why cant we connect 2 computers using USB

szczuroarturo@programming.dev to Linux@lemmy.ml – 101 points –

So i tried to connect steamdeck to pc using usb and i read its immpossible because steamdeck is a computer and some explanation on quora about strong master slave relationship. But then why is it possible for android phones to connect to pc whilist also having the ability to use USB and other usb c accesories. Also why cant it be a toggle? So that you can change whetewer this usb( or device ) is reciving data ot sending data .

54

You are viewing a single comment
View all comments

Google "connecting 2 computers with USB"

If you have two PCs with USB ports, you can connect them to one another using a special type of USB cable called a “bridging” cable. You can also technically connect two Macs via USB, but you'll need to add a USB-to-Ethernet adapter and Ethernet cable to the mix.

There are also articles about it:
https://hardwaresecrets.com/connecting-two-pcs-using-a-usb-usb-cable/

We do it routinely with our phones (some of us), I admit IDK why it can't be just as easy between 2 computers?

Ethernet had this figured out almost 30 years ago with auto-negotiation. Last crossover cable I ever used was in 2004 for a customer's old hub they didn't want to replace. Yes, "hub", not "switch".

Not a fair comparison IMHO - Ethernet is designed to be a connection between two or more otherwise independent peers (on L2), while USB's goal was to allow connecting simple peripheral devices to computers. There was never meant to be a situation where it's unclear which side is the Host.

Also note that the bridging "cable" is literally just two USB devices, one for each computer (although they are both on the same chip, so there's that), with some internal link to pass the data.

Has this changed with USB-C?

Possibly. But from my research it seems to really depend.

the USB-C ports on the two PCs need to support USB OTG (On-The-Go) functionality, which allows the ports to dynamically switch between host and device modes. This is what enables the direct PC-to-PC communication over the USB-C connection.

1 more...