Can I use a USB hub to hook up two computers to one printer?

To hook multiple computers to one printer using USB cables, a USB switch must be used. A switch has in-built components that allow computers to communicate with a device such as a USB hub. It uses a button to swap between the computers using the device.

USB hubs and switches do not have any in-built hardware to allow multiple computers access to devices at the same time, and use physical switches to redirect computers. Other devices, such as wireless routers, can provide a way for networked computers to share printers across an Ethernet connection by connecting the printer directly to the router. These do not require the use of a button or lever to change the computer using the device, as the hardware within the router can assign addresses to the printer for traffic to be sent.