Get started

Sharing keyboard and mouse between computers - Windows, Mac, and Linux

Olga Weis Last updated Dec 4, 2020

It's not unusual to operate several PCs at the same time. For example, you might want to use both your laptop and desktop. If you have to work with a number of Windows PCs in parallel, all that toing and froing amidst them can be kind of fiddly. Readers of this article are likely to be concerned with how to use the same mouse or keyboard on multiple computers simultaneously. This review presents several solutions to this problem that may help you get the most out of your hardware resources.

Software for sharing keyboard and mouse

You can use a software solution that enables you to control two computers with one keyboard and mouse. FlexiHub is a cross-platform communication application that facilitates the use of a single keyboard or mouse on multiple Windows, Mac, or Linux machines.

FlexiHub

Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
4.8 Rank based on 78+ users

Get started

FlexiHub is the software that shares and controls mouse and keyboard between multiple computers. Simply connect your mouse to your computers via the software’s interface in just a few clicks.

How to use keyboard and mouse over Ethernet

1

First of all, register a free FlexiHub account to be able to log into the app and share the keyboard and mouse between two computers.

Note: you can register an account later in the app or if you already have a FlexiHub account, skip this step.

2

Choose a required number of connections and sign up for a FlexiHub demo period to be able to connect to the shared mouse and keyboard.

3

Download and install the latest version of the app to all the machines that will use the same keyboard and mouse, and log into the software.

Download Flexihub for sharing mouse and keybord

4

The final step would be connecting to the shared keyboard and mouse.

Connect one keyboard and mouse for two computers

The app will display a list of devices available for connection. Here you may press the "Lock" button for devices you would like to keep blocked from remote access. That’s it, shared keyboard and mouse can now be used on all machines where FlexiHub is installed.

Switch keyboard and mouse between computers with FlexiHub!

30-day demo period

Get started

Why is FlexiHub the most efficient method of using a single keyboard or mouse on multiple computers?

FlexiHub is a cutting edge USB over Ethernet software tool by which you can share access to any USB device via the Internet on Windows, Mac or Linux.
FlexiHub helps with sharing keyboard and mouse between computers by using a personal redirection server and you won’t even need a public IP address. Due to this, you’ll still be able to connect to shared USB devices even if a computer with an attached shared device isn’t connected to your LAN or cannot be detected by your PC.
FlexiHub additionally protects all the data transmission with 2048-bit SSL encryption, that’s why you can safely share USB devices and your information won’t be lost or exposed to a 3rd person.
FlexiHub doesn’t need any USB drivers to share the keyboard and mouse, therefore no driver installation is required on your PC or any remote computer.

Alternatively, you could use USB Redirector, which offers support for USB redirection to RDP sessions on top of regular access to remote USB devices. The software is compatible with the same platforms (Windows, macOS, Linux) and is able to function in a local network without access to the Internet.

You may be interested in related articles

KVM switches for keyboard and mouse sharing

Not a few PC owners have both a desktop computer and a laptop or one more PC needed for testing. Using several computers at the same time can be tricky for each of them has a display and input devices. To ease it up you can get yourself a KVM (Keyboard-Video-Mouse) switch. This hardware enables you not only to share a keyboard and mouse between computers but a display as well — just push the button and you get switched to another PC. On top of it, via the KVM switch you can share the keyboard and mouse between Windows and Mac.

It will take you just a few steps to share keyboard and mouse between the 2 computers. First, plug a keyboard and a mouse you would like to share into the USB ports of this box-like device, then connect the switch with the computers. As simple as it gets.

In most cases, the switches are equipped with buttons to toggle between USB ports and computers.

You can use KVM switches to share not only keyboard and mouse but other devices as well such as microphones and speakers. The switches usually work with both Windows and Mac machines.

Alternative software to share keyboard and mouse between 2 computers

Another type of KVM switch that you can use to share mouse and keyboard between 2 computers is a software-based solution. Note that software KVM switches only work via LAN, so make sure that all PCs you’d like to operate are network-connected. Also, you can’t use said software to switch between displays, only to share keyboard and mouse. All you need to do once the software was installed on every machine of your network is to decide from which one of them you wish to share mouse and keyboard.

Input Director

Input Director is freeware available since 2007 and perfectly compatible with any networked Windows system up to Windows 10, but you can’t use it to share keyboard and mouse between Mac and PC.

After installing the software on each computer, start with configuring the secondary PC.
Press “Enable as Slave” in the app interface, then click the Slave Configuration tab. There you can either type the hostname of the Primary computer manually (as identified on the Main tab on Primary PC) or just select “Allow any computer to take control” from the list.
On the PC with keyboard and mouse that you’d like to share (primary computer), press “Enable as Master”, then go to Master Configuration tab, click Add and type in the hostname of slave computer (see the Main tub of secondary PC), then press OK.
After that, you’ll be able to position the second monitor left, right, below, or above the main one by arranging icons in the configuration box.

Now you can move the cursor on both screens wherever you like. Drag-and-drop feature isn’t available, so to transfer files or folders you’ll have to copy and paste them through the shared clipboard. For extra security, you can enable AES encryption. Note that both master and slave PCs should have identical encryption settings and a password.

ShareMouse

ShareMouse was released a couple of years back. It is commercial software but there is a free version for non-commercial use only. The paid version supports drag-and-drop, password security, switching prevention or remote shutdown/lock/screensaver and can be used on up to 9 Macs and/or PCs. What is more, it is capable of sharing mouse and keyboard between Mac and PC.

Right after installation ShareMouse detects your computers and links them up. If auto-connection has failed, open Settings, then go to Network and click “Find free port” for UDP and TCP or connect manually via the Client window (for qualified users only). Once the connection is up, open the Monitor Manager and arrange your monitors as you please: side by side or one above the other.

Free ShareMouse doesn’t have the customization capability of the paid version but you can still use copy and paste by Ctrl+C/Ctrl+V even if their website lists this among paid functions. Also, you can choose hotkey for quick jump, scroll speed/direction, do or don’t dim inactive monitors, and how many presses of the Esc button will disable the remote control.

Mouse Without Borders

Mouse Without Borders is a product of Microsoft Garage — a special project for Microsoft staff members to work on projects unrelated to their scope of employment. Mouse Without Borders is a freeware adapted to use one keyboard and mouse to operate up to 4 PCs. It’s fully compatible with Windows from XP to 10.

This software comes with a wizard to simplify setting it up.

Start with installing Mouse Without Borders on a secondary PC and when you’ll see the question “Have you already installed Mouse Without Borders on another computer?” click NO to open the window with the security code and computer’s name.
Leave it for now and install the program on the primary computer with mouse and keyboard you’d like to share, click YES under the same question and enter security code and computer’s name from secondary PC, then press LINK to connect. And that’s how to share a keyboard and mouse between two computers, and even three or four.

In the main window, you’ll find checkboxes that can enable or disable each of the computers. To move the cursor right or left off the desktop edge, just drag computers in the same direction. If you’ve linked more than 2 PCs, check the Two Row box to arrange computers in a square so you can move your cursor between the monitors both vertically and horizontally.

Mouse Without Borders allows you to use clipboard and drag-and-drop though not in full: you can only transfer one file at a time to the unchangeable destination folder on the desktop named “Mouse Without Borders” so to send a folder you’ll have to archive it.

FlexiHub

Requirements: Windows 7/8/10, Server 2008 R2/2012/2016/2019
Size: 6.99MB
Version: 4.1.13108 (14 Jan, 2021)

User rating: (4.8 based on 78+ users)

Get started

dual mouse 2017-07-25T13:34:05

Good thing that you have able to put some informative features about this Macintosh System Software that is useful in our PC. This will really give some good features to us when using this kind of tool.

USB over Ethernet
/
Keyboard and mouse sharing

901 North Pitt Street Suite 101 Alexandria, VA 22314, USA • +17035318833 • support@electronic.us