFC8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=14 inputs + 1 output, 4 mechanical buttons switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M5IXEFJ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=12 inputs + 4 outputs, 1 electronic button switch: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MXXQKGM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1The 1 and 2 output switches in my case required the use of a USB hub to expand to 4 outputs, which created issues with my docked laptop (USB daisy-chain).The 4 output was great but only had 2 inputs, and I needed 3.

TL;DR. Everything about this is great except that the little green LEDs are almost impossible to see. If seeing the LEDs is important, buy something else.Now, on with the show!A good hubbuh is a godsend for a dev. This one isn't bad: it works well, and it has a solid steel case, good button feel, and a separate button for each PC so you don't need to hit the lone button 3 times to get from 2 back to 1 (there are hubbuhs that cost $4 less that only have one button. Pay the extra $4 and get this one). It has good quality connectors and includes 4 usable 1.5m (5ft) USB A-B cables. And it has 4 ins and 4 outs, so you can plug in a mouse, keyboard, and two other devices that you switch from machine to machine.It only has one glaring (irony) flaw: you mostly can't see the LEDs. It's possible if you move your head around on a line perpendicular to the hubbuh, but it's not easy. It's not the LEDs: they're bright. There's a ton of emerald green light pouring out the large side vents (they're there for artistic reasons: this device uses no appreciable power and generates no heat) but almost nothing coming out the little holes (1.1mm) by the buttons. I promptly took it apart to find out why (I'm not you, I'm me. Raccoon spirit: everything needs to be taken apart). The LEDs are current "chip" parts, barely visible on the board. They are 15mm from those 1.1mm holes, which means they shoot a little LED beam out the hole.My first thought was to enlarge the holes, like I did a single-button plastic hubbuh the other day. I took them up to 2mm (OK, close to 2mm. I used a 5/64ths drill, that's 1.98mm). It helped a little, partially from widening the beam, partially for having shiny metal inside the hole, instead of black paint.The only thing that will fix this is fiber optics. If I had some 2mm plastic rod, I could make some. But I think I'm going to just suffer with it the way it is. I've got it Velcroed to a monitor stand that angles it suficiently towards my eyes that I can see 3 of the LEDs clearly.Oh, and I call this a "hubbuh" because it combines a "hub" and a multiplexer, a "reverse hub" or "buh". Hubbuhs solve a lot of problems for me. I have 2 workbenches with 6-10 (depending on the week) computers (ranging from a tower PC to laptops, tablets, phones, Raspberry Pies (the plural of Raspberry Pi is either Pi or Pies, it is not Pis. Don't go there) and other embedded systems.My current bench configuration is an L. One bench is simple: a PC and a tablet. The other is a little more complicated: a Raspberry Pi based prototype of something I'm working on, a Samsung with DeX, a Lenvo laptop.Each hubbah has a mouse and keyboard and 2-3 computers or computerish devices.And then there's the man in the middle. There's a macbook on a corner wedge that joins the benches. The monitors have enough switchable inputs so that the tower can drive 1, 2, or 3 of them, and the macbook gets whatever is left over. It's got USB 3 hubs on both inputs, and both hubbuhs are connected to it, so it can use either keyboard.Even Synergy couldn't untangle this mess. (Most everything on the benches connects to a pair of 8-port gigabit Ethernet switches, more than enough bandwidth for Synergy: it just doesn't work well in this environment).

I started with the 2 port model and all was working great! Able to switch 1 keybd/mouse between work laptop and home PC with a push of a button. I also have a PC on same wall that is a Media Server that I wanted to incorporate into this setup, so I needed the 4 port model. Bought it, easy to install/setup, all worked great. Then the next day I went to boot my home PC and Windows would not boot. I am a Field Tech in IT, this is a PC that I built myself several years ago, watercooled i7 intel ASUS ROG board. Spent several hours troubleshooting, was trying to either reload by older v1607 ver recovery CD of Windows but if failed every time. Once I unplugged the 4 port I was able to reload fine. So I thought maybe I got a back unit, so I returned it and replaced with the same. Hooked it up, PC back up and running....until the next boot, then failed again. I though it couldn't be two bad ones...right? So I started more trouble shooting, removing RAM 1 DIMM at a time, removed all HDD's and SSD's except M2 512GB boot drive. Removed video card, still nothing. put everything back like it was minus the 2nd 4-port switch and boom, loaded again fine. Once I got everything loaded again I put the 2 port back on and have been fine for the last month. Not sure what the conflict is/was or why so much difference in results between the 2 port and the 4 port units...but for now...I'm sticking with the 2 port model. If the manufacturer sees this I'd love to hear from you. Very glad I had my OS on M2 drive and data/apps on separate drives. :)