KVM With Various Connections, Muliple PCs, Support "Special" Buttons 2

[kjv1611]

I've used a couple of cheap KVMs so far. For basic usage, they have worked fine.

However, I haven't used one yet that allows the correct usage of built-in extra button on a keyboard/mouse (such as a volume button/scroll, etc).

Here are all the features I'd like to see really work in one KVM:
[OL]
[LI]Support at least 4 computers[/LI]
[LI]Support various OSes - Windows, Mac, Linux[/LI]
[LI]Support those "special" keys on Logitech keyboards and such.[/LI]
[LI]Support both USB/PS/2 interchangeably. So, I could use a USB or PS2 keyboard/mouse if/when needed, and on the other side, I could connect via USB and/or PS/2 to the computers.[/LI]
[LI]As I've noticed in a few that I looked at, it appears with some, you can share USB devices this way as well - such as a USB hard drive, printer, etc. That'd be cool, though not necessary.[/LI]
[LI]Support both Audio and Video of different formats - so DVI and VGA, as well as support for dual monitors in either... for audio, be able to support analog and digital inputs out to either analog or digital speakers (I can get around the audio if need be, it would just be a nice "extra").[/LI]
[LI]Modular cables would be nice, so could just unplug whatever not used - ESPECIALLY with this many cables.[/LI]
[/OL]

I mean, really, is that TOO much to ask?

This is just curiosity right now. If there really is one that can do all of this, how much does it cost, or are there competing brands? And I'd not want one that does all this, but ends up horribly degrading monitor image quality and/or audio quality.

I'm posting this question to see if anyone here has had any experience with such a device, and can either recommend for/against.

-------------------
Now for why I would want such a setup:
[OL]
[LI]I usually have at least 2 wired desktops running at a time - one acts right now sort of as a server - currently running Windows, may one day once again try Linux on it.[/LI]
[LI]I sometimes will not have any extra computers to work on. Then again, I can have as many as 3 or 4 other computers to work on (for other people) at the same time. That seems to come in spurts really - I'll go for a month with nothing really to speak of, and then have a month or two with more support requests than I think I can handle.[/LI]
[/OL]

As I stated earlier, I have used a couple different KVM switches, and currently have some really old big ones that I got from a business - not yet tried, not even sure they work.. and I have a couple that I bought, though can't place them right at the moment.

Any thoughts/suggestions greatly appreciated.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[edfair]

Every bell and whistle you add cuts down on the number of people who need it, until you find youself as the only one who needs it and unable to afford the cost of having it custom built.

I use Cybex and mix and match DOS, windows, and Unix. Belkins my customers use handle vairous windows, DOS, Unix, and Linux.

I've kept away from the USB input devices for those customers that need to do keyboard switching.

So far as the special devices, since they are not keyboard outputs they won't feed through. You could do your own switch box and use something like a multi-pole switch.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.

 

[whykap]

Check out RARITAN. It does all you want and them some depending on the model.

Beware you will pay dearly for them as they are one of the best out there. Most of my enterpise customers use them exclusively.

 

[kjv1611]

Thanks for all the info/advice. From what I saw, the Raritan stuff DOES look nice. There are some units available for under $100 on eBay that are new 4port units that support USB, Audio, etc, it seems. But then you have to buy extra cables, as they only come with 2. However, if they work as well as people are bragging about, one of those low-end ones might be worth it. And since it seems they support USB/PS2 adapters, I'd just have to make sure to always use a USB keyboard/mouse.

Does anyone know how well these things work with wireless keyboards/mice? Ever heard of any complaints? I'll try to do some searching on that one.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[wires]

"I mean, really, is that TOO much to ask? wink"

Yes. For the following reasons:


"2. Support various OSes - Windows, Mac, Linux"

As long as they can all use the same KVM types it is not a problem. There are even KVMs that handle a mixture of Intel and Sun boxes. But the sticky part comes next.


"3. Support those "special" keys on Logitech keyboards and such."

The "special" keys on various keyboards require device drivers to associate the scan codes to an action. These drivers tend to be OS dependent so they are not universal. For example what function should the special keys on a Mac keyboard perform on a Linux box?


"4. Support both USB/PS/2 interchangeably. So, I could use a USB or PS2 keyboard/mouse if/when needed, and on the other side, I could connect via USB and/or PS/2 to the computers."

Get a PS2 KVM and use PS2 to USB adapters. Most work fine. It helps if the KVM switch has a seperate power supply so it is not getting power from the keyboard.


"6. Support both Audio and Video of different formats - so DVI and VGA, as well as support for dual monitors in either... for audio, be able to support analog and digital inputs out to either analog or digital speakers (I can get around the audio if need be, it would just be a nice "extra")."

Here you start getting into some transcoding issues. Some DVI outputs also carry a analog signal and a simple adapter is all that is needed to connect a VGA monitor to a DVI output. Boxes exist that do the needed conversion with minimal loss but they are quite expensive. Check Extron.com The same goes with audio digital and analog can be converted but it costs extra.


"Does anyone know how well these things work with wireless keyboards/mice? Ever heard of any complaints?"

I get nothing but complaints about wireless keyboards and mice no matter how they are connected. Nice for the hobbyist but not so useful in a production environment.

 

[kjv1611]

wires,

On the special keys deal, I guess I wasn't specific enough. I just want it to work correctly, say, on a Windows machine that has the correct drivers. I've noticed before that even though I had installed the drivers correctly, with the cheap KVM switches, I could not use those special keys.

And of course, I wouldn't expect that there would be a switch capable of EVERYTHING I mentioned. I would just like to find the closest possible.

I did come across one by RARITAN listed on eBay pretty cheaply, so I'm giving that a try. It seems like it might fit my needs rather nicely, and somewhat within my budget - at the eBay price, that is.

Also, I think it only came with 2 cable sets, so I may need to pick up some additional cables. From what one seller told me - different auction, it sounds like I can use ANY vga, etc cables to connect to additional machines. So, it would not be required that I buy "rariatan" cables, possibly. That'll be nice, for sure! I may even have what I need to get at least one more computer going - will have to dig, and see, once the part gets in and I get the time to tinker... I'm guessing a few days to a week right now.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

I got my RARITAN in the mail yesterday. Got it off eBay for less than $100, including shipping. And it included 2 of the connection wiring sets, so I'd just need to scrounge up a few wires for the other connections myself if I want to use all 4 - which I imagine some days I will, but 2 is sufficient for most of the time.

I didn't hook it up yet to test, but everything seems to look just fine. I'm hoping it'll work just fine with my current keyboard/mouse setup which I do like fairly well. It's a Logitech wireless combo that includes a laser mouse, as well as a speakerphone and headset for using online telephone services like skype. And it was right for the price - free after rebate from TigerDirect about a year ago. The reason I say I hope it works is because the whole setup connects via ONE USB connection - not a separate one for keyboard/mouse.

I'll hopefully get to give it a test run tonight to see if it works to my liking.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[wires]

The reason I say I hope it works is because the whole setup connects via ONE USB connection - not a separate one for keyboard/mouse."

With USB there is no need for separate keyboard and mouse connectors. The B in USB stands for Bus which means that multiple signals can travel on one physical connection.

 

[kjv1611]

That's nice. Never thought about it before, but that's real nice. I could have checked it out last night, but I just didn't take the time.

I'm really excited about this. To once and for all be able to do away with the extra keyboard, mouse, monitor, and speakers - now that is just simply a dream come true. . If I weren't so picky, I might could of just used a cheapie one, but if this one is as good as all reviews I've read on line, it'll be worth it.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

I tried it out, and it works. I have to run the single USB connection through the mouse port, otherwise it only recognizes the keyboard.

Also, on the keyboard, the scroll lock button is accessed via holding the Fn key on the keyboard, and is not natively available. So it won't switch that way - annoying, so perhaps at some point I'll just get a different keyboard/mouse setup, but I'll just deal with it for now.

And the sound from one computer (not the main computer) gives a constant "buzz" of some sort over the shared speakers. That could just be because of the on-board sound there, not sure. That is another annoyance, but not a deal breaker.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

Noticed another headache yesterday. It seems that now the wireless receiver doesn't put out enough "juice" for the keyboard and mouse, now, on a consistent basis. I randomly lost connections to each device. The AC power was connected, so I think I'll try without it, and see if perhaps some electronic interference is causing this issue.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me