I had an idea to connect two computers directly with a USB-C cable and transfer files between them the way a phone connects to a computer using MTP. Is this possible with ordinary USB-C hardware, or would I need special equipment or software?
3 Answers
A regular USB-C cable usually won't make one PC appear as a phone or USB drive to the other. With Thunderbolt, compatible computers can establish a network connection, and dedicated USB data-transfer cables can do something similar. A direct Ethernet connection is often the simpler and more reliable option, though these methods create a network link rather than an MTP-style device.
For a broadly compatible computer-to-computer connection, use Ethernet instead. A direct 2.5 GbE or 10 GbE link can transfer files quickly once both machines are configured for networking. Specialized Thunderbolt equipment can also work, but it may be expensive and still behaves more like a network connection than a phone-style MTP device.
In theory, some computers support USB dual-role or device mode through technologies such as USB OTG, USB-PD, xDCI, or DRD. In practice, most PCs don't expose or support that functionality. Linux can provide USB gadget support on suitable hardware, but typical Windows PCs generally cannot act as a USB device for another computer.
That sounds considerably more complicated than I expected, especially since I was hoping to use USB-A on one side and USB-C on the other.