Compact USB hub

Digi International has introduced two AnywhereUSB products, the USB TS and USB/2.

The TS is claimed to be the first combined USB and serial over IP hub. It combines Realport USB-over-IP and Realport serial-over-IP in one product, allowing users to network both USB and serial devices.

The USB/2 is a compact USB hub featuring Realport USB-over-IP. This allows the device to connect USB devices anywhere on a wired or wireless network and is suitable for use in small spaces. The devices are suitable for connecting USB products to networks in virtualisation, retail and healthcare applications.

The company’s range of AnywhereUSB is also suitable for use with virtual machine software, a market said to be growing at 50% each year. They make it possible for a USB device such as a USB authentication key to be supported over the network by an application in a virtual environment such as VMware, Virtual Server and Xen.

They eliminate the need for locally attached host PCs and break the traditional 5 m USB cabling distance limitation.

USB/2 features two USB and one ethernet port. The USB TS features four USB ports, four serial ports and one ethernet port. It also includes Realport serial-to-ethernet that allows users to network enable their serial devices.