I am a lay person who knows relatively little about USB, so I must apologize for wasting your valuable time, as I'm certain my question is far beneath the intellectual scope of this forum. Nontheless, I am hoping that someone can provide a link, or direction for me as I have been searching for a product which appears to not exist. I have been searching for a USB splitter or device that will allow me to share a usb mouse or keyboard between two computers. I know that there are KVM switches and also software solutions that will allow you to share the mouse, keyboard, and monitor between two computers running simultaneously -- but that is not what I am looking for -- as I will NOT be operating both computers at the same time. Only one computer will be on at a time. I've even tried to make my own solution by combining usb splitters with gender changers in order to connect these things together -- which did not work. (I can hear you laughing!) I discovered the issue of upsteam vs. downstream. Are there any other issues that would make this an impossibility?
Does such a device exist? Can I make my own splitter by cannibalizing two usb cables, stripping the wires, and connecting two male ends by joining the matching colored wire pairs? (I think I hear laughter again.) If something as I've described does not exist, is there a way to make something that will function in this way?
Thanks for your consideration!