Plugable USB 3.0 Sharing Switch

No. Plugable USB sharing switches do not feature autosense or automatic switching capabilities. The connected host computer must be selected manually using the physical button on the unit.

Why the Sharing Switch Requires Manual Switching

The switch is designed as a mechanical-style toggle to ensure a stable connection between the peripheral and the active host. Implementing autosense could lead to accidental switching if a computer performs a background task or power cycle while the other terminal is in use.

How to Switch Between Computers

To change which computer has control of the connected USB devices, press the silver button located on the top of the switch . the LED indicator will change to show which host port is currently active.

Applicable To

USB3-SWITCH2, USB2-SWITCH2

Using USB 3.0 cables longer than 6.6 ft (2 m) cables is not recommended. Exceeding these lengths can lead to signal degradation, causing the switch or connected devices to malfunction.

Why Longer USB 3.0 Cables Cause Issues

USB 3.0 signals are highly sensitive to cable length and quality. As cable length increases beyond 2 m, the signal integrity drops significantly, which can result in the connected peripherals disconnecting, failing to be recognized, or operating at reduced speeds.

How to Ensure a Stable Connection

To maintain a reliable connection, only use the cables provided with the switch or high-quality replacement cables that do not exceed 6.6 ft (2 m). If you must extend the distance between the switch and your computer, consider using a powered USB 3.0 active extension cable, though results may vary depending on the specific peripherals used.

Applicable To

USB3-SWITCH2

With more devices connected in the "chain", we'll want to start by better isolating where the problem could lie.

1. Do the problems still occur when the dock or hub is connected directly to a USB port on your computer (bypassing the switch)?
   • If the answer is yes, then this is not a problem with the switch itself and please refer to the product page of the dock or hub for more help
2. Does the problem occur on both computers connected to the switch or just one of them?
   • If the answer is just one, we're likely dealing with a host-specific problem
3. Does the problem occur when connected to other USB ports on the computer?
   • If the answer is no, then there could be a difference between the computer's USB ports

These questions should hopefully help you isolate and understand where the issues could lie. Please contact us at support@plugable.com for more assistance, along with a copy of the answers to the above questions to assist in troubleshooting and we'd be glad to help further.

When the button on the switch is pressed, the net effect is essentially the same as if you were to unplug the storage device from one system, and then plug it into the other. As such, the same same storage removal precautions and “best practices” must be followed to minimize the risk of data loss or corruption.

A bit of additional background may help to clarify this recommendation further. To access data on any storage device, the file system must be “mounted” by the operating system. (This is the process that results in the user seeing a corresponding drive letter for the device in Windows.) If the device is disconnected or loses power without going through the proper unmounting/ejection process, data corruption can sometimes occur. This potential data corruption is why Windows performs a lengthy chkdsk (“check disk”) process when booting back up after a power failure or a crash, and it’s the same reason you see Windows pestering you to “check the drive for errors” when you insert a flash drive that was not properly ejected.

It is also the very reason we generally do not recommend using storage devices with this switch. If control of the storage device were to be switched between systems while the storage device was being accessed, there would be the same potential for data corruption.

However, if you still wish to use a storage device with the switch, there are two potential methods of doing so while drastically reducing the risk of data corruption:

Method 1: “Eject” the device from within your Operating System prior to switching control of the device. This is the suggested procedure to perform prior to removing/switching any storage device from your system. The process for doing so varies depending which OS you are using.

• Windows: Click the icon in your taskbar/notification area titled Safely Remove Hardware, and stop/eject the appropriate device.
• Mac: Open Finder. Under the Devices category on the left, click the eject icon next to the corresponding device.
• Linux: Unmount the device by ejecting it through your graphical environment, or by using the umount command.

Method 2: (Windows Only) Enable the “Quick removal” setting for your storage device inside your operating system. Windows 7 (and later) will often implement this setting by default on devices that it detects as portable, but it is wise to confirm that this setting is enabled. Please note that while this setting reduces the risk of corruption somewhat, it is not as effective as the steps outlined in Method 1 above.

No. Our Plugable USB 3.0 Sharing Switch is not compatible with USB-C docks or hubs, as these USB-C devices often rely on USB-C features such as Alt Mode and Power Delivery to function. The USB 3.0 Type-A connection offered on the USB 3.0 switch does not support these USB-C features, so these USB-C devices are not compatible even with the use of an adapter.

Plugable does not currently offer a USB-C sharing switch at this time.

Unfortunately Plugable products do not support the Apple SuperDrive.

The Apple SuperDrive has stringent power requirements that can only be met by directly connecting the SuperDrive to your host laptop. As a result at this time Apple recommends only using their USB-C adapter cables. You can find more information on that here → How to connect the Apple USB SuperDrive

If you have purchased a Plugable product to use with your Apple SuperDrive, and would like some additional assistance please do not hesitate to reach out. You can do so by emailing support@plugable.com, or going to Plugable.com/Support.

USB switches provide a simple yet powerful way to share USB peripherals like keyboards, mice, and printers across multiple systems. When paired with a USB 3.0 dock, they allow you to easily swap between multiple hosts with the single press of a button.

Common Use-Cases for the USB3-SWITCH2

1. Home Office Multi-System Use
   Remote workers with separate devices for work and personal use can leverage USB switches and USB 3.0 DisplayLink-based docks such as the UD-3900 or UD-6950Z  to share equipment like printers or webcams. This eliminates the need for duplicate peripherals.
2. Education and Training
   Classrooms and labs can simplify device sharing between teacher and student computers. Adding a USB3-SWITCH2 to your UD-3900 dock setup ensures easy access without constant reconnection.

Common Use-Cases for the USB2-SWITCH2

1. Small Businesses or Studios
   Photographers, designers, and other professionals can benefit by specialized equipment like scanners between multiple editing or design stations.
2. Swapping USB input devices between Laptops
   Users can benefit by sharing external mouse and keyboards between multiple computers

However, there are important limitations to consider when using a USB Type-A switch. Both the USB3-SWITCH2 and USB2-SWITCH are not compatible with docks or downstream devices that use USB-C Power Delivery (PD) or USB-C Alt Mode (for video delivery). Additionally, the USB2-SWITCH2 is only intended for use with lower bandwidth devices such as mice and keyboards, or other USB 2.0 Type-A devices.