Slashdot Mirror
KVM Recommendations for 2002?
oolon asks: "I am in the
market for a KVM switch, as my desk at home is really cluttered.
Having never bought one before its hard to know which brands are
best. Until recently it seems that most KVM switches didn't support
'large' resolutions, however there are new models that now
claim such support:
Belkin claims they support up to 2048x1536@85Hz @ 400MHz bandwidth on their SOHO range, for
example. I only require output to one monitor, and a 4 host switch.
The hosts under control will be a mix of PS2 and USB. Thought I don't
require the hosts to share USB peripherals other than the keyboard
and mouse. Naturally I want a switch that works with my 3 button
Logitect mouse under Linux/XFree86, however most importantly I want
the switch to support high resolutions, without ghosting,
at a minimal resolution of 1600x1280 32bpp @ 85Hz. I am also
interested in what cables I should use, brands etc, each host
will need a run of 6 feet (preferably 10 feet is that possible
at high resolutions?). The switch to monitor needs a minimal
3 feet run. As to price, I don't really want to spend more than
500UKP (750USD). Ideally I would prefer to a price all in of 2/3 that
amount."
I never had much luck with Belkin - I found it was very easy to destroy a port by moving cables at the wrong time or turning the unit on or off at the wrong time.
Also their emulation of devices is not good, so when you're booting you have to have the kvm-box switched to the booting computer or it complains about missing devices.
Will buy you a heck of a switch. Any 4 port switch you buy for that much should meet all of your requirements.
:)
I have a bunch of old-school mechanical switchs - 1 4-way AT and 1 4-way ps/2, and they both work great @ 1600x1200 under leenucks.
I picked em up for $15 at a computer show. Try the cheap ones first, then move up if they don't work.
Indie rock lives! b-side!
I have an older Belkin omniview pro, sucks. The newer ones that Belkin sells whith user upgradeable firmware look pretty nice, be sure to check those out.
Old adage that bodes well in any time: you get what you pay for, and KISS, keep it simple stupid, that Belkin SOHO looks like a deformed JU JU fruit. I like them old fashioned, boxy, sqaure.
I also thought that the Cybex branded KVMs were very crappy. The Avocent/Outlook ones are hot plug-able.
Monday and Tuesday mornings suck ;-).
Legalize the constitution. Think for yourself question authority.
With DVI (Digital Visual Interface) becoming more and more popular, and myself owning a LCD flat screen, I wanted a KVM that did DVI and USB. I looked forever!
I finally found one from Gefen. They charge $499 USD.
They also carry a lot of other unique and hard to find DVI products, such as splitters and long cables.
Then I picked up an older Belkin 4 port ps/2 model on ebay. I had trouble getting it working-- it needed outside power not just keyboard power. Another poster mentioned it needed to be switched to the booting computer. This has only happened to me on first boot-- if no computers are booted then the first computer up needs to be "on".
But... three months later, my ebay Belkin special died. But hey-- it was cheap and well-used. My last job bought me a brand new Belkin professional four-port model and it was great. No problems, even keyboard hot-keys for switching.
I think that generally you get what you pay for (especially with ebay items)-- and Belkin are fine. There is no way I'd pay as much as you say you are willing. No way. That would buy a heck of a gaming card or a nice raid system... or even a Nice Sun SPARC to play with.
"You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas"
Sen. Davy Crocket to US Congress, Nov. 1, 1835
the Hitachi CM823F monitor has 2 monitor inputs on the back and a button right on the front that lets you switch between the two.
not only that, but it has a higher refresh rate and a smaller dot pitch of any other monitor and only a fraction of the price. plus a 5-year warranty.
-- Betting on the survival of the media industry is a serious risk. I advise investing elsewhere.
Their network stuff is great, but their 4 port switch at least doesn't work with Linux well at all. The software switching (through the keyboard) requires some kind of X key configuration which they helpfully did not document at all.
.5 second delay. I tried forever to get the thing to do 30 CPS with a .25 second delay, but it won't work.
Also, the switch doesn't accept a key repeat modification. You'll be stuck at a repeat of 10.2 CPS with a
The switch works well with Windows however. I wrote them a couple e-mails for support, but they never responded to them.
If tits were wings it'd be flying around.
It's a little pricey (though well within your range -- about $200 US), but they make one that handles the high resolutions as well as both USB and PS2 keyboard and mouse. It even switches audio if you want it.
I use one at home and at work, and I have only tried it up to 1920x1440, but it handles it with a bare minimum of ghosting. The most important thing is the cables. Belkin also sells those, some good gold plated ones, for not a ridiculous amount. That's critical to preventing ghosting.
I first tried the linksys and the belkin omniview but each had difficulty with my logitech mouse. The mouse would jump all over the screen when switching computers which would force me to shutdown x-windows. So after doing a little research I found that raritan performed extremely well with various types of mice (logitech, microsoft, etc) on all types of computers (PC, Mac, Sun, Digital Alpha, SGI). This is because each mouse type is specifically emulated by a dedicated microprocessor on each port.
The firmware can be upgraded as well.
For more info, check out their website: www.raritan.com
...when you use a mechanical switch box! And I've hunted through the code to figure out how to make it auto-reset when it gets bogus input (like Windows does automatically) and that is some nasty code!!
So no, I wouldn't recommend a manual switchbox without having a separate mouse for each workstation!
I've always liked Cybex SwitchView, though at least one person here doesn't like the Cybex-branded ones (they're now all Avocent, I think). I've used a bunch of them, all at relatively high (regularly 1600x1200, I once tried something like 1920xIForgetButItWasTooTinyToReadOnA19"Monitor, and it came through crisp (but tiny).
Also has MS Intellimouse support. Plus, the keyboard switching is easy and generally doesn't intrude into the computer -- while at least one brand (Belkin?) regularly leaked the display number (scroll-scroll-3, switches to display 3) into the current window.
Of course, as someone else points out, try getting something with USB support (if you wanna hook up your cool Dual-1G G4, for example), or DVI, you're mostly out of luck. And I have yet to find any name-brand normal-source (CDW or MicroWarehouse catalog) multi-head switch. I've even taken apart a Cybex, but the circuitry wasn't terribly obvious as far as tapping in to slave a second unit...if anyone's done *that*, that'd make for a quickly slashdotted website.
I have an old Apex AT style switch - VGA, serial mouse, AT keyboard. 6 ports - bought it off a guy on Ebay for $50.00 (!!). I love it.
I am not sure what res it goes up to (high enough for my eyes, though). The serial mouse makes it a bit of a pain, because the mouse has to be a TRUE serial mouse - you can't hang a PS/2 mouse with an adaptor off the thing. Large, square, heavy gauge steel box - in a lovely beige powdercoat...
May not be the latest or greatest, but it was DAMN CHEAP - I dare you to find a 6 port switch anywhere for less than $50.00 (and don't point me to one of those "mechanical" switches - been there and done that, won't go back!)...
Reason is the Path to God - Anon
Dr. Bott has the $199.00 MoniSwitch DVI. It's a 'manual' switch box, just like the Gefen one, but you can connect up to 4 computers.
I have no personal experience with either boxes, but this one seems like a better value.
I have used several differnet brands.
I have an older aten 4 port at home and I love it.
The Cybex with longview Rocks.
I have a powerreach KVM by compuCable and it sux because I need to be on the port I am booting to have the mouse work properly, The other brands do not have a problem with this.
If possible get a 2x or a 4x kvm, these allow you to use multiple KV+M's to access the switched computers.
And ALWAYS get more ports then you think you need.
Get A bunch of cables, of different lengths N+ 2 is nice incase a cable get's borked.
--Tim
TKrabec Pahh
A number of years ago I spent a long time researching KVMs and came to the conclusion that they're really not that much of a solution in reducing clutter.
I went with another solution VNC it reduced cables etc and allowed me to locate all my hardware except one PC in a machine room.
I had ten windoze PCs, a few Linux boxes, A Sparc Solaris and an Apple Imac all accessable from my Linux desktop.
Of ourse as a software solution the remote machine has to be running but you can login, logout reboot etc
I hate to disagree with just about everyone out there but I've had a Belkin OmniCube 4-port model. Yes you do have to have it switched to the correct computer when powering one up or it doesn't recognize my mouse (Logitec Track ball, old school 3 button style, wheel mice are for pussies) and that is a minor problem. I do use the Belkin cables. I suggest getting the 3 cables molded together, I have zip ties holding them in sets. Don't forget to color code them. I can't tell you how many times I unplugged/plugged the wrong cable before I did that. Yes they are PS2 only but you can use USB/PS2 convertors to fix that as long as you don't plug more devices into your keyboard. The hot key combos are great for the keyboard, well to switch between computers (linux/win98) that is. The cost wasn't too bad. Cube and 3 sets cost about $250. Well below your cost.
"If a quarter is two bits, then a dollar's a byte." -R Deric Miller
After several, I've found Belkin seem to play nice with cordless keyboards/mouses. Just something to keep in mind.
--
Evan
"$30 for the One True Ring. $10 each additional ring!" -- JRR "Bob" Tolkien
I have had bad luck getting optical mice to work with a number of KVM switches from multiple manufacturers. If you use an optical mouse confirm with the manufacturer that it supports your mouse of choice. Also try to check around with other users of the KVM switch about mouse support. I had one manufacturer that was not quite truthful about a switch supporting optical mice.
OK, I'd love to have a KVM capable of handling high resolution and high refresh rates (or, better, DVI).
But can any of those KVMs run over gigabit ethernet?
"Provided by the management for your protection."
I've been using a 4 way Moniswitch from Dr. Bott happily for some time now. Granted I've been using the ADB version, but I imagine the USB version is of similar quality. I've been using it at 1152x870@85Hz with no video troubles, and had an x86 machine plugged in via a USB/ADB converter but had the PS/2 keyboard in reach for BIOS changes. The 4 way USB/VGA version is listed for $199. You'd probably want to get a USB card for any PS/2 only machines and keep the PS/2 keyboard plugged in and handy for BIOS changes like I did.
They also sell 8-way VGA/USB, 4 way dual-VGA/USB, and 4 way DVI/USB. I have no affiliation with Dr. Bott other than a happy customer.
I have an older Belkin OmniCube 4-port. It supports 1600x1200 @ 60hz but ghosted a bit on my 21" monitor. I used higher end Belkin "gold" cables and cheapo keyboard/mouse cables.
However, I do have it doing Dual PS/2 and USB action. Belkin makes a cute little PS/2 to USB converter box that converts the PS/2 signals into usable USB signals. This way, I have my Sun Blade 100 working with my cordless PS/2 trackball and PS/2 keyboard. This may not be true of all systems, but I needed to do a little xmodmap'ing to properly map some of the buttons on my keyboard to their equivilents on the Sun.
My setup, way back when, cost me around $300. I'm pleased with it and I think that I can safely say I recommend Belkin KVM's. I'd go for higher end video cables to prevent artifacts and ghosting on your monitor.
Good luck!
Cheers,
Sean
My KVM switch just arrived this afternoon. I purchased it for approximately 150 USD including 4 cables (6 ft). It is a Vastech 4-port job I purchased from a company I found on PriceWatch called CableTron. NOTE: I am in no way affiliated with CableTron. The switch claims to support up to 1600x1200 resolution.
:)
I am using a Logitech wireless iTouch keyboard (PS/2), a KDS VS 21/e monitor, and a Logitech USB optical mouse wheel plugged into a USB-PS/2 converter (the switch does PS/2 only).
Here are my findings so far: the mouse resolution is OK, not perfect. Not adjustable. The keyboard support is a little flaky. It took a few seconds for me to be able to select kernels in RedHat's custom lilo, but I was able to before the 5 second timeout. One of my PCs does not seem to like the keyboard emulation. It is a pretty cheap motherboard from some bargain basement PC manufacturer. The BIOS of my ABIT KG7-RAID doesn't recognize it, either, but it at least boots. The other system just hangs.
The beeps it makes when powering on/off are VERY loud. I will probably open up the case to mod the speaker later. Supports keyboard switching or manualy switching, and beeps every time you switch. Standard SCROLL-LOCK SCROLL-LOCK # ENTER combo. The keyboard switching only seems to work when the OS recognizes the keyboard/mouse. It has a 10 second scan feature.
In some modes, I found that my monitor emits an extremely annoying high-pitched squeal. It seems to be OK in normal operation modes, but squealy when booting.
The switch looks fine up to about 1024x768 at 85Hz. Bump it up any more and it starts getting fuzzy. This works OK for me as I am too blind to see anything above this resolution anyway!
In summary, it is a pretty good bargain, and seems to work much better with newer systems, but it's definitely not the best switch money can buy. The old adage applies: you get what you pay for.
---- Just another spud server.
Excuse me. I have a Linksys 4-Port Compact KVM Switch: Model PS2KVM4
It runs a ps/2 mouse, a ps/2 keyboard, and a monitor to (up to) four computers.
Cost? About 90 bucks. Best damn 90 bucks I ever spent!
It's rated at 1920x1440 @ 85Hz on the video side.
Mice-wise, and I go through a lot of mice, have ranged from low-end generic ps/2 ball-based mice to a mouse-systems optical mouse (yes, with the old style mirrored mouse-board) to a Logitech wireless optical scroll-mouse. And I never had any problems!
Switching is accomplished by pressing and releasing, in sequence, SHIFT, CONTROL, ALT, and one of [1234]. (Or you can push the little button on the switch. Or one of the other methods they offer that I don't care for...)
I use this little beastie with Linux *ALL* the time. Occasionally I use it with win98.
I've never had a problem.
Of course, I also blew a lot of dough on high-quality shielded and choked video cables. At $10-20 apiece, they add up. But they are necessary!
Their [Linksys] products are usually very good but if you're using an OS other than Windows then you generally seem to be by yourself.
I can't speak for non-windows systems, since I've never had any problems with any Linksys products under Linux. But, ironically given how seldom I use windows, I can speak for Linksys issues under Windows....
It's a long story. Dual-boot system. Upgraded ethernet card to Linksys 10/100Mbit PCI card. Linux required a new driver -- no big deal. Very simple to realize. Easy to fix. Trivial to install. Had it up and running almost immediately.
Win98 refused to work with the card. Mind you, the same hardware is working just dandy under Linux. Sigh. There's a lot to be said for "Microsoft quality". Said it's only libel. Written it's slander.
Tried everything. Tried calling Linksys. They were no help -- they thought it was a hardware problem with my motherboard. Tried calling Microsoft. They were willing to consider the problem, provided I pay them about 3x what I paid for win98 in the first place.
Eventually, thanks to some friends, I tracked it back to an IRQ issue. Windows decided to re-use an IRQ that was already in use... Of course, being windows, you can't change the IRQ assignments. The magic of plug and pray.
Finally wound up setting that IRQ to "reserved for legacy use" in the BIOS... And windows started working...
Mind you, the value per dollar on Linksys products is outstanding... They offer a superior product for a great price. And, for most part, given what they produce, there's very little need for support... KVMs and SWITCHes just aren't that configurable/breakable...
I just bought a Rose MiniVista KVM switch from KVMswitch direct. It arrived next day, works like a charm, but I'm not running high resolution video over it. Nice touches: it also switches audio, and is controllable from the keyboard. It is very tiny, but that's outweighed to an extent by the hydra of fairly inflexible cables sprouting from it -- I plan on Velcro-ing it to the underneath of the desk.
W.A.S.T.E.
agree 100%.
The *only* trouble I've had with my PS2KVM4 is that certain optical wheelmice won't work. I got my PS2KVM4 almost two years ago, I think right as they first came out, so perhaps mine isn't as robust as newer ones?
As for keyboard repeat? Try using xset. My settings *ALWAYS* change with a machine being booted while active on the KVM.
I've used FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Linux and Win98/2k without trouble.
sedawkgrep
Is that a salami in my pants or am I just happy to be me?
The Starview lets me select which port by pushbutton. The Omniview has only one button which requires me to run through each port sequentially, whether used or not, to get to what I want to get to.
These guys don't get a lot of use, they are for working servers. The Starview is new and I like it. We purchased it based on a local distributor's recommendation. I trust him. The Belkin's (which he also sold me) have let me down on too many occasions to be allowed back into the shop. I'd get video, but either the mouse or keyboard would simply give up on a given port. Power cycling the unit was no help whatsoever.
Hope that helps.
Lou
Anybody know of a KVM switch that works with the old sun workstations ? the ones with the 13w3 connector ?
Scott Cassaday