How to share a keyboard and mouse between two computers

Posted on June 20, 2008 at 5:32 am

I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it already, or even believe that it is possible, but I’ve found out a way to share and use a keyboard and mouse between two computers, without any expensive, fancy equipment or whatnot.

I’ve noticed that a lot of people (particularly advanced computer users) seem to use more than 1 computer at a time, and are constantly propelling themselves along to the next computer with their wheeled chair. So, I’ve decided to share with you all, the two ways of how to share one keyboard and mouse between two computers.

Please check that the two computers you wish to share one keyboard and mouse between are networked, as this is the only requirement.

So, I will show you two easy and clean ways to do this.

Method 1: Input Director

Input Director is a windows-exclusive program that allows you to control more than one computer without using more than one keyboard and mouse. With input director, you simply control both computers with the keyboard and mouse, and press a certain hotkey to change which computer you would like to control.

You can either use the hotkey method, or just move the cursor off the screen, and it will appear on the other computer, allowing you to use the keyboard for that one instead.

My favorite feature about input director, is the ‘clipboard’ feature. This feature allows you to copy something from one computer, and paste it on another computer. It’s very handy. Also, please note that the only systems that currently support Input Director are Windows 2000 (SP4), Windows XP (SP2) or Windows Vista. And may I please remind you that, the computers you wish to control simultaneously must be networked.

To download Input Director, go here http://www.inputdirector.com/downloads.html.

Method 2: Synergy

Synergy is very similar to Input Director, but is just as good. A nice little feature about Synergy is that it can control computers, even if they are different operating systems, which is really helpful if (like a lot of people) you have an XP and Vista. To change the computer you wish to control, just move the mouse off the screen, it’s as simple as that.

Synergy also supports the ‘Clipboard’ feature. My favorite feature of Synergy, though, is the fact it automatically synchronizes the screen savers of the computer’s it is controlling, so they start and stop at the same time. And, in addition to that, it can password-unlock all the computers with one password, so no need to go around unlocking all of the computers if they automatically lock.

To download Synergy, go here http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=59275&release_id=406637.

The way both Synergy and Input Director work are the same, and it’s a very simple concept – It’s basically remote controlling a computer, without the real time screen appearing. Both software have their basis around a slave and master system, so only one computer is actually being controlled by a keyboard and mouse, but that computer almost mimics the actions onto the other computer, as if the ‘master’ is controlling the ’slave’.

The only problem I’ve found with the two programs, is sometimes the lack of compatibility, as Input Director does not support mac, or all that many Operating Systems really. Synergy supports a few more, but it’s still a hassle changing your computer’s operating systems to get this to work.

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Comments

7 Responses to “How to share a keyboard and mouse between two computers”

mal said on : June 20th, 2008 at 6:25 am

Synergy is great.
Works beautiful between Windows XP and Kubuntu or
between two Windows XP Machines.

MoiN said on : June 20th, 2008 at 10:45 am

rofl, so If I do this on a pc next to mine (in office) .. will he/she know? =D

TechnoDiary.com said on : June 20th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

Thanks Aseem, this article has helped me a lot.

~Sahil

jjoshi said on : July 21st, 2008 at 2:29 pm

thanks. this saved me a ton of headache switching between xp and fedora at office.

Lars said on : September 1st, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Okay, I’ve been a user of Synergy for several months now. Recently, I got a new laptop PC, so I took a chance to try out Input Director (ID). It lasted only about 12 minutes on my computers.

At first ID didn’t want to connect to the slave (laptop), then the mouse movements weren’t as smooth as I’d expected and finally it stopped working when I connected the VPN (with has an integrated firewall). Maybe these problems can be fixed by fine-tuning the configuration, but I wasn’t in the mood for that ..

So I re-installed Synergy, which worked great again right from the start, even with the VPN running.

eddie said on : February 13th, 2009 at 7:35 pm

Thanx for the tip… any ideas on how to do the same with two MACS???

- Eddie.

Doug said on : July 2nd, 2009 at 9:36 pm

Input Director is working great thanks. Is there similar software that allows me to see the other PCs screen content as well?