Re: [tlug] OT: CPU switches

[Michael Doughty <Doughty_Michael@example.com>]

On Thu, 27 Jun 2002 00:17:44 +0900 (JST), ayako kato wrote:
> 
> Has anyone tried any of those keyboard-video-mouse switches (at home) ?
> 
> I saw a few at a Bic Camera store today and was really tempted to pick one
> up.  I was interested in ones which lets you control 4 PCs.
> 
> Prices ranged from 14,800 to 22,800.  They're not quite cheap but if the
> quality is OK, then I think I could use one.  I wonder if anyone has any
> recommendations/advice ?

Hrm.  Depends.  What resolution do you tend to run your monitor at?  Will
you be using PS/2, AT/serial (could happen), or USB connectors?   

I personally have a 4 port USB KVM that handles (according to on the box 
specs) 1920x1440 or some such.  In some ways it is wonderful.  Two wires
lead from the KVM to any of my boxes (1 video 1 USB), and this gives
each box access to upto 4 separate devices (or more with an additional
USB hub of course).  The draw back is that every time you switch to a
box it goes through the "rediscovery" process with all of your USB 
devices.  On some systems (NetBSD) this just results in a pause before
input and verbose logging of the connection process to the console[1].
Linux, however, has issues when you switch to another box while in an
X session.  When you come back, the mouse does not.  Requires the tedious
jumping to another virtual term before you switch boxes or a restart of X
when you come back.  FreeBSD had some other issues, but I think that was 
mostly due to somewhat weak USB support at the time (4.3) don't know if
things have improved.  

But of course you also have all the standard issues with USB on unix 
boxes.

If you are looking PS/2, my only real recommendation is that you make
sure it is externally powered (ie, not just pulling all power from your
ps/2 cables) and that you avoid Belkin.  The first because these models
tend to do a better job of convincing the computer that the keyboard and
mouse never really left, and the second because they seem to make just 
generally inferior products.  Poor resolution, various monitor sync 
problems, losing the mouse, and unresponsiveness generally round up my
list of complaints with the Belkin products I have used.

Michael was feeling verbose today.


[1]  I have been told this is easily changed, but I haven't taken the
time to do so yet.