[ale] OT: stupid hardware question

[Jeff Hubbs]

In response to my request for a Cybex KVM switch, our IT people bought
me first a Belkin and then a Linksys switch.  Neither handled the
machines I connected it to correctly - Dell PowerEdge severs.  I finally
put my footdown and insisted on the Cyber 8-port and finally, joy was
achieved, as I knew it would be.

In an earlier experience, Cybex sent me a special adapter to permit
proper operation with an IBM PS/2 system, free of charge.  I've never
forgotten that, and I honor them with my continued patronage.

- Jeff

Wandered Inn wrote:
> 
> I've gone the route with these switches and I'll say that if you want to
> do this, you should get one of the more expensive ones that contain
> electronics that 'fools' the machine into thinking it's still
> connected.  I've got a 4 port Linksys that I've been using for about 4
> years now.  I don't remember how much it was, but I'm pretty sure it's
> in the $70-$100 range.  They are pricing, but the bloody work and they
> don't wear out.  I had a couple of mechanical switches before this, and
> they all got flaky after a while.
> 
> I've never heard or experienced the problem you've outlined below
> though.  I have had my switch loose power and when it does, the mouse
> and keyboard would not respond.  If I switched from one machine to
> another, I'd get the keyboard back, but the mouse would not return
> (that's in X) so I would end up having to restart X.
> 
> By the way, the linksys switch I have controls the monitor, keyboard and
> mouse. It enables you to switch from one machine to another via buttons
> on the front of the switch as well as a set of key sequences.  It also
> has a mode where it will rotate through all systems it's connected to.
> Seems like something you might use for a security system, but not
> something I ever take advantage of.  They also make larger switches, I
> think up to 7 or 8 boxes.
> 
> "Joseph A. Knapka" wrote:
> >
> > Displaying my ignorance... again...
> >
> > Today I got a 4-port KVM switch. It doesn't have a keyboard
> > emulation circuit; the instructions said, "unplug the keyboard
> > from your computer and plug it back in; if the machine still
> > responds to the keyboard then it will work with this switch."
> > So I did that (thinking even at the time that I'd heard
> > somewhere it wasn't a good idea, but what the hell, I'm
> > following instructions, right?) And the instant I pulled
> > the keyboard connector out the machine died - powered off. And
> > wouldn't power on again. Power supply is dead. (Amazingly enough,
> > the motherboard is uninjured - moved it to another case and
> > it booted fine.)
> >
> > So is this behavior I should have expected? I'm very hesitant
> > to try using the KVM switch with any of my machines now,
> > since switching machines is the moral (and electrical)
> > equivalent of unplugging the keybord. Incidentally, it
> > was an AT keyboard connector, on an AT motherboard, if that
> > matters.
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > -- Joe Knapka
> > "You know how many remote castles there are along the gorges? You
> >  can't MOVE for remote castles!" -- Lu Tze re. Uberwald
> > // Linux MM Documentation in progress:
> > // http://home.earthlink.net/~jknapka/linux-mm/vmoutline.html
> > 2nd Lbl A + 1 = 2nd Pause 2nd Prt GTO 2 R/S
> > --
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> 
> --
> Until later: Geoffrey           esoteric at denali.atlnet.com
> 
> "Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocre minds.
> The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit
> to hereditary prejudices but honestly and courageously uses his
> intelligence." - Albert Einstein
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