I ran into this project today:

http://usbip.sourceforge.net/

The purpose of this project is to allow you to share a USB device over your network. Two questions:


Has anyone used this software? If so, how did it perform, what limitations, etc.?
What HTPC/home theater applications can you see this being useful for?


The ability to remotely locate sensors, or IR blasters seems the most relevant for HTPC applications. Thoughts?

I'm all for options, but I don't see the point of this. Any remote control implicitly is local to the sensing machine, not the remote one, and storage devices are already shared by sshfs.

OK, if you're hacking someone you might like to evesdrop...

I have to agree that beyond the initial "cool" factor, I am having trouble coming up with a use for this software. I have begun initial planning for a basement-located home theatre. I plan to use a projector, a motorized screen, along with components (HTPC, receiver/amplifier) in another room. The distance from the front of the room (when routing of the wire is included) to the components may be rather large. I was afraid that this length may be larger than the maximum wire length for a USB IR receiver. By installing USP/IP on a small/cheap linux box, I planned to route the IR receiver and screen control circuit from USB, over ethernet to the theatre HTPC and my home automation server respectively. Thinking about it now, it might make more sense to run lirc locally, having it send commands over my network, as opposed to sending the USB traffic in its entirety. Thoughts?

You can run the DC signalling wire a couple hundred feet before it degrades, as long as you use at least 28 gauge wire.

Here's the brand I like:
http://www.xantech.com/Infrared/

Do you make your own by soldering minijacks to both ends, or do they sell extensions?

I had these installed, but I'm pretty good with an iron. (NASA specs)

Mouser (http://mouser.com) has a pretty good selection of plugs/jacks (Interconnects), but they have a minimum order size of (maybe) $10, so I always go to Switchcraft, Amp, Amphenol, or Tyco and order engineering samples for free. Takes a while, but you get high grade, even mil-spec if you do your research.

Nice. I dabble in hobby electronics; for future reference, Digikey (http://www.digikey.com/) doesn't have a minimum order amount. They also ship via USPS First Class so you don't get slapped with a large shipping fee.