USB 2.0 switch 4 in 4 out

Three computers being used for different tasks, sometimes simultaneously, but not needing continuous use of keyboard or mouse meant potentially a lot of clutter with three keyboards and mice to keep moving around or taking up desk space. A bluetooth keyboard that could be switched between computers did reduce the clutter significantly but kept disconnecting itself when not used for a few minutes, resulting in a delay while being reselected or missing text if the disconnection wasn't noticed. This switch solves the problem as it allows a single wired keyboard and mouse/trackball to be switched quickly between the computers, and then remains connected until the selection is changed. It can also switch external drives but you have to remember to unmount the drive before switching, although that is still easier than unplugging a drive from one computer before pugging it into the next, if you should really need that. My only complaint is that as there are sockets front and back, you really have to use the little remote selector which is rather small and wouldn't be needed if all the sockets were at the back.

I bought the 4x4 usb switch with the goal of connecting a mouse, keyboard, webcam and usb-key to 3 computers. I ran into connectivity issues, and left a 1-star review, so AIMOS sent me a new one. The images show the old one on the left and the new one on the right. Turns out the new one has the same issues, though not quite as bad.The biggest problem with this device is that when you switch between machines there's no guarantee that all the devices will connect. In particular I found that my keyboard would only show up about half the time, less on the old version and a bit more than half on the new version, but certainly not consistently. The fix is to unplug the keyboard and plug it back in, though sometimes it's so bad you need to unplug the switch from all computers and power it back on. Switching between machines is not enough. I also failed to get it to connect my keyboard to my laptop at all, though it works flawlessly when connected directly.Between leaving the bad review and getting the new one I bought a UGreen 4pc/1device usb-switch and a powered usb hub (anker if that matters). That is more expensive, but worked better. Once I got the new AIMOS switch I tried it with the keyboard plugged into the powered usb hub, and the connectivity issues went away. As such I suspect it's somehow related to power, but can't be sure. Either way, since it does now function as a reasonable usb-switch when paired with a power usb-hub, I'm bumping it to 3 stars, but this is a huge caveat.This AIMOS also has one other minor drawback, at least for people like me who care about the brightness of the LEDs at night, which is these blue LEDs are very bright, and the light leaks out the sides. I found I had to disconnect it at night to get the darkness I want. The UGreen switch is slightly better in that the light only comes out the front so is easier to block/cover.I will likely stick with the UGreen switch. It has fewer connectivity issues, which is the entire point of the device. Like the first AIMOS it only has a single button, but unlike the AIMOS it only chooses between PCs that are actually connected/on. The new AIMOS has 4 buttons, which is an improvement over both.

IF YOU HAVE MORE THAN 1 PC YOU NEED THIS!My partner got this for me as a birthday present and I've been using it for the past two or three weeks and I am loving it! I have 3/4 computers on my desk (Window PC, Ubuntu PC, Jetson NX, sometime Raspberry Pi 4). I used to have 2 keyboards and mouses on my desk sometimes even 3. I often had to unplug the mouse and keyboard temporary and connect to another computer and that was a pain, until I got this. This USB switcher is absolutely perfect. I have it connected to 3 machines with different operating systems and it works with no hassle. As a result I've been able to connect 1 wireless mouse 1 wireless keboard 1 USB sound card with microphone and speaker output + a flash drive that I can put files on and move between different computers! Thanks to the USB sound card I can use 1 Mic and speaker for all these computers. I tried connecting a USB switch to one of the ports of the switcher, to my surprise it worked and I was able to connect up to 4 USB flash memories to just 1 port of this USB switcher! So with a relatively cheap USB switch (10$) you can even more USB ports out of this. I love the controller that comes with the device. It connects with a microusb to the back of the switcher and is small enough that does not take any space on my desk and I can very easily switch between the computers. I never had any issue with devices not getting recognized or getting disconnected randomly (which I've seen on many reviews from other similar devices from different manufacture). The built quality is 5 star, functionaliy 5 star. Swithcing is relatively fast it takes just about a second or maybe even less from the moment you press the button till it's connected to the next PC, totally seemles. There is only just 1 downside you MUST BE AWARE OF BEFORE GETTING THIS, your experience may be different but for me, when I connected an external harddrive (SSD) it did not turn on, there is not enough power provided by this switcher to tunr on the external hard drives, that' the only thing to be aware of. I have the unit hidden behind my monitor and I only have the remote switch visible and switch between my windows, ubuntu and Jetson machine several several times a day and absolutely loving it.