1) The two computers are on 2 different grounds, so I believe it could damage the computers. So I would like to isolate the ground somehow, I am not sure what the options are. I tried to look for opto-isolated options, but didn't really find something clear. Do you have any suggestion?
2) This specific chip is marked NRND (not recommended for new designs) on ftdi's website, So it feels slightly wrong to use it?
People even suggesting using two Ardinos which each have a USB serial chip on board