- Wireless USB Connection — All You Need To Know
- USB over Wi-Fi software — is it your go-to solution?
- Make any USB device wireless in just 2 steps:
- Wireless USB hubs — are they still a thing?
- How to Create a Wireless USB Connection
- Make any USB device wireless!
- Table of contents:
- USB over WiFi software
- Here’s how to make a USB device wireless with two simple steps.
- A USB to Bluetooth adapter
- A wireless USB hub
- How does a wireless USB hub work?
- WIRELESS USB: ACCESS USB OVER WI-FI
- Steps
- Tips
- Things you’ll need
Wireless USB Connection — All You Need To Know
The popularity of the USB interface has made devices using this method of connectivity a common sight in the workplace. The plug-and-play nature of equipment using the USB interface makes them very convenient to use and easy to move between different computers. But is there a way to connect a USB device to a computer wirelessly? Let’s find out!
Sometimes, sharing the equipment physically is not enough. Swapping cables can get tiresome and involves moving devices to machines that may not have a free USB port available. Then decisions need to be made regarding which device is more important and should be connected at any given time. Cabling can get messy, and in many cases, you will be constrained by the size of the device when considering how to move it and share it.
You may want to share an important piece of equipment with users in other physical locations or remote offices.
In these situations, a wireless USB connection would be an elegant solution. There are several ways to turn a typical USB peripheral into a wireless device. This can be done either with hardware or software that will make it appear as if you are using wireless USB devices.
USB over Wi-Fi software — is it your go-to solution?
If you need to make your USB devices wireless, USB over Wi-Fi software is going to be one of your best options.
USB Network Gate offers a software solution that enables you to utilize wireless USB devices by making them available to any network-attached machine. It allows you to share equipment with remote users located anywhere in the world. USB Network Gate eliminates the need for additional cabling or equipment and lets multiple users access a device simultaneously.
Make any USB device wireless in just 2 steps:
Simply install the application on the computer that is connected to the USB device you want to share. From within the app’s interface, share the device.
Then install the program on any physical or virtual machine that you want to access the shared USB device. Use the app to connect to the shared device and you can use it as if it were directly connected to your machine or remote session.
Wireless USB hubs — are they still a thing?
You can also employ a hardware solution to make your USB devices wireless.
Wi-Fi USB hubs or USB sharing stations are pieces of hardware equipment for USB devices sharing with multiple users over a Wi-Fi network.
A wireless USB hub works by taking connected USB devices and converting their signals to wireless signals available to networked users.
In terms of range, wireless USB 2.0 Hubs transmit up to 480 Mbps within 10 feet. Beyond 10 feet, data transfer rate drops to approximately 110 Mbps.
Alternatively, a much faster type is the USB 3.0—which transfers data up to 4.8Gb/s.
Unsurprisingly, this means that Wireless USB hubs are available in a variety of different sizes, allowing users to connect with multiple unique devices. These Wireless USB hubs often provide anywhere from 2 to 6 USB ports.
Setting up a wireless USB extender is a straightforward process:
Step 1: Install the device’s software. This is required in order for the computer to recognize and connect to the USB device wirelessly.
Step 2: After successfully installing software, establish a connection between your device and a wireless network. (Or with an RJ45 cable.)
Step 3: Connect the USB device to a USB port on the wireless hub.
There are some drawbacks to this option when compared to USB Network Gate.
So, by using this solution, you are limited by the number of ports available on the USB hub. Therefore, sharing a significant number of devices may require multiple hubs.
The USB hub needs to be in the range of your wireless router to minimize latency. It also needs to be connected to a power supply.
Another inconvenience of utilizing Wi-Fi USB hubs is that the devices that connect to hubs must be connected directly (physically) using a USB cable.
The “wireless” aspect references only its capability to connect to a computer via a Wi-Fi network connection.
How to Create a Wireless USB Connection
USB interfaces as a method of connecting peripheral devices are seen everywhere, including most businesses and offices. It’s easy to share devices, increasing their value and utility. Moving a piece of equipment between computers is simple with USB’s plug-and-play technology.
Unfortunately, at times it can be impossible or at least very difficult to physically share your USB devices. In some cases you may have large pieces of equipment that are not easily moved. There might not be a free USB port available on a machine that needs to access a device.
Extra cables strewn around the office are not usually a welcome sight and you may need to choose which machine can use your USB printer or scanner. Sharing the devices with personnel in remote offices is out of the question if physical connectivity is required.
Make any USB device wireless!
A wireless USB connection can solve all of these issues. It replaces the USB cable with a hardware or software solution that enables devices to be shared without being physically attached to a computer. With a wireless USB connection, remote machines can enjoy the same level of functionality they would if they had a direct physical connection to the peripheral. Here are some methods that can be used to make any USB device wireless and help you share them over any distance.
This article will help to choose the best way to turn a USB Device into a
Wireless Device.
Table of contents:
USB over WiFi software
When you are looking for how to make USB wireless connections, a software solution may be your best choice.
USB Network Gate from Electronic Team is a software solution that lets you turn any USB device into a wireless peripheral that is accessible by any computer attached to your network. It removes the need for physical connectivity to USB devices, allowing them to be shared with users across the globe. You can also share devices with multiple users at the same time without the hassle or expense of extra cables or moving equipment.
Here’s how to make a USB device wireless with two simple steps.
First, install the application on the machine with a physical connection to the USB device that will be shared. Share the peripheral from the app’s user interface.
Next, install the program on all the virtual and physical machines that will share the device. Just connect to the peripheral from within the application to achieve access as if you had a direct connection to the device from the remote or virtual computer.
USB over WiFi software is the most efficient way to turn USB devices into wireless-capable and shareable equipment.
A USB to Bluetooth adapter
What does a Wireless USB Adapter do? Next, we will look at using a USB to Bluetooth adapter to implement wireless USB communication.
You need an open USB port with which to connect the Bluetooth adapter. This device enables the computer to communicate with other Bluetooth-compatible machines and peripherals. It also makes it possible to share a USB device between two computers.
Distance limitations and the requirement of available USB ports on the machines are potential drawbacks to this method.
A wireless USB hub
Another hardware solution that enables USB over WiFi connectivity is a wireless USB hub.
How does a wireless USB hub work?
The wireless USB hub converts the transmission of its connected USB devices to wireless signals that are made available to the network. It can be useful for sharing your peripheral devices but also has issues that make it a less attractive option than USB over Network software.
One limitation is that the hub needs to be located in close proximity to a power source. It also needs to be within range of your wireless router and demands some configuration before it can be implemented. Finally, you are constrained by the number of ports supported by the hub. Sharing numerous devices will, therefore, require the use of multiple hubs.
After considering the various methods that can be used with hardware or software to enable wireless USB connectivity, the software option offers important advantages. USB Network Gate is a more flexible solution that does not limit you to the number of devices that are shared or impose distance limitations of any kind. Your USB devices can be shared with any network-connected user no matter where they are located. Any of these methods may work for your particular scenario. USB Network Gate gives you an effective means of sharing USB devices wirelessly without any of the limitations that are found in the hardware solutions.
WIRELESS USB: ACCESS USB OVER WI-FI
USB Network Gate is aimed to provide you with the most efficient results in accessing remote USB devices over network. USB Network Gate is constantly improved to meet modern requirements.
Our wireless USB software solution doesn’t care about distance limits and you can work with USB devices connected to other computers even far away. Wherever your Wi-Fi network spreads, your ability to access remote USB devices spreads too.
Steps
Install USB Network Gate on all computers you are going to share on and access USB devices from. Those will be the server, where the shared devices will be physically present, and clients, from which you are going to access shared devices.
Connect to the shared device rom a client computer over Wi-Fi. After you successfully shared device on server it will be shown in Device Manager of remote client machine and will be treated as a physically connected local device.
Tips
In USB Network Gate it is clearly visible which client currently occupies shared device. It is pretty useful when someone on the network forgot to disconnect from device and you need to work with it now.
USB Network Gate allows setting up a connection password for controlled access to USB over Wi-Fi.
Things you’ll need
- Windows OS, Mac OS or Linux OS computer or Android device connected to a local Wi-Fi network;
- Network USB software;
- USB device you would like to share.