a system for connecting multiple users to multiple computers uses a switch for making and breaking connections between individual computers and input / output devices such as display screens , keyboards and pointing devices at user locations . a supervisory computer system includes one or more helper computers which run programs to aid the user in selecting connections to be made . the switch is arranged to capture preselected input sequences as designating commands , such as a command to connect the helper computer , and to forward these to the supervisory computer system . the supervisory computer system actuates the switch in response to these commands so that the user can establish communication with the helper computer .