Access USB in a virtual machine without limitations

USB Network Gate is a great helper when servers and workstations virtualization is needed. I.e. it will help you access USB devices connected to a host PC from virtual machines.

Thanks to USB Network Gate it is possible and very convenient to work with USB devices on guest OS of such virtual environments as VMware ESX, Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft Hyper-V, Windows Virtual PC, QEMU (KMV), etc.

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Corporate, SDK & Source code

Should you wish to amplify your creation with our unrivaled USB port redirection engine, or float the possibility of USB Network Gate enterprise-wide deployment, just drop us a line. Our team is more than happy to come up with a price-performant corporate solution perfectly matching your business needs.

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USB passthrough device to a virtual machine

VMware USB passthrough

USB passthrough is a handy feature mostly used to access a physical device plugged into a local USB controller from a VMware ESXi virtual machine. To set up USB passthrough in VMware in the simplest possible way, rely on USB Network Gate — a dedicated app for USB redirection that will work on all operating systems.

VirtualBox USB Passthrough

There is a multitude of known issues with VirtualBox USB recognition. That’s why you need USB Network Gate for a surefire VirtualBox USB Passthrough (especially over the Ethernet). It has versions for all Windows operating systems (even Win XP), Linux (Ubuntu), macOS, and Android. And its installation process is so easy anyone can handle it.

Hyper-V USB Passthrough

As Hyper-V has no support for USB devices in virtual machines, to access a USB dongle or local USB printers during a VM session you’ll need to set up Hyper-V USB passthrough via USB Network Gate. It’s an easy-to-use USB redirection app extra helpful when it comes to USB over Ethernet passthrough.

Xen USB passthrough

If you’re running a virtual machine on a Xenserver, to access a device connected to the host’s USB, passthrough the device to a virtual machine using a dedicated software tool, e.g. USB Network Gate. In contrast with the native method you can use to mount a USB in Linux virtual machine that only works for storage devices, UNG is compatible with all types and brands of USB devices on the market.

What is USB virtualization?

USB virtualization is a much-needed answer to a very popular question: How to attach USB to a virtual machine? In a nutshell, it’s creating full-fledged virtual copies of a real USB in virtual machines, so that you can access any device attached there just like if it was connected to your VM directly.
As practicable and convenient as virtualization is, its exploitation in a virtual environment is fraught with some difficulties any user will inevitably have to cope with.

The Problem of USB virtualization:

When working with virtualization products for servers you can face a major issue. I.e. such virtualization programs as VMware ESX, Microsoft Hyper-V, and others do not feature USB ports in virtual machines. As a result, you can't use USB devices (security dongles, smart cards, etc.) physically plugged in a host computer on virtual servers as a virtual USB.

How to mount USB in Virtual Machine:

Whenever you need to add USB to virtual machines (both servers and workstations) so that during your VM sessions you’ll be able to access any USB device plugged into the host’s USB ports, USB Network Gate is just the app you’ve been looking for. Using its super handy toolset, you can easily operate USB peripherals from a guest OS running in any popular hypervisor, i.a. VMware ESX, Citrix XenDesktop, Microsoft Hyper-V, Windows Virtual PC, QEMU (KMV), etc.

How to create Virtual USB:

USB Network Gate provides USB passthrough to guest OS running on Virtual Server. The OS will treat this USB device as a real one and you can work with it as if it were connected directly to your Virtual Machine.

Here is how to enable USB in a virtual machine in four simple steps:

1

Download USB Network Gate from the official webpage, then install it both on your host and guest operating systems.

2

Start UNG on your host and find the device you need to use in your VM session on the list of local USB peripherals.

3

Now start UNG in your guest OS and find the device you’ve just shared on the list of remote devices available for connection.

4

Click ‘Connect’ next to the device name to create a virtual USB attached to your VM.

Real-life usage of USB Network Gate

Q: What challenges made you search for this kind of software?

Alexey: We are using Windows Server 2008 Hyper-V Virtual Machine and there is no USB connectivity to the guest machine. A USB to Ethernet software is the only software kind that is able to provide USB connectivity to guest virtual machines.

Personal Background: Alexey Golihin, a representative of ArDy Capital Co., explains why the stability and reliability of USB to Ethernet Connector is important for their work.

Industry: personal usage

Q: Please, describe how you are using our product now?

Alexey: 1C Financial Program requires HASP USB Key License to work. There is no other way to make it work under a virtual machine, other than over the Network. So we are using USB to Ethernet Connector to provide licenses to virtual guest machines.

Q: How did you benefit from using the Electronic Team, Inc. solution?

Alexey: Your solution has awesome stability and does not require restarting of the server. This feature is very important to us, as the main task of any server is to serve 24x7x365. The other nice feature is the handy and pretty GUI.

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USB Network Gate

Share USB over Ethernet on Windows

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Requirements

Requirements: OS: Windows 7 SP1/8/8.1/10/11; Windows Server 2008 R2/2012/2012 R2/2016/2019/2022
Architectures: x86, x64, ARM64, 9.25MB free space

Latest version

Latest version: v10.0.2450, Released 15 Jan, 2022 Release notes