I need a free USB over IP solution to access a USB device from another computer over my network. The software I was using is now limited or paid, and I need a reliable alternative for remote USB sharing without extra cost. Looking for recommendations that work well on Windows and are easy to set up.
If you need free USB over IP software for LAN access, your best no-cost route is usually VirtualHere USB Server. The free version shares 1 USB device, which works fine for a printer, dongle, scanner, or license key. It runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and even Raspberry Pi. Setup is pretty quick.
Another option is USB/IP. It is open source and fully free, but setup is more manual. Best fit if you are okay with command line work and driver fiddling. On Windows, it gets annoyng fast.
If you want the easiest setup and better device support, USB Network Gate is worth a look, even if it is not free long term. It tends to work better with odd USB gear and is simpler for remote USB sharing over Ethernet. You can check it here, best USB over IP software for remote device sharing.
Short version:
- VirtualHere, free for 1 device.
- USB/IP, free but more work.
- USB Network Gate, easier, paid after trial.
If your old app got paywalled, I’d start with VirtualHere first. If it fails with your device, move on. Some USB stuff is picky, so testing matters a lot.
10 Likes
I’d also look at this from the device type angle, because that changes what “free” actually works.
If it’s something simple like a USB printer, storage stick, webcam, or even some scanners, you may not need true USB over IP at all. Native network sharing, RDP USB redirection, scanner software over SMB, or vendor tools can do the job for $0 and with way less pain. A lot of people chase USB-over-network apps when the device already has a better built-in method.
Where I kinda disagree with @kakeru a bit: USB/IP is “free,” sure, but for Windows-heavy setups it can turn into a weekend project real fast. If you just need it to work, “free” sometimes gets expensive in time and frustration.
If you need actual USB passthrough for a dongle, specialty hardware, or software license key, then testing matters more than feature lists. In that case, USB Network Gate is one of the more practical options to keep in mind if the free tools choke on your device. If you want to try it, check the download page for USB over network access.
Short version from me:
- For printers/storage: try normal network sharing first
- For VMs: check your hypervisor’s USB passthrough
- For oddball USB devices: real USB over IP tools are usually needed
- For “free no matter what”: expect some setup jank, lol
So yeah, before installing anything, figure out what USB device it is. That’s the part that usally decides the best answer.
Leave the USB device connected to its current computer, then control that computer with RustDesk or Chrome Remote Desktop. Run the device’s software on the host and transfer any output files through a shared folder.
This avoids USB forwarding, driver conflicts, and device compatibility issues. RustDesk is free and works across Windows, macOS, and Linux. Setup usually takes under 10 minutes. For most scanners, dongles, and specialty devices, this is the simplest $0 fix, with less setup hassel.
Remote desktop and USB over IP are not interchangeable, so the RustDesk suggestion only works if the device’s software can live on the host machine. @pixel_beacon is right that it dodges driver headaches, but the moment you need the actual device to appear on your computer, not just its output files, that approach falls apart. Think of a dongle that a local app checks for, or hardware that a program on your side has to talk to directly. No amount of screen sharing fixes that.
The thing nobody has mentioned yet is bandwidth and latency. USB over IP is fine for storage, keys, and printers, but it gets rough with anything time sensitive. High speed cameras, audio interfaces, or devices that stream constant data can stutter or drop over a busy network, and Wi-Fi makes it worse. If your device is one of those, test on wired Ethernet before you decide any tool ‘doesn’t work,’ because half the time it’s the connection, not the software.
On VirtualHere, the free tier is genuinely useful but keep in mind it’s one device per server and it nags you a bit. Still a solid first try like @kakeru said. USB Network Gate makes sense as the fallback when a picky device refuses to cooperate with the free options, and its trial is enough to confirm whether your specific hardware even passes through cleanly. I wouldn’t buy anything until you’ve proven the device works over the wire first.
So the order I’d actually follow: figure out if you truly need passthrough or just remote control, test the free tool on a cable, and only pay for something once you know the device behaves. Skipping that middle step is how people waste money on the wrong fix.