Hey everyone! I'm currently working in a hybrid setup and often need to switch my mouse, monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals between my personal desktop and my work PC. Right now, I'm just manually moving everything, and it's getting tedious. I'm on the lookout for a more elegant solution, ideally something like a KVM switch where I can just press a button to toggle between the two systems. One challenge I have is that I use an Odyssey G9 57" monitor, and many docks don't support that resolution very well. I've got a DisplayPort-to-USB-C cable that works fine for the resolution, but I'm stumped on the best way to set everything up without hassle. Any suggestions?
7 Answers
You might want to try a simple 2-port USB KVM for your mouse and keyboard, it's often cheaper than a full KVM with video support. You can connect your monitor directly to both the personal and work PCs. If you're using a laptop, consider a USB-C dock for a single cable connection.
Just giving a shoutout to Barrier! It’s free and does a similar job as Synergy if you want to share control over multiple systems.
I recommend using Microsoft Powertoys—specifically the ‘Mouse without Borders’ feature. You’ll need to install it on both PCs, but it lets you share mouse and keyboard inputs seamlessly between them.
Have you thought about using Synergy? It allows you to control multiple computers with a single mouse and keyboard. It’s pretty efficient!
I also use an Odyssey G9, and I set mine up with dual input, which lets me display my work laptop on one side and my personal PC on the other. When I'm done working, I just switch back to the ultrawide for my personal PC. I typically use a regular USB switching hub to change control of my keyboard and mouse easily.
Check out these KVM options. They might be a bit pricey, but they're known for their reliability and strength. You should find something that fits your needs!
In the past, I used a budget USB switch, where I directly connected both PCs to the monitor and managed the video switching separately. It wasn’t perfect, but it performed well enough!
That approach sounds practical! I think I might give that a try.
That’s a smart way to do it! Plus, if both devices are connected to the monitor, you could use features like picture-in-picture for multitasking during boring meetings.