[ale] Any Small USB KVMs that actually.........work?

[JD]

I've had a Belkin OmniCube
http://www.amazon.com/Belkin-Omnicube-Port-Switch-Components/dp/B00004Z84S
(4-port KVM) for a really long time.  Wow! $15 currently?  That is a steal!  Not
USB, but cheap ps2 to USB converters handle that - assuming you already have PS2
cables from the old KVM.  Since you already have the KVM, just get the USB
converters.  Let me search ... this looks like the ones that I have
http://www.amazon.com/Keyboard-Adapter-Retail-Package-Exclusively/dp/B0064TKPNI
$7 though I prefer to connect with PS2 connections since USB can behave funny on
some systems.  Also, for laptops that travel, when at home it is nice to just
connect a single USB to get both mouse and keyboard.

The KVM is connected to a 1200p display and 4 systems.  Half are pure servers,
so 80x25 text is fine, but the others are running ATI or nVidia GPUs and easily
push 1920x1200 without issues.

The prior KVM had issues when WindowsXP was released, but this one does whatever
is necessary to keep the mouse alive across all the physical machines.

I've had the KVM, cables and converters for at least 5 years - probably about 10
for the KVM. No issues, except for a laptop USB port that gets loose. Disconnect
and replug once a month fixed that.


> Neal Rhodes <neal at mnopltd.com> wrote:
> 
>> Any wisdom regarding USB KVMs for multiple linux servers that actually 
>> work?
>> 
>> I've had reasonable reliability with a PS2 Belkin unit for the last decade,
>> but now find that I've got to put in a 4 port USB switch for me and a 2
>> port USB for my wife.
>> 
>> I had considerable heartbreak with IoGear units in the last year and took
>> them back.   I'm reading that quite a few of the basic ones are terrible.
>> 
>> 
>> All I'm trying to do:
>> 
>> Switch VGA 1920x1080, Keyboard, Mouse.    (it would be swell if I could
>> keep my trusty ps2 keyboard and mouse)
>> 
>> With
>> 
>> HP Netvista running Centos 6.x IBM Netvista running older Fedora Dell
>> Notebook running Win7
>> 
>> 
>>> From what I'm reading, Startech.com seems to be a bit more expensive
>> but actually work a bit more reliably.