USB 2.0 USB Switch Selector, AIMOS 8 in 4 Out USB Printer Sharer Switcher for 8 PC Sharing 4 USB Devices Mouse, Keyboard, Scanner, Printer, Etc

Update after approximately one year of use.The originally described issue with the Razer Synapse software has not reoccurred since the original installation of this USB switch. I am not certain what caused the original issue but I can forgive a very small hiccup like that which only occurs once. The mouse itself did not stop working when this problem occurred.I have not experienced any additional perceivable latency going through this switch as opposed to directly cabling to a PC or a console.My lamentations on the CTRL+CTRL+[number] switching and my keyboard not working on several devices has turned out to be Corsair's fault. Corsair K55 keyboards have a "BIOS mode," and using this mode makes the CTRL+CTRL+[number] switching work. This BIOS mode also makes the keyboard work on any device. This is easily confirmable as a peripheral problem and not a problem of this KVM switch because all problems still exist when connecting the keyboard directly to the device without using the switch in between. If you have similar issues, try Googling your keyboard model number and "BIOS mode." I suspect this is a sweeping problem with all gaming keyboards that have additional functions on them like programmable macros and multimedia keys.Every once in a great while -- which I would estimate to be once out of every 50 device transitions -- this switcher seems to just fail in the transition between devices. The current device will lose the connection to the attached peripherals as expected, but the new device intended to receive them never gets the indication that USB devices are connected. I end up in a situation where no device has access to my peripherals. This is fixed by switching to any other device and then back to the one I originally intended. The problem has never occurred twice in a row and has happened to every device attached to this unit at least once, so I'm convinced this is a software issue in the switcher.Original review follows.I got this switch because I have two PCs, a Raspberry Pi, and five (modern, keyboard-supported) gaming consoles clustered together. I did not have a way to share a single keyboard and mouse between all of them. I previously had a two device switch for a keyboard and mouse for the PCs, then a four device switch to share a second, wireless keyboard for the consoles. For some reason, a USB switch with more than 4 ports on it is hard to come by.For $55, this switch had the requisite number of ports I need to control everything with the same set of hardware. They were even nice enough to include 8 five-foot USB A to USB C male to male cables, which are worth the price on their own.I've have experienced some small drawbacks. The first I cannot be sure is an issue with my mouse or this hardware. After connecting all my consoles and PCs to this switcher device and then attaching my Razer Naga mouse, the Synapse software stopped working entirely on what I consider to be my "primary" PC. I had to completely uninstall and reinstall Synapse to fix the problem.Another problem is that the hotkey combinations that are advertised to switch devices do not work. I've tried every permutation of tap + hold on the prescribed sequences ([scroll lock, scroll lock, 1-8] and [CTRL, CTRL, 1-8]) and it doesn't do anything. The keyboard is attached to the designated keyboard port on the device, so I don't know what the problem is. The IR remote and face buttons still work, but I was really looking forward to those rapid key tap transitions.There is a third drawback but this is entirely my keyboard's fault and not the KVM switch, and I will not count it against Aimos. My Corsair K55 works flawlessly via this switch on all Microsoft devices, including Windows 7 & 10, as well as an Xbox One & 360. However it does not work on other devices like a PS5 or a Nintendo Switch, whether I cable it directly to the console or through this KVM switch. Corsair keyboards in particular require being switched to "BIOS mode" by holding in the Windows Lock key and F1 until the Windows Lock LED blinks, then it works fine on Sony consoles and the Switch. Some keyboards have more irritating steps like unplugging it, holding in keys, and plugging it back in, then you have to repeat the process to get out of that mode. If your peripherals "don't work," it's going to take research and is unlikely to be the fault of this device.My only actual complaint about this KVM switch is how cabling exits on opposite sides of the device, with 8-in on one side and 4-out on the other. I would have vastly preferred the keyboard and mouse connectors on the same side as the 8-in ports at the very least because it would be much simpler to cable manage. There's even enough space on the rear of the device to fit two type A USB ports. The USB hub connectors on the front would still make sense in this context because those are likely to be disconnected and reconnected a lot of times, while it is unlikely that keyboard and mouse swaps will occur at all.I still give it five stars in the end. It solved a problem I had and it doesn't require an external power source.

Is anyone else concerned that some of the chips inside have the identifying numbers scraped off the top? Is this unit keylogging and sending back sensitive data?