Re: KVM Needed

In article news:<hf6dnTuiKqTyFaXenZ2dnUVZ8qudnZ2d@xxxxxxxxx>, George
Woodbine wrote:
> I need a KVM that'll allow me to swap between 2 PC's with
> keyboards/mice, and 2 PC's that don't have any keyboard/mouse.

A decent 4-port KVM switch should do that.

There are some (that I wouldn't call decent) that don't simulate a keyboard
or a mouse if none is attached, but (if I understand your setup correctly)
you *do* have a keyboard and mouse, you just aren't using them for all the
PCs.

> ... the one I have now insists on a keyboard/mouse being present before
> it'll show the display for that PC. It behaves the same whether or not
> I use the optional PSU.

So ... you're saying that the KVM switch appears to be detecting the
keyboard and/or mouse connection to determine whether there is a PC on that
port (or whether the PC on that port is switched on), and not switching the
monitor signal if it thinks the PC is off/absent?

I haven't come across that behaviour before -- if that's a "feature" it
seems needlessly limiting.

It may be possible to rig up a dummy connection -- or split the signal from
one of the PCs that does have a connection and connect it to two ports on
the switch. You may only need to do that for the keyboard (Not everyone
uses a mouse (or even a GUI)).

You can get a keyboard splitter (lets you connect two keyboards - or two
keyboard ports of your KVM switch - to a single PC) from the likes of
kvmswitchdirect.com ... but you might be better off buying a different KVM
switch, from the sound of it.

Cheers,
Daniel.


.

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