List of 6 best USB over Ethernet solutions

USB Network Gate

USB over Ethernet (aka USB Network Gate) allows for a smooth connection to a USB port over TCP/IP connection. It is very easy to share USB devices and access them from any remote location in the world.

USB Network Gate

With this solution you have the possibility to use your USB devices in virtual environment, in blade servers, and over RDP. USB Network Gate works with VMware, VMware ESX, Citrix XenDesktop and Microsoft Hyper-V.

The easiest way to share a USB device over your local network:

Step 1: Download a USB sharing app and install it on all computers that will communicate with your USB device remotely as well as on the machine (server) where the peripheral is attached physically.

Step 2: Start the software on the server PC, find the device in the “Local Devices” tab and hit “Share” next to it.

Step 3: On a remote computer (client), head to the “Remote Devices” tab, locate the device and click “Connect”

Step 4: This is it! Now, the peripheral will appear in the Device Manager of the client machine although it’s not connected to the PC physically.

Share USB over Ethernet video tutorial

You can share your devices and access them on various platforms: Mac, Linux or Windows, which makes this USB over Ethernet solution cross-platform.

Advantages and disadvantages of the app

So, what are the main pros and cons of USB Network Gate? Lets see in this comparison:

Pros

• The 14-day trial version of the software lets you test the scanning over a network functionality of the tool;
• All types of USB devices are supported;
• Works across different platforms — Windows, Mac, Linux and Android;
• Cross-platform support for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android systems;
• 24 hour supports available.

Cons:

• A license must be purchased it you want to use the product for more than the 14-day trial period

FlexiHub

This USB over Ethernet app can be even more universal than USB Network Gate. Additionally to all USB Network Gate can do, FlexiHub also supports serial port sharing, which widens the list of supported devices tremendously. It is also very friendly and allows for powerful device management tools while staying friendly to amateur users.

Main differences of FlexiHub from the previous software:

• it allows connecting to remote devices even when a direct connection between computers does not appear to be possible (one of them may be behind NAT or firewall);
• the ability to manage connections from your FlexiHub account;
• subscription licenses unlike the previous solution that is sold as a one-time purchase;
• Internet connection is required when using this app;
• Flexihub cannot tunnel USB traffic over the RDP protocol; it uses plain TCP/IP or UDP.

FlexiHub Video Guide

Advantages of FlexiHub:

Lets see what a pros and cons of this USB over Ethernet solution.

Pros

• The software comes with a clean and intuitive interface that will get you what you need simply and efficiently.
• FlexiHub has versions for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android operating systems. You’ll have no problem establishing cross-platform connections, be it Windows-macOS, Linux-Windows, or any other combination.
• You can communicate with other users logged in to your FlexiHub account via a convenient FlexiChat.
• The app encrypts data traveling over an Internet connection, this way protecting it from unauthorized access.
• FlexiHub is fully compatible with VMWare, ESX, Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft Hyper-V, Windows Virtual PC, QEMU virtualization software.

Cons

• Connection to remote devices is not supported with a free subscription;
• Annual subscription renewal is required.

USB Over Network

USB Over Network allows sharing and accessing USB devices over local network or the Internet. This app works on Windows and Linux. Just as the two previous solutions it will let you use devices no matter how far they are right now. The great advantage of this tool is that it supports an advanced sharing rule manager which will give you the ability to optimize the sharing process as for a single device as for a group of USB-based peripherals which have the same characteristics.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Support for any type of USB device
• The ability to share unlimited numbers of USB devices

Cons

• Client connections cannot be disabled from the server
• Devices cannot be isolated in RDP sessions
• On Windows systems the shared USB ports are reconfigured when the machine is rebooted.

USB Redirector

USB Redirector allows sharing and accessing remote USB devices through LAN, WLAN or Internet. This USB over network app can act as a USB server and a USB client, and it is offered as a separate lightweight client too. A regular TCP/IP connection is used for communication.

VirtualHere

VirtualHere can be used to share USB devices among multiple users over the Internet, LAN or their cloud for easy access from any remote spot. This USB to Ethernet connector is installed with minimal effort too, operates on each client machine or service's cloud instance, and is available for Windows, macOS, Linux and Android systems. What is interesting is that the solution offers a built-in VPN subscription service. Thanks to this advanced option, you will be able to access your USB devices connected to a VirtualHere server wherever you are. What is more, the version for network attached storages is available. The trial lets you share 1 USB device over Ethernet.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Auto-connection is implemented after connections are dropped or the system is rebooted
• An OEM license allows the technology to be integrated into your software applications
• Automate program functionality with command-line options

Cons

• No display of the current connections data transfer volume
• Auto- connection is not possible to RDP devices

USB/IP Project

The mission of the USB/IP Project is to create a general system for sharing USB devices over Ethernet. To make USB peripherals accessible over the network, USB/IP converts USB I/O requests to IP packets and forwards them to the required PC. You can also use original USB device drivers and apps (without any modifications) for remote USB devices. But if you’re thinking about going with the open source tool, you should remember:

Pros and Cons

• The solution is absolutely free to use
• The solution cannot guarantee the stable performance with modern platforms, as it has not been updated for a long time;
• The USB/IP project does not support as many advanced USB sharing features as you can find in a paid alternative;
• USB/IP is tailored for rather experienced users.