The MultiSwitch USB hub allows multiple computers to share USB devices without a LAN. It can detect data flow from each host and respond accordingly. It works with various devices and has two upstream and four downstream ports with speeds up to 12 megabits per second.
With so many Universal Serial Bus (USB) devices on the market today and more computers in the home and office, the most common way to share these devices is to set up a local area network (LAN). The only recent alternative was to swap cables or dragging devices back and forth between computers. A MultiSwitch USB hub does not require a LAN and eliminates the hassle of transporting devices from one machine to another.
The first MultiSwitch USB hub will hit stores in the summer of 2006, manufactured by chip maker SMSC. The MultiSwitch USB hub is a “stick” of multiple USB ports configured internally on a network switch. The network architecture built into the MultiSwitch hub allows two host computers without LAN to share multiple USB devices simultaneously.
A MultiSwitch USB hub can detect the data flow from each host and respond to requests in a discriminatory way, sending the appropriate data to the appropriate host. For example, a laptop and desktop can simultaneously access a portable USB hard drive connected to the hub without the need for a LAN. The required networking is done transparently to the user in the hub itself.
Other devices that can be shared using the MultiSwitch hub include digital cameras, camcorders, printers, memory sticks, flash card readers, scanners, DVD players, and more. Virtually anything that runs on a USB port can be plugged into the MultiSwitch hub to be fully accessible to both host computers. In addition to computers, the MultiSwitch hub will also work with TVs that have a USB interface. It can therefore be a great multimedia or gaming tool.
The introductory 2524 MultiSwitch USB hub has two upstream ports, for two hosts, and four downstream ports for up to four USB devices. Specifications reported by SMSC list speeds up to 12 megabits per second per port. The USB MultiSwitch port complies with the USB 2.0 standard and requires only a USB 2.0 driver to function. Hosts will detect the device as a standard non-switching USB hub. If successful, further products in this vein will no doubt follow from SMSC and other manufacturers.
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