VMWARE
TECHNICAL NOTE
VMware ESX Server
Using AnywhereUSB
to Connect USB Devices
Digi International’s AnywhereUSB® Remote I/O Concentrator is a remote networking solution
that utilizes USB over IP technology, called RealPort® USB, to enable you to connect USB devices
over a network.
This technical note explains how you can use AnywhereUSB to send USB data over an Ethernet
or wireless IP network to a virtual machine running on VMware ESX Server, so you can support
nearly any USB device through the virtual machine’s standard Ethernet interface. This Ethernet-
attached solution, supported by Digi International, provides five USB ports to connect
peripheral devices such as bar-code scanners and receipt printers.
AnywhereUSB also breaks the traditional 5 meter distance limitation between USB device and
host. Now USB devices may be located anywhere on a wired or wireless LAN — without a local
attachment to a host PC. Since the host virtual machine and the VMware server system where it
is running may be located remotely, AnywhereUSB enables devices to be deployed in harsh or
nonsecure environments, making it ideal for point-of-sale devices, kiosks, surveillance, industrial
automation, or any mission-critical enterprise application.
This technical note covers the following topics:
•
Understanding RealPort USB Technology on page 1
•
Installing AnywhereUSB on page 3
•
AnywhereUSB and ESX Server Go to Work on page 6
•
Support on page 7
Understanding RealPort USB Technology
Many of today's key business applications were written to talk to USB devices that are directly
connected to servers. To serve their customers better, businesses have found it necessary to
locate USB devices in places that are not always close to servers or PCs or to connect them to
virtual machines provided by VMware server software.
Using RealPort USB software in conjunction with the AnywhereUSB network-enabled USB hub,
users can connect USB devices anywhere on the LAN. The solution is seamless — the USB
This technical note has been developed in cooperation with
Digi International, Inc.
