USB over IP

[sheetsb]

In this thread: http://www.vmware.com/community/message.jspa?messageID=545754 I see reference to the products from Digi and Keyspan to attach USB dongles to VMs. I've looked at some of the documentation for both products and I like the enhanced security features available on Keyspan's USB server.

Has anyone tried both of these?

Does Keyspan's product work with ESX VMs?

Are there any surprises?

Thanks,

Bill S.

[MW19]

I have tested the Digi Anywhere USB device and it worked as advertised on Windows. No drivers for Linux now.. http://www.digi.com/products/usb/anywhereusb.jsp

As far as software based I tested the IncentivesPro http://www.incentivespro.com/usb-redirector.html. Worked as advertised, but their support was lacking.

I am looking into the silex solution as well. Will report back after testign that.

[mike29]

Great to hear about the Belkin Network USB Hub working for this application. The Belkin is using the same technology as Silex's SX-2000U2 USB Device Server.

[ez_hess]

Can you get the Belkin to start as a service or do you need to login for the USB device to be recognized? Will any of these devices work as a service or do you need to login for all of them?

[sloan1919]

It works as a service no problem. I have been using it since my initial post without a problem.

[mike29]

For the Silex client (It is should be the same for the Belkin device), you have to set it up to run as a service and order it to boot before VMware.

This link may help: http://www.silexamerica.com/vmware-faq.html There is a description about halfway down that should help.

[ez_hess]

How do I get it to start as a service? I used your compatibility trick to get it installed and it seems to work good, but my license key isn't being found until I actually log in. Currently that "Belkin Network USB Hub Control Center" is in my Startup folder and that is what seems to be starting it when I log in. Thanks for the quick responce.

[bbarnes]

We have the Digi product and were trying to install it on another machine. I removed the connection to the existing VM. I get an error when trying to install the software. I know the big difference between these machines is 32 bit vs 64 bit. I guess my question is, has anyone had luck getting the software installed on a 64 bit 2k3 server?

[vanree]

Good news, we have the Belkin USB hub server working fine as a service on a Windows 2008 server running on an ESX VMware server doing backup with Symantec BE 12 to Maxtor external HDs!

Just install the controller as a service using the Microsoft Resource Kit 2003 tool: srvany.exe. Please check the documentation in the Resource Kit, but essentially you have to do the following:

1. Install Windows 2003 Resource Kit (download from Microsoft).

2. Install the "C:\Program Files\Belkin\Network USB Hub Control Center\Connect.exe" as a service, follow this article: and subsitute the reference to the AutoMan for "USB Hub Controller" and the program reference into the one mentioned above.

NB: Run the service under a user, which is used to interactively attach devices.

The first time you connect a new USB device, you must stop the service "USB Hub Controller" and run it interactively under the same user. Connect the device and make it connect automatically. Stop the interactive controller and restart the service. We have a label printer and Maxtor external HDs connected this way and will experiment with UPSes soon.

Hope this helps, it works great, finally we can start moving all our customers to VMware!

Regard, Edwin

[mike29]

Silex has more information here:

This process described is just like above and will work with nearly any USB Device Server, but the Silex SX-2000U2 is an excellent one.

[laly003]

Has anyone else been able to get the Belkin Network USB Hub to work on a Windows Server 2003 VM? I'm running Windows Server 2k3 SE R2 as a VM under ESXi. I upgraded the Hub's firmware to 1.2.0 and downloaded the driver from the Belkin website (the included CD software refused to install). Once the software installs and all IP configuration is done, the software sees the USB hard drive enclosures. After I connect to the enclosure, the OS detects the enclosure but then I get an error message that there was an error installing the hardware and that it will not function properly. Under Device Manager, I have the yellow exclamation for the USB device. This happens with two different brands of USB enclosures. Everything works fine under my stand alone Windows XP environment.

Belkin Tech support just claimed that the unit/software only works with Windows XP or Vista (32 & 64 bit) and stopped there.

Guess next step is to deploy a Windows XP VM environment just to run this unit and access my USB storage.

BTW, the enclosures I have are an AMD Venus T4U (accomodates 4 PATA drives in various JBOD configurations) and an EAGLE Consus 2 bay SATA to USB JBOD model (accomodates 2 drives as JBOD or individual).

[Dave_Mishchenko]

I've had the same issue - it works fine with Win XP / Vista but the driver won't work with W2K3.

[laly003]

Update to my previous post on trying to get the Belkin Network USB Hub to work in a VM under ESXi...tried installing to a Windows XP VM and it also does not work...

[Peter_213]

Hello,

has somebody tested any of the USB Server under Windows Server 2008 64-Bit System?

I need it for a Kobil mIdentity USb Dongle.

Thanks

[rdebritto]

We've been looking for a solution that works with all kinds of USB dongles and future proof for Windows 2008 64bit. Seems the only supported solution for Windows 2008 is a software solution like .

[BrandonJ]

One thing that many of you may be missing is the usbd.sys file that's often missing from Windows VMs that were clean installed on ESX. That file isn't always installed by default because there is no USB hub detected during OS install. It's actually documented in Digi's documentation. You must extract it from your Windows i386 directory and drop it in the System32 folder. If it's not there, no brand of network USB hub or software is going to work.

Also, we too started with the Digi device and like others metioned, it's over priced and only allows one VM to connect to the hub at a time (even if only needing one port). I've found the Keyspan unit to be infinitely superior and also considerably cheaper. Their software looks and feels much better too. Their support doesn't seem to support it on VMware despite that I even contacted them and told them the reason they never got it work was due to the missing usbd.sys file that there competition knows about. That was at least a year or two ago and they still don't seem to officially support VMware!

[ToMMeR]

I can recommend the Belkin Network USB Hub.

Today i succesfully got two Rainbow license dongles working on a Windows 2000 Server VM using the Belkin Network USB Hub.

The software wont install on Windows 2000 and as there isnt a compatibility mode option in Windows 2000 this is a problem. What i did was capture a MSI file of the installation, and then install the MSI file on the Windows 2000 server, this way i got around the os check in the setup.

The application works fine under Windows 2000 and the driver supports Windows 2000.

After installing the application i made connect.exe run as a service with the Windows 2003 Resource Toolkit as described earlier in this thread.

I have tested on both Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. All working perfectly.

Note: It isn't nessesary to run the service as a user, as described. We simply run it under Local System, and when you need to add a new USB device you simply check the "Allow service to interact with desktop" (right click on the service, properties, log on) and restart the service. The application will popup and you can add the device you want and set it to autoconnect. When you have done that simply uncheck the "Allow service to interact with desktop" and restart the service.

[sim0]

We are looking at turning our last "traditional" server into a second ESXi host. A major concern is that this server (running Server 2K3 x64) controls the safe shutdown of our environment in the case of a power failure. Both our UPS devices are controlled via USB. We are looking at the Belkin F5L009 Network USB Hub to allow our virtualised OS to talk to the UPS. Has anyone here had success with this USB hub and APC UPS devices?

Cheers

Simon.

[sim0]

For those of you trying to get the Belkin F5L009 Network USB Hub to work with Server 2003 and Server 2003 x64 the following link is a great guide. It's an involved process but I can confirm that it works.

[Aftenposten]

This may be old news to some, but I thought I would share. We have been using Keyspan USB server for quite some time, but it is impossible to get hold of anymore in my neck of the woods. I was recently made aware of the Belkin F5L009 usb server.

Sim0 posted a link with instructions on how to get it working on Windows Server 2003. According to the how-to the Silex software is suppose to be working fine on 2008, although the author has not tested it. However, my experience with 2008 R2 is that the Silex software disconnects and reconnects about every minute or so. The good news is that the Belkin software works just fine. Just do a normal install.

[reguy201110141]

Sorry to drag up an old topic again, but....

The Lantronix and Keyspan products are both discontinued.

The Belkin F5L009 is lsited as currently unavailable by Belkin.

Does anyone have another device they are using, that I can still buy, that works well and supports individual USB ports being directed to different VM's as the above devices did?

Any feedback much appreciated.

Thanks