4 ms·

With the following constraints how would one manage to have the less amount of cable dangling around? 1 PC (personal use, desktop or laptop) 1 work laptop 2

With the following constraints how would one manage to have the less amount of cable dangling around? 1 PC (personal use, desktop or laptop) 1 work laptop 2 Monitors Keyboard & Mouse Be able to connect the work laptop with only 1 cable and switch keyboard mouse and monitors to it Maybe should I look for a KVM switch instead?

sp332 5y ago
You could use a wireless mouseand keyboard that support being connected to multiple computers. I have a Logitech MX Anywhere mouse that works really well, and I know there are keyboards that do that too.
throwaway789394 5y ago
I remote into my work laptop from my desktop. Works like a charm.
cephalization 5y ago
I would look into usb switcher for peripherals and dock for the laptop. Manually change displays using on screen controls. Having video switching gets real expensive and only a few KVMs support high refresh / high resolution displays.
bradstewart 5y ago
Is there an additional constraint to "not unplug things from your personal machine"? If not, and you can get two machines with Thunderbolt, a TB dock solves this. I have my monitors, keyboard, mouse, ethernet, etc all plugged into a TB docking station. Then a single TB cable I swap between my work machine (Macbook Pro) and personal machine (Razer Blade).
dracodoc 5y ago
My setup is a little different but it's reliable and simple: Dell UltraSharp U3417W has built in usb hub. I can connect pc and laptop to this monitor and switch between them with monitor button. Connect keyboard and mouse to monitor (and connect upstream usb cable to pc/laptop) so your keyboard and mouse move with your monitor switch. This setup only use one monitor but it's enough for my use. I have another regular 1080p monitor that always connect to one machine.
tmitchell 5y ago
I use a Dell D6000[0] to drive 2x 1440p monitors, my keyboard and mouse via a single USB-A/C cable swapped between personal and work machines. It does it all via DisplayLink software so it adds a little load to the computer, but not noticeable. I've used it with Dell laptops, Surfaces, can even power (slowly) a MBP. My desktop doesn't support Thunderbolt, which rules out the vast majority of solutions I've looked at. [0] https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-universal-dock-d6000/apd/452-bcyt/pc-accessories https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-universal-dock-d60...

sp332 5y ago

You could use a wireless mouseand keyboard that support being connected to multiple computers. I have a Logitech MX Anywhere mouse that works really well, and I know there are keyboards that do that too.

throwaway789394 5y ago

I remote into my work laptop from my desktop. Works like a charm.

cephalization 5y ago

I would look into usb switcher for peripherals and dock for the laptop. Manually change displays using on screen controls. Having video switching gets real expensive and only a few KVMs support high refresh / high resolution displays.

bradstewart 5y ago

Is there an additional constraint to "not unplug things from your personal machine"? If not, and you can get two machines with Thunderbolt, a TB dock solves this. I have my monitors, keyboard, mouse, ethernet, etc all plugged into a TB docking station. Then a single TB cable I swap between my work machine (Macbook Pro) and personal machine (Razer Blade).

dracodoc 5y ago

My setup is a little different but it's reliable and simple: Dell UltraSharp U3417W has built in usb hub. I can connect pc and laptop to this monitor and switch between them with monitor button. Connect keyboard and mouse to monitor (and connect upstream usb cable to pc/laptop) so your keyboard and mouse move with your monitor switch. This setup only use one monitor but it's enough for my use. I have another regular 1080p monitor that always connect to one machine.

tmitchell 5y ago

I use a Dell D6000[0] to drive 2x 1440p monitors, my keyboard and mouse via a single USB-A/C cable swapped between personal and work machines. It does it all via DisplayLink software so it adds a little load to the computer, but not noticeable. I've used it with Dell laptops, Surfaces, can even power (slowly) a MBP. My desktop doesn't support Thunderbolt, which rules out the vast majority of solutions I've looked at. [0] https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-universal-dock-d6000/apd/452-bcyt/pc-accessories https://www.dell.com/en-us/work/shop/dell-universal-dock-d60...