LAN Switch with USB socket ?

Hi,

I have a USB device that is too far from a PC/not practical to connect it directly.

https://www.seneye.com/catalog/product/view/id/18/s/...

I can get a LAN connection to the USB device it with ease.

I need to convert USB to LAN, some devices are available but asume the USB end plugs into a PC and powers it.

A Switch with a USB socket seems to be ideal but I cannot find one to suit.

Is there anything else I can do ? TIA

http://amzn.to/2Cfy2HI USB Over Cat5 - you won't be able to go via a switch, but a direct CAT5 cable should suffice

The more normal method is a USB extension lead 5m http://amzn.to/2suAOcG but its all down to the distance, the first adaptor claims 150 feet reach

Thanks. I can't run USB cable around.

Just to clarify, I can't run any cable around, but I can get the USB connection close to a powerline adaptor

The female USB to LAN adaptor looks as if it will work but I don't think it converts USB to a LAN signal....

I was thinking a switch with a USB socket as well would help.

I have a number of old routers in the loft, I wonder if one of them has LAN/USB ?

I had one of these when they first came out. I had to buy a Belkin home base to make it wireless and more convenient. I sold it not long after as I found it to be an expensive way to monitor a few parameters.

Video here: https://youtu.be/FJGKjUIGp_M

Edited by Discus (Mon 12-Feb-18 20:12:12)

Don't think you'll find anything that actually converts to a LAN signal, only stuff that will use CAT5, power line in the middle won't work

A switch with USB, never seen one other

Your old routers will be using the USB for sharing media storage device i.e. mounting USB memory stick as a network drive

OK Thanks

Thanks, it's for my son who's setting up aquaponics some distance from a pc. . I've sent him a link to your video and no doubt he'll have a look at your site. Cheers

A switch or router with a USB is almost certainly not going to help. The problem is the device it plugs in to has to have the drivers to handle it - routers are only usually designed to have a printer or mass storage device connected.

I don't think you'll find anything that the device can plug into that isn't a Windows PC/laptop. So, one way or another the USB is going to have to be connected to a PC - either through extensions or possibly the converter that MrS posted.

As the device stores the data for 35 days (assuming it is powered) then does it need to always be connected to the PC? Is it a PC or a laptop that will download the readings? If it is a laptop then you could move the laptop to the device to download the readings and then away again once the download is done. If a PC then possibly getting a solution like MrS suggested and just running the cable for the download and then unplugging and leaving coiled up the rest of the time.

EDIT : The other (possibly too expensive) option would be this

Edited by ian72 (Tue 13-Feb-18 08:36:05)

You're probably looking for something like this:
https://www.lindy.co.uk/usb-firewire-c4/4-port-usb-2... or https://www.amazon.co.uk/StarTech-com-Gigabit-Device... There are others. You're looking for a USB over IP server.

It plugs into an Ethernet connection at the end where you want the remote USB device, and you connect the USB device to the USB port on it.

You then install and configure drivers on the relevant PC which create virtual USB ports with which most software can interact as normal.

There are some caveats but I've had devices such as these working successfully for various flash drives, USB to Serial adapters and licencing dongles in the past without problems.

Obviously check the details before ordering...

What about a Raspberry Pi?

Fairly cheap, get the right one and has both wireless and Ethernet along with USB so connecting to your home network should be a breeze.

There are articles on the internet that will help get this working... https://doughall.me/2017/06/30/seneyemqttpt1/