AnywhereUSB - Only 1 host at a time??

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.

Am I missing something?

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?

I’m sorry to say that it will be a different piece of hardware. Hopefully you can get a refund from wherever you got the AnywhereUSB.