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Using USB to Separate Computer and Keyboard/Mouse?

Posted by Cliff on from the gaining-some-distance dept.

Klaus Thorn asks: "As a member of a technical team that plans a radio station with several audio-editing cabins I'm thinking about separating the noisy heat-producing computer from the cabin using one VGA cable and one USB cable. The computer is in the computer storage room. In the cabin there is (besides LCD) an USB hub with keyboard, mouse, soundcard and CDR-drive. Has anyone tried this? I need to know whether this all-USB-solution is clean and stable or a bunch of problems. I need to know what distance I can put between cabin and computer-storage room. Let's assume USB 2.0 and amplifying USB cables and Windows XP."

"One more detail: When the admin changes some hardware in the computer store room he does not want to run to the cabin to push a button. He could plug out the USB cable and plug in another USB cable that is connected to mouse and keyboard in the same room. After he's finished he could exchange the usb cables again (to the one leading to the cabin). This is only sensible if the computer will accept all four USB devices without driver reinstall and reboot. Anyone tried this or can predict wether this will work?"

4 of 66 comments (clear)

  1. Check first by segvio · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Look up specs on USB audio devices. Many (and I mean MANY) will not work at all on USB (power or unpowered) hubs and require a direct USB connection.

  2. Try it yourself by Rick+the+Red · · Score: 5, Informative
    Not to be flip, but why not try it yourself? Surely you have a Windows PC with at least one USB port, so give it a go. From personal experience when I unplug most USB devices Windows gives a warning that I should have told it first, but Windows doesn't crash. You might also try two keyboards (one in each of two USB ports) to see if you don't need to unplug the remote keyboard to use a local one (I'm sure you can find PCs with two USB ports and use one for local, the other for remote).

    As for how far you can go, I would think VGA is your limiting factor, not USB.

    --
    If all this should have a reason, we would be the last to know.
    1. Re:Try it yourself by sweetooth · · Score: 4, Informative

      You can use multiple usb keyboards on a pc. Or you could use a USB keyboard and a PS/2 keyboard at the same time. I've done all of the above with no problem. I believe the max extension on a VGA cable is 25ft and USB is 15' without signal boosting. If you want to spend a bunch of money you can get a KVM extender style setup which lets you extend the keyboard, mouse, video, and audio up to 250ft over CAT5.

  3. Try diskless with VNC by Craig+Maloney · · Score: 4, Informative

    Diskless with VNC might get you where you want to be. You can reduce the noise from drives and fans, and you'll be able to control the main machine(s) from the audio rooms.