A software KVM lets one keyboard and mouse operate several computers over your local network. Install the same app on every computer, designate the computer physically connected to your keyboard and mouse as the server or primary machine, pair the other computers as clients, and arrange the on-screen layout to match your desk. The cursor then crosses from one desktop to another at a screen edge (or with a shortcut).
This is input sharing, not automatic video switching. If several computers feed one monitor, you still change the monitor’s input manually unless you add a separate display-switching solution. For Windows-only desks, Microsoft’s Mouse Without Borders is the simplest route. For Windows, macOS and Linux combinations, Input Leap provides an open-source server/client workflow. Synergy is a paid alternative with separate Synergy 3 and legacy Synergy 1 procedures.
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What a software KVM does—and what it does not
A traditional hardware KVM switches USB peripherals and one or more video signals. A software KVM keeps the computers’ video connections independent and sends keyboard and mouse events across the local network. You see every desktop on its own monitor, then move the pointer across an edge to change which computer receives input. Input Leap describes this behavior as choosing the controlled machine by moving the mouse to a screen edge or pressing a key to change focus (Input Leap README).
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- Not automatically shared: monitor video, boot-time firmware screens, or power control.
- Network dependency: all participating computers must be able to reach one another on the same local network, and the host firewall must permit the application’s traffic.
With a single monitor connected to multiple computers, software input sharing does not select an HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C source. Change the monitor input yourself, or use a separate display switch when video switching is a requirement.
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Choose the software that fits your computers
| Option | Operating-system coverage | Pairing and layout | Clipboard and file notes | Important limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse Without Borders | Windows PCs | Generate a security key on the first PC; enter the key and first PC’s computer name on each other PC. Drag device icons to reflect their physical order. | Clipboard sharing; file transfer is documented up to 100 MB. Copy/paste and drag-and-drop handle one file at a time, not folders or multiple files. | Controls up to four computers. Windows only. |
| Input Leap | Windows 10/11, macOS 10.12 and newer, Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD are listed as known-working systems. | One server and one or more clients. Add every client screen to the server’s grid, using each client’s exact reported name, including capitalization; clients receive the server IP address or automatic discovery. | Clipboard sharing is not currently supported on Linux/Wayland. | Desktop/compositor behavior can vary, especially under Wayland. Check the project’s current release notes before deployment. |
| Synergy | Windows, macOS and Linux desktop systems. | Server/client model. Synergy 1 uses the server computer name or IP address and a screen-layout editor; Synergy 3 has its own setup guides. | Clipboard text and images are supported; file transfer is not. | Paid license, administrator permissions and at least two computers with monitors. Synergy 2 is end-of-life; Synergy 3 is the recommended current version. Synergy 1 and 3 cannot interoperate. |
For a current Windows-only setup, start with Microsoft’s Mouse Without Borders documentation. For a mixed-OS desk, use the Input Leap project instructions. If you select Synergy, use one version consistently on every computer and follow the matching guide.
Prepare the computers and network
- Give each computer a stable identity. Record the Windows computer name or the host name shown by your chosen application. For a server that may receive changing DHCP addresses, a name is generally easier to maintain than a manually copied IP address.
- Put every machine on the same reachable network. Wired Ethernet and Wi-Fi are both suitable when routing and isolation rules allow the computers to communicate. Guest Wi-Fi, client isolation and some corporate VLANs intentionally block peer-to-peer traffic.
- Install the same application and compatible version on every participant. Do not mix Synergy 1 and Synergy 3. Input Leap must be installed on all machines that will exchange keyboard and mouse input.
- Keep monitors awake during first setup. You need to read each client’s displayed name, enter addresses or keys, and test pointer movement. Temporarily disable VPN software if it routes local traffic away from the LAN.
- Plan the physical arrangement. Note which monitor is left, right, above or below the keyboard-and-mouse computer. You will reproduce those relationships in the application’s screen grid.
- Allow the application through the firewall. Start with a private/home network profile where appropriate. If security software asks separately about server and client components, allow only the application and network scope you need.
These preparations prevent the most common “nothing connects” and “cursor stops at the edge” failures before you begin.
Set up Mouse Without Borders on Windows
Mouse Without Borders is part of Microsoft PowerToys and supports control of up to four Windows computers. The first computer is the primary machine: it is normally where the keyboard and mouse are plugged in and where you will create the connection key.
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1. Install and open the feature on every PC
Install PowerToys on all participating Windows PCs, open PowerToys Settings, and select Mouse Without Borders. Turn the feature on for each machine. Keep the windows visible while pairing so you can copy the exact computer name shown by Windows.
2. Generate the security key on the primary PC
On the computer that owns the keyboard and mouse, select New Key in the Mouse Without Borders settings. Treat this key as a secret: anyone who has it and can reach the PC may be able to request a connection.
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3. Connect each additional PC
On the second computer, enter the key generated on the primary PC and enter the primary computer’s name, then select Connect. Repeat the same process for the remaining computers, using the primary machine’s key and name. If the connection fails, retype both values rather than relying on a truncated clipboard selection.
4. Arrange the screen order
Mouse Without Borders displays device icons that you can drag into the same relative order as the monitors on your desk. Place a laptop screen below the main display if that is where it physically sits; place a side monitor to the corresponding side. Move the pointer past the edge of one screen to test each boundary.
5. Test shared data and elevated windows
Clipboard sharing should work after pairing. Microsoft documents a 100 MB file-transfer limit; copy/paste and drag-and-drop are for a single file, not folders or multiple files. If you need to control an elevated application or the Windows lock screen, Mouse Without Borders can run as a service under the System account. Microsoft warns that this mode adds security risk, so enable it only when that capability is necessary and protect the PCs with strong local credentials.
Known focus problem
Microsoft notes that a focused full-screen Remote Desktop session, virtual machine or simulator can prevent the keyboard from following the mouse. Turning on Hide mouse at screen edge or changing which window has focus is the documented workaround.
Set up Input Leap for Windows, macOS and Linux
Input Leap uses one server and one or more clients. The server is the computer whose keyboard and mouse you share; clients are the computers that receive input when the pointer crosses into their configured position.
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1. Install Input Leap everywhere
Download and install the current build on every participating machine, then launch it on each desktop. The project README lists Windows 10 and 11, macOS 10.12 and newer, Linux, FreeBSD and OpenBSD as known-working platforms. Compatibility can still depend on the desktop environment, so check the current project release information for your specific distribution and compositor.
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2. Select the server role
On the primary computer, choose the server option. Open Configure server to display the screen-layout grid. This computer’s own screen is the reference point for placing clients.
3. Add every client to the grid
Create a screen entry for each client and drag it to the position that matches the physical desk: left, right, above or below the server. The configured name must match the name shown in that client’s Input Leap window exactly, including capitalization. A one-character difference prevents the client from being recognized.
4. Point clients at the server
On each client, enter the server computer’s IP address when prompted, or use Bonjour/automatic configuration when that option is available. Start the client after saving the address. Return to the server and start sharing; the client should appear as connected.
5. Test every edge and shortcut
Move the pointer slowly through each configured boundary. If the cursor can cross from the server to a client but not back, inspect both adjacent entries: each edge must touch its neighbor in the grid. Input Leap also supports switching focus with a keypress, which is useful when a window captures the pointer.
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Wayland qualification
Input Leap’s documentation says clipboard sharing is not currently supported on Linux running Wayland. Pointer and keyboard behavior can also differ by desktop/compositor, so test the exact session you use rather than assuming X11 behavior carries over.
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Synergy’s installation guidance lists an active license, administrator permissions, at least two computers with monitors, and Ethernet or Wi-Fi on the same network as prerequisites. Its current documentation recommends Synergy 3; Synergy 2 has reached end of life.
Synergy 3
Use the Synergy 3 setup guide for the operating system on each computer and install the same major version throughout the desk. Do not combine Synergy 3 with Synergy 1: the two protocols are not cross-compatible. The current installation overview is at Synergy’s install and configure guide.
Synergy 1 legacy workflow
- Designate the computer with the keyboard and mouse as the server and start the server component.
- On every client, enter the server’s computer name or IP address. The official guide prefers the computer name because a router can assign a new IP address.
- If TLS fingerprints appear, compare the fingerprint shown on both machines before accepting the connection. Do not trust an unexpected fingerprint.
- Open the server’s layout editor and place each client so adjacent edges match the physical monitor arrangement.
- Start the clients and move the pointer across each boundary to confirm the layout.
Synergy can share clipboard text and images, but not files. It supports Windows, macOS and Linux; Android, iOS/iPadOS and ChromeOS are not supported. It also does not change a monitor’s video input, so a one-monitor setup still requires manual input selection.
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Make the screen layout reliable
Most “the cursor will not cross” reports are geometry errors rather than network errors. The software treats each monitor as a rectangle; a crossing is possible only where two rectangles share an edge.
- Match left/right and above/below positions, not merely the order in which computers were paired.
- Ensure adjacent edges actually touch in the layout editor. A tiny gap blocks crossing.
- Account for portrait monitors and laptops placed below a desktop display.
- Use the same display orientation and approximate resolution shown by the operating system while testing.
- Check for a keyboard lock such as Scroll Lock if your chosen application documents it as a focus blocker.
After changing a layout, save or apply it, restart the client if necessary, and test both directions across every edge.
Troubleshoot by symptom
No computer appears or the client will not connect
- Confirm both machines are on the same local network and can reach each other’s host name or IP address.
- Recheck the Mouse Without Borders security key and primary computer name, or the Input Leap/Synergy server address.
- Allow the application through the operating-system firewall on the private network profile.
- Temporarily disconnect a VPN or security product that may block local peer traffic, then reconnect it after testing.
- Restart the relevant server and client processes and try the pairing step again.
Microsoft’s checklist covers network status, key/name accuracy and firewall permissions in its Mouse Without Borders documentation. Synergy’s corresponding guidance is in its basic troubleshooting steps.
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The pointer stops at an edge
Open the layout editor and verify that the two screen edges touch and that the screen names match exactly. For Input Leap, capitalization matters. For Synergy, check whether Scroll Lock is engaged. Reapply the layout and restart the client after correcting it.
It worked, then stopped
Refresh or restart both sides, verify that the server’s address has not changed, and inspect VPN or firewall updates. If you used an IP address and the router reassigned it, replace it with the computer name where the application supports names.
Linux behaves differently under Wayland
Test with the exact desktop session in use. Input Leap does not currently provide clipboard sharing on Linux/Wayland, and Synergy’s documentation says Wayland support depends on the desktop. A different compositor can change pointer capture and shortcut behavior even when the network connection is healthy.
One monitor must show several computers
Nothing is wrong with the input-sharing connection if the keyboard moves between machines while the screen remains unchanged. The software KVM is not selecting video. Change the monitor’s input manually or add a dedicated display switch.
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- Keep the service on a trusted LAN. Avoid exposing the server ports to the public internet or an untrusted guest network.
- Protect pairing secrets. Store Mouse Without Borders keys privately and regenerate them if a machine leaves the desk or the key may have been disclosed.
- Use the least privilege. Run the application normally unless you specifically need lock-screen or elevated-window control. The Mouse Without Borders System-account service increases exposure.
- Verify trust prompts. For Synergy TLS fingerprints, compare both displays before accepting a new connection.
- Plan for sleep and reboot. Configure the client to start with the desktop only if that matches your security policy, and expect to recheck connectivity after waking from sleep or changing networks.
- Keep versions aligned. Update all participants together, especially when a release changes protocol or Wayland support.
Which setup should you choose?
| Your situation | Best starting point | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Two to four Windows PCs and you want the quickest pairing | Mouse Without Borders | A security key and host name establish the connection, and Microsoft documents control of up to four computers. |
| Windows plus macOS or Linux | Input Leap | One server/client workflow covers the listed desktop platforms without requiring a paid license. |
| You need clipboard text and images but not file transfer, and prefer a supported paid product | Synergy 3 | It has current cross-platform guides and an active-license requirement; use one compatible version on every machine. |
| You need to change monitor video inputs automatically | A software KVM alone is insufficient | Mouse and keyboard sharing does not switch HDMI, DisplayPort or USB-C sources. |
| You rely on Linux/Wayland clipboard sharing | Validate before committing | Input Leap documents no clipboard support on Linux/Wayland, and Synergy says Wayland behavior depends on the desktop. |
Once the network, firewall and screen geometry are correct, the workflow is predictable: one server owns the peripherals, clients receive input at defined edges, and video remains a separate concern.
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