How To Share USB Devices Over IP Using A Raspberry Pi

Sep 16, 2022 · 3 mins read

How To Share USB Devices Over IP Using A Raspberry Pi

In the video below, we show you how to configure a Raspberry Pi for USB over IP and how to configure a Linux computer to access its USB devices over the network

If you want to share a USB device over IP, then you can do this for free using a Raspberry Pi

Although, only one Linux computer can use a USB device at a time

This could be used to allow you to configure a VM for instance to access a USB device over the network without tying it to a specific hypervisor so that you can migrate the VM more easily

It allows you to share USB devices from a central location so that you don’t have to be physically present to transfer them between computers

It also provides an option to place USB devices such as radio controllers in areas where they can get better wireless coverage, but access them from a server in a rack for instance

Useful links:
https://derushadigital.com/other%20projects/2019/02/19/RPi-USBIP-ZWave.html
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/USB/IP

Hardware Suggestions:
GeekPi Raspberry Pi 4 4GB

Raspberry Pi:
Switch to root account

su -

Install software

apt install usbip
modprobe usbip_host
echo 'usbip_host' >> /etc/modules

List USB devices and note down the product/vendor

usbip list -l

Create start script

nano /usr/sbin/usbip_start.sh

#!/bin/bash

usb1='0781:5567'
usb2='0658:0200'

/usr/sbin/usbip bind --$(/usr/sbin/usbip list -p -l | grep '#usbid='$usb1'#' | cut '-d#' -f1)
/usr/sbin/usbip bind --$(/usr/sbin/usbip list -p -l | grep '#usbid='$usb2'#' | cut '-d#' -f1)

Make this executable

chmod +x /usr/sbin/usbip_start.sh

Create stop script

nano /usr/sbin/usbip_stop.sh

#!/bin/bash

usb1='0781:5567'
usb2='0658:0200'

/usr/sbin/usbip unbind --$(/usr/sbin/usbip list -p -l | grep '#usbid='$usb1'#' | cut '-d#' -f1)
/usr/sbin/usbip unbind --$(/usr/sbin/usbip list -p -l | grep '#usbid='$usb2'#' | cut '-d#' -f1)
killall usbipd

Make this executable

chmod +x /usr/sbin/usbip_stop.sh

Create service

nano /lib/systemd/system/usbipd.service

[Unit]
Description=usbip host daemon
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
ExecStart=/usr/sbin/usbipd -D
ExecStartPost=/bin/bash -c '/usr/sbin/usbip_start.sh'
ExecStop=/bin/bash -c '/usr/sbin/usbip_stop.sh'

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Start the service

systemctl --system daemon-reload
systemctl enable usbipd.service
systemctl start usbipd.service

Check what USB devices are found

usbip list -p -l

Linux Client
Switch to root account

su -

Check USB devices attached

lsusb

Install software and create a service

apt install usbip hwdata usbutils -y
modprobe vhci-hcd
echo 'vhci-hcd' >> /etc/modules

Create start script

nano /usr/sbin/usbip_start.sh

#!/bin/bash

server1='192.168.200.7'
usb1='0781:5567'
usb2='0658:0200'

/usr/sbin/usbip attach -r $server1 -b $(/usr/sbin/usbip list -r $server1 | grep $usb1 | cut -d: -f1)
/usr/sbin/usbip attach -r $server1 -b $(/usr/sbin/usbip list -r $server1 | grep $usb2 | cut -d: -f1)

Make this executable

chmod +x /usr/sbin/usbip_start.sh

Create stop script

nano /usr/sbin/usbip_stop.sh

#!/bin/bash

/usr/sbin/usbip detach --port=$(/usr/sbin/usbip port | grep '<Port in Use>' | sed -E 's/^Port ([0-9][0-9]).*/\1/')
/usr/sbin/usbip detach --port=$(/usr/sbin/usbip port | grep '<Port in Use>' | sed -E 's/^Port ([0-9][0-9]).*/\1/')

Make this executable

chmod +x /usr/sbin/usbip_stop.sh

Create service

nano /lib/systemd/system/usbip.service

[Unit]
Description=usbip client
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=oneshot
RemainAfterExit=yes
ExecStartPost=/bin/bash -c '/usr/sbin/usbip_start.sh'
ExecStop=/bin/bash -c '/usr/sbin/usbip_stop.sh'

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Start the service

systemctl --system daemon-reload
systemctl enable usbip.service
systemctl start usbip.service

Check USB device is attached

usbip port
lsusb