[ale] Using wireless KB on KVM switch

[Michael H. Warfield]

On Fri, 2012-11-02 at 09:36 -0400, Calvin Harrigan wrote:
> On 11/2/2012 8:27 AM, Jim Lynch wrote:
> > I have no idea if this is a universal situation or not but here goes. My
> > keyboard quit working this morning.  So I grabbed my wireless keyboard
> > that I carry with my netbook when I need to actually do work. It's a
> > Logitech KB and mouse combo, but I was just using the KB.  I replace the
> > KB (usb) by plugging the dongle into the KVM.  It didn't work.  I then
> > decided to test to see if the dongle needed to go in the mouse usb port
> > on the KVM.  Yes.
> >
> > So the bottom line is that if you try to get a wireless KB/mouse combo
> > working try putting the dongle in the mouse port.
> >
> > Jim.
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Ale mailing list
> > Ale at ale.org
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> > See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at
> > http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo
> >
> 
> Interesting, I would have thought a keyboard/mouse would be a generic 
> HID.  Could it be the case where sometimes you plug in a usb peripheral 
> into a port and it doesn't work but plugging it into another it does? 
> Try cycling power on the KVM with the wireless dongle in the keyboard 
> port.  Not much to be gained really, but it would be informative.

They are a generic HID.  The thing is the KVM itself.  I have an Avocent
USB KVM that's the same way.  The thing about the dedicated ports is
where the KVM itself is looking for certain HID devices for using for
internal functionality such as the [Scroll-Lock Scroll-Lock] combination
to switch screens on the Avocent.  If you plug the mouse and keyboard
into the wrong ports certain things don't work right on the KVM and
something don't even make it to the systems.  Depends on the KVM.  For
instance, with the keyboard and mouse plugged to the rear, generic, USB
ports on the Avocent, everything to the host systems work but the screen
switch from the keyboard is not.  Plug them into the designated ports on
the front, correct, and everything works.  Plug them in to the front
reverse and nothing works.  I don't know which of the two ports would
work for a keyboard mouse combo but I wouldn't be surprised if it had to
be the mouse port.

Regards,
Mike
-- 
Michael H. Warfield (AI4NB) | (770) 985-6132 |  mhw at WittsEnd.com
   /\/\|=mhw=|\/\/          | (678) 463-0932 |  http://www.wittsend.com/mhw/
   NIC whois: MHW9          | An optimist believes we live in the best of all
 PGP Key: 0x674627FF        | possible worlds.  A pessimist is sure of it!
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 482 bytes
Desc: This is a digitally signed message part
URL: <http://mail.ale.org/pipermail/ale/attachments/20121102/2eb8c2c7/attachment.sig>