USB frustration

[Dorsetmike]

I run 2 PCs using one monitor, K/B & mouse via a KVM switch, USB is also switched. The K/B & mouse are wireless via a USB thing, other USB items are connected to a hub which is in turn connected to the KVM switch unit.

when switching between PCs I get a "This device can perform faster" so I swap to a USB3 socket and nothing works, K/B, mouse etc dead.  The only thing I can think of is that the KVM switch can't handle USB3. PITA!

[joe cassidy]

Sorry Mike. I can understand Stanley Unwin but the language in your post has got me beat 

Best regards,


Joe

[keithfre]

If the USB connection isn't too slow I wouldn't worry about it.

[emjaybee]

What's KVM and what's PITA?

[ntpntpntp]

USB 3 has extra contacts and is usually identified by the "tongue" being blue instead of white.  If your KVM's USB ports have white tongues then they can't do USB 3.

[Dorsetmike]

Translations
K/B - keyboard, KVM switch - Keyboard Video Mouse switch;I would hope that Mouse and USB don't need translating;

PITA - Pain in the 

Thanks NTPNTPNTP. (goes to search Amazon for KVM with USB3)

[njee20]

Why? There's no benefit to having any of those peripherals running on USB 3. It's useful if you're transferring data, otherwise ignore the message.

[mickster04]

Consider https://symless.com/synergy ?

I've used it in the past, pretty awesome, might be of use to you?

[EtchedPixels]

I run 2 PCs using one monitor, K/B & mouse via a KVM switch, USB is also switched. The K/B & mouse are wireless via a USB thing, other USB items are connected to a hub which is in turn connected to the KVM switch unit.

when switching between PCs I get a "This device can perform faster" so I swap to a USB3 socket and nothing works, K/B, mouse etc dead.  The only thing I can think of is that the KVM switch can't handle USB3. PITA!

There are three kinds of USB

USB1 - slow as molasses
USB2 - actually useful
USB3 - really fast

I suspect you've got USB 2 devices behind a USB 1 'kvm switch' (ie hub with a knob on it)

I wouldn't worry. Keyboard and mice are fine at USB 1 speed


Alan

[Dorsetmike]

I'm not so worried about the K/B and mouse, but the KVM also switches USB to printer, scanner, card reader and plotter cutter. The KVM is USB2, for now I have them on a spliiter plugged into the front panel of whichever PC

[njee20]

With the possible exception of things buffering for scanning and printing a bit more slowly I still wouldn't be overly concerned. I'm assuming it works? You're not trying to transfer terabytes of data between discs or anything, so very fast data transfer speeds are not hugely advantageous still.

That said... the whole setup sounds hideously complex. Do you really need all 7 of those things available to two different PCs all the time?

[MJKERR]

Sounds like the main connection on the computer is to the USB3 port, hence the message
If so, either disable the message or swap to the USB2 port

What make and model is the KVM switch?
How many ports does it have?

If you have more devices than ports then that is usually where the issues begin, using a port hub can often cause issues with some KVM
Some companies had to replace them all when adding more devices

Are the two computers network or WiFi / internet capable?
Are any of the other devices printers, scanners, network or WiFi / internet capable?
If so, then they could be swapped over from USB to network, if the router has free ports, or WiFi / internet

[Dorsetmike]

KVM switch is ieGeek (from Amazon), 3 USB ports, I was using a 4 way spliiter on one of them but now moved it to the main PC. Further investigation found a tick box to disable the annoying pop up.

Only one PC is on the internet, cable connection not WIFI.  I do have WIFI on a laptop but rarely use it on line.

If I need to transfer files between machines I usually use a USB stick or external drive.

[ntpntpntp]

Are any of the other devices printers, scanners, network or WiFi / internet capable?
If so, then they could be swapped over from USB to network, if the router has free ports, or WiFi / internet

That's definitely worth considering.  I used to run my printers from Netgear print servers, and relatively old printer models could be set up and accessed over the network even from our oldest XP machine.  Nowadays our printers and scanner have been replaced with newer models with built-in network capabilities, but one of our laser printers still runs off the USB port of our NAS (network storage).

It's very handy that any of our household PCs or laptops/netbooks can print to any printer upstairs or downstairs.  The scanner is set up to scan to files to a network folder on the NAS, and thus scans can be picked up from any PC.