UGREEN USB 3.0 Switch Selector 2 Computers Share 4 USB Ports USB Switcher USB for PC Laptop Keyboard Mouse Printer Scanner One Button Switch Adapter with 2 Pack USB 3.0 Cables

Would the one in the article work for you? https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B01N6GD9JO

Okay, let's talk about that USB switch [1], because I was looking for one a few days ago and discovered something ghastly about the majority of the ones available on Amazon:

Most of them use a USB Type-A to Type-A cable for the link between the switch and PC.

This cable violates the USB spec, and is the moral equivalent of an electrical cord with prongs on both ends. It should never, ever be made or used, because plugging one of the ends into the wrong receptacle can destroy both USB ports.

The correct cable to use here would be a standard Type-A to Type-B or Type-A to Micro-B cable, but for some reason a very small minority of these switches do that [2].

WTF is going on here?

[1] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N6GD9JO/

[2] https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083JKDNRJ/

I had the same problem earlier this year - I settled on a similar approach, but I use a usb switch so I don't have to unplug/replug anything on swap.

Here's the exact model I ended up getting (I'm not affiliated in any way) https://www.amazon.com/UGREEN-Selector-Computers-Peripheral-...

Now I can plug my laptop into my dock, and just press a button to switch all my usb devices between machines.

It's actually a really nice workflow, nice enough that sometimes I'll leave the desktop up on my second monitor playing music or videos when I'm doing heavy processing on my work laptop, and just occasionally switch my mouse/keyboard between them with a button press.

This is the one I use:

UGREEN USB 3.0 Switch Selector 2... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N6GD9JO?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_shar...

I used a cheaper one before that but it was garbage - kept dropping inputs for a few seconds here and there.