What is Thunderbolt Share?

Intel has just announced Thunderbolt Share, which can link two PCs together in a way that we’ve never seen before. They will be able to share keyboards and mice, transfer files and means you can connect a laptop to your PC and use it as a secondary display.

“Now users can seamlessly access one PC from another at Thunderbolt technology speeds,” said an excited Jason Ziller, Intel Vice President and General manager of the Client Connectivity Division. “It truly changes how users can be more productive and efficient.”

It’s all very clever but comes with caveats. We’ll explain these in this guide to the technology.

When will Thunderbolt Share launch?

Thunderbolt Share has now launched, but it only becomes available to users once they’ve bought a PC, laptop or accessory that includes the Thunderbolt Share licence. Intel says these will go on sale in the second half of this year, so from July onwards.

What is Thunderbolt Share, exactly?

Thunderbolt Share is a piece of Intel software that it is licensing to manufacturers of laptops, PCs and peripherals (such as docking stations) that will enable a bunch of features as listed below.

What are the key benefits of Thunderbolt Share?

Intel says that these are the five key benefits of Thunderbolt Share.

1. Speed. “Super fast connection with high bandwidth and ultra-low latency using standard Thunderbolt cables.”
2. Sharing. “Fast PC-to-PC access for securely sharing screen/monitor, keyboard, mouse, and storage.”
3. Syncing. “Sync folders or drag-and-drop files between PCs with the speed of Thunderbolt.”
4. Upgrading: “Quickly transfer data and files from an old computer to a new computer.”
5. Security. “Hardware-based security – SMB/commercial friendly.”

Which laptops and PCs will support Thunderbolt Share?

So far, we know that Acer, Lenovo, MSI and Razer have all signed up for Thunderbolt Share. This suggests that Asus, Dell and HP are sitting back for the moment to look for uptake. Why hesitate? Because Thunderbolt licences cost money.

It’s notable that MSI and Razer are on that very short list of PC and laptop manufacturers. It suggests that gaming laptops will be among the first to support Thunderbolt Share, so we look forward to what that means in practice.

Acer, Lenovo and MSI also make laptops for creators, while Lenovo’s ThinkPad line is a steadfast choice for larger businesses. We can definitely see the appeal of Thunderbolt Share in a corporate setting, thanks to its built-in security and easy upgrading from one laptop to another.

Even so, don’t expect all laptops from those companies to support Thunderbolt Share. Intel will charge manufacturers a licensing fee for every unit sold, so it’s likely to be kept to more expensive systems for now.

Which accessories will support Thunderbolt Share?

We know that Kensington, Belkin, Promise, Plugable and OWC will all be making Thunderbolt Share peripherals. It seems likely that any Thunderbolt-toting accessory made by those companies in the future will support Thunderbolt Share.

Is there a Thunderbolt Share logo to look out for?

There is indeed a Thunderbolt Share logo, as shown. This will be emblazoned on product boxes and web pages but must wait to see how individual manufacturers implement this on their PCs and peripherals. If they do so at all.

What do you need to make Thunderbolt Share work?

There are a number of criteria. First, and most obviously, you need two computers that include Thunderbolt ports – and a cable to connect them. The Thunderbolt ports must be the current version, 4, or Thunderbolt 5 which is coming soon.

Luckily, Thunderbolt 4 is increasingly common, so the chances are that if you bought a high-end laptop in the past two years then it will include a Thunderbolt 4 port. But you will need to check the product page to be sure.

Thunderbolt Share only works on Windows and at least one of the PCs (or an accessory) must include a Thunderbolt Share licence.

Finally, you will need a Thunderbolt cable.

What are the configurations?

Intel has listed three configurations, as shown in the image below. The first is a direct connection between two PCs that include Thunderbolt ports. The second, using a Thunderbolt Share-licensed dock. And the third, via a monitor that includes a Thunderbolt port.

What are Thunderbolt Share accessories?

We know that Kensington, Belkin, Plugable and Promise Technology have all committed to the Thunderbolt Share concept. From this summer, we expect to see docking stations and port replicators appear that include the Thunderbolt Share logo.

This means that even if neither of your PCs officially supports Thunderbolt Share you can connect them via the accessory and benefit from all the features.

What can I do with two connected PCs?

Once you’ve connected PCs and the Thunderbolt Share app launches, you’ll be offered four options:

• Control the other computer. This means you can share the keyboard, monitor and mouse.
• Sync files. Similarly to Dropbox, you’ll be able to sync files and folders between the two computers.
• Drag and drop files. This will be like connecting an external drive, so Windows Explorer will appear and you can copy files and folders across.
• Transfer data to a new computer. This could be incredibly useful, as it should make setting up a new PC much quicker.

How will screen sharing work on Thunderbolt Share?

In short, it allows you to view the screen of your source computer on the second computer with low latency. Intel says it supports Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) at up to 60 frames per second, and that you’ll be able to use the mouse and keyboard smoothly without irritating delays.

What about security?

Intel lists six reasons why Thunderbolt Share is both secure and private. It’s clearly attempting to woo corporate buyers here.

• Wired: “More secure and private with peer-to-peer wired connectivity”
• Certified: “Intel VT-d Based Data Protection”
• Password-locked: “User Access Control through Windows Password-Locked Screens and restricting sensitive operations to local access”
• Private: “Connection exclusive to Thunderbolt network only”
• Firewalled: “Network-level protection via built-in Windows or any other firewall”
• Enterprise-friendly: “Enterprise-level access control with Windows Group Policy”

Read next: What is Intel vPro?