usbipd-win is a Windows service that shares locally connected USB devices to other machines, including Hyper-V guests and WSL 2.
The tool solves the problem of accessing USB devices from virtual machines and remote systems on Windows. It works by running a service called usbipd that implements the USB/IP protocol, allowing USB devices physically connected to a Windows machine to be attached to clients running on other machines or in virtual environments. The service listens on TCP port 3240 and maintains a list of shareable devices that administrators can configure.
The tool suits Windows users who need to pass USB devices into Hyper-V virtual machines or WSL 2 environments. Installation is straightforward via an MSI installer or Windows Package Manager, with no external dependencies beyond Windows 10 or Windows Server 2019 version 1809 or newer. For WSL 2 specifically, device attachment does not require administrator privileges and can be done directly from Windows. For other Linux clients, the standard usbip client-side tool is used. Shared devices persist across reboots, while client-side attachments are non-persistent and must be reestablished after reboot or device reset. The project maintains a wiki documenting tested devices and providing guidance on driver support for devices not covered by the default WSL 2 kernel.
Development activity shows consistent maintenance with regular updates addressing bugs and compatibility issues. The project accepts community contributions through pull requests and maintains responsive communication with users reporting issues. Documentation is actively maintained through the wiki, covering installation, usage patterns, and device-specific guidance. The codebase is written in C# and remains focused on its core functionality without scope creep into client-side tooling.
