I just bought an AnywhereUSB 5 port device thinking that multiple hosts could attach to the USB ports (different ports, not the same port) simultaneously. This is for use in Hyper-V virtual machine guests to connect to USB dongles (security “anti-piracy” keys that unlock software) and other devices.
Host #1 –> Port 1
Host #2 –> Port 2
and so forth.
But while Host #1 is connected to Port 1, if I try to connect to the AnywhereUSB unit from Host #2 it tells me it cannot connect because (host 1’s IP) is already connected.
Please don’t tell me I just spent $300 on something that can only be used by one host at a time, because that is completely unworkable in our environment.
Multiple hosts cannot connect to an AnywhereUSB at the same time. Why, you might ask? Because the AnywhereUSB was designed to function just like any other 5-port USB 1.1 hub, such that all 5 ports are useable by the single PC that it’s connected to. All that’s different about the AnywhereUSB is that it’s network-attached, which means it can be extended further away from the PC than traditional, USB-attached hubs.
Since VM’s have become more commonplace, we’ve had lots of requests for “port sharing” functionality, like what you’re looking for, and we’re planning on releasing a newer AnywhereUSB some time next year that will offer such a feature.
I’m sick to my stomach having spent $300 on this, when I would have been better off doing it with software installed on the physical host (at 1/3 the cost).
Will current units be able to do the multi-host sharing via firmware update?