1 webcam connected to two computers at same time
Is it possible to connected a Webcam to two computers at the same time?
The webcam wouldn't be used by both at the same time.
What I'm trying to do is setup a webcam to take some photos, but if my PC is rebooted, the laptop that it's connected to would continue to take photos, then when my PC comes back up it would take over again.
Just not sure how I would go about plugging it into two computers at the same time. Is there a USB splitter of some sort that can be plugged into two computers to a single USB port I can plug the webcam into?
Edit:In response to @QuickSilver
USB Hub provides a single host to have multiple principles connected. I need a single principle connected to multiple hosts.
This device is more what I'm looking for, but I want it requires intervention in order to switch the host device.
This may actually solve what I want to do if I can programmatically switch the device. If the laptop notices the primarily PC is not accessible then it will take control, and when the primary PC is available it will re-take control.
61 Answer
You could attempt to use a special KVM switch to share the webcam, but an easier solution would be if you are willing to keep one of the machines on a server, you can use any USB webcam through a local network.
Yawcam an easy to use solution that will let you access your webcam through any web browser, over a home network. To use it simply install it and click on the http button on the main screen.
To view your webcam on another computer, just type in in your favorite browser, where 192.168.1.128 is the IP address of the computer the webcam is set up on. 8888 is the default port, I believe, though you can always check/change this in the settings.
You can also setup various other settings such as a Time Lapse sequence, Motion detection etc. There are other alternatives to this software, I believe that some of these can be accomplished in VLC, though setting it up may be a little more involved.
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