Written for Synergy 3 (v3.7.2) and Synergy 1 (v1.21.4), checked 3 October 2026.
Operating system: Windows, macOS, and Linux
General checklist
If you can't get Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 to work at all:
- Install the same product (Synergy 1 or Synergy 3) on all of your computers.
- Check you have the latest version (if your installation is out of date, Synergy 1 and Synergy 3 will tell you).
- Ensure that you're sharing the correct computer's keyboard and mouse.
- Make sure that both of your computers are on the same network. To check, see: How to do a ping test
- Check that the computers in your layout are adjacent (the edges must touch).
- Check that your computer doesn't have Scroll Lock engaged, which locks the mouse cursor to one computer. For more, see: How to lock the cursor to a computer?
- If you're running VPN software, try turning it off to see if that helps.
- If you have antivirus or firewall software installed, check that Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 has been allowed.
- On Linux with Wayland, check what works on your desktop. For the details, see: Wayland support on Linux
If you got Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 to work, but it's not working properly:
- Restart Synergy 1 or Synergy 3 on each computer. For the steps, see: How to restart Synergy 1 or Synergy 3
- Restart all of your computers (not just the one that's problematic).
- Try undoing any settings you changed (or reset your settings).
- If you changed your network or peripheral hardware, try the old hardware again.
- Restore your operating system updates to a previous version.
Check out the help article: Known bugs and gotchas
Synergy 3
Ensure there are multiple computers
On the Screen layout, multiple computers should show up. If you see only one, then your computers are having problems seeing each other. Take a look at the General checklist at the top of this page.
You can also try manually adding a computer, in case the auto-discovery feature didn't work. Go to Manage computers, and click Manually add computer.
Share the keyboard and mouse
On the Screen layout, click the 3-dots menu on the computer whose keyboard and mouse you want to share, then click Make this primary. This computer's keyboard and mouse will then be shared with the other computers.
Reset your settings
If the settings are misconfigured or haven't updated, reset them on each computer. This permanently deletes that computer's Synergy 3 settings. For the steps, see: Local settings in Synergy 3: login screen, beta updates, appearance and reset
Synergy 1
Add the client computers
Click the Configure Server button on the server computer and add the client computers in to the grid on the Server Configuration screen and place the computers so that the sides are directly connected along the edge of another computer.
You only need to add a client computer once, even if you have multiple monitors, because Synergy 1 treats all screens on one computer as "one big screen".
Check the client names match
In the Server Configuration screen, double-click on each computer to open its settings and check its Name. This needs to match the name shown next to This computer's name: at the top of the Synergy 1 window on that client.
Names can use letters, numbers, _ and -, with no spaces.
Restart the connection after a change
Clicking OK in the Server Configuration screen applies your changes and restarts the connection by itself. After changing anything else, click the Restart button in the Synergy 1 window (or Stop, then Start) so the change takes effect.