Belkin OmniView SOHO Series 4 Port KVM Switch - KVM switch - 4 ports

...A 4-port KVM switch from Belkin that supports PS/2 keyboard and mouse sharing with VGA video between 4 different PCs. While Belkin do make switches that support USB keyboards and mice and DVI monitors, the ageing assortment of Frankenstein PCs that I have in my study means that the older PS/2 and VGA interfaces were just the ticket.

Measuring an extremely compact 20cm x 8cm, the switch itself is made from a dark grey plastic. All 4 ...
...a 4-port switch. Of course, Belkin do sell additional sets so I suppose it at least means that you can buy these as you need them rather than have to buy all 4 at once.

So far then, it does everything you would probably want it to but it's not without its faults.

The supplied cables are relatively short - certainly shorter than 2m, which means that you're switch can never be very far from your PCs or your keyboard, monitor ... more

I'll let you know from the start, this review will be moderately technical and only of any real interest to folk that have multiple PCs in the same room. The reason for this is that the purpose of a KVM switch is to share a single Keyboard, Video Display and Mouse among a number of computers. If you don't have a number of PCs in the same room, you're simply not going to need one of these little beauties.

Sadly, I do have a number of PCs in the same room. The investment in terms of initial outlay, desk-space and electricity to run a separate Monitor, keyboard and mouse for each one was not something to relish. I'd used KVM switches at work so I set about looking for one for my home office.

PC-World had the answer to my questions. A 4-port KVM switch from Belkin that supports PS/2 keyboard and mouse sharing with VGA video between 4 different PCs. While Belkin do make switches that support USB keyboards and mice and DVI monitors, the ageing assortment of Frankenstein PCs that I have in my study means that the older PS/2 and VGA interfaces were just the ticket.

Measuring an extremely compact 20cm x 8cm, the switch itself is made from a dark grey plastic. All 4 sides of the unit are covered in sockets, the two long sides are home to the 4 sets of sockets that connect to the PCs. Each PC connection has its own group of Keyboard, VGA and Mouse sockets, clearly labelled and numbered. Note, please, that there is no connector for audio so your sound output will not get switched between PCs. The sockets for the actual keyboard and mouse are on one end while the actual monitor is plugged into the opposite end. While there is a socket for a DC adapter, in general use it requires no power supply, taking all the "juice" it needs from the PS/2 interfaces of the attached PCs. The only time you will need to plug it in is if you want to run a wireless keyboard and mouse from it, which takes more power than can be scrounged from the connected PCs.

4 Amber LEDs sit on top of the switch. Only one is lit at any one time, indicating which PC is currently "active". A press of the big silver button on the top of the unit cycles through the 4 ports in sequence (even if there's nothing attached), with the unit emitting a single high-pitched "beep" as it cycles through each PC. There's a brief delay between settling on a PC to control and the keyboard/mouse working but this is far from a problem as it barely lasts a second. One of my worries had been how well it handles higher-resolution video signals but it's not been a problem. In use, 1600x1200 resolution comes through the switch without any appreciable ghosting or distortion. Everything below that works fine as well but I didn't try any higher resolutions.

Installation is a doddle. There are no drivers to install, no software to be loaded. All you need to do is plug the Keyboard, Video & MOuse sockets of your various PCs into the switch using the cables provided. Your PCs will not know the difference between this switch and a real keyboard, video and mouse. What you do need are the cables. The unit comes with two sets of cables (you need a keyboard, video and mouse cable for each PC you want to connect) - which is quite stingy considering it's a 4-port switch. Of course, Belkin do sell additional sets so I suppose it at least means that you can buy these as you need them rather than have to buy all 4 at once.

So far then, it does everything you would probably want it to but it's not without its faults.

The supplied cables are relatively short - certainly shorter than 2m, which means that you're switch can never be very far from your PCs or your keyboard, monitor & mouse. This is OK for me as my study is very small, but it can be awkward and will almost certainly leave you with a tangle of cables somewhere. On the topic of cables, the location of the actual ports, on each of the sides of the unit means that it ends up looking something like a fat plastic spider sat in the middle of a tangled web of cabling. The fact that cables issue forth from every side means that actually finding somewhere for it to sit is a real challenge, particularly as the VGA cables are reasonably well insulated and so rather heavy and unwilling to flex very much. Mine has ended up wedged vertically between the back of a desk and the wall - hardly ideal but the best option given the choices.

The construction isn't all that robust either. The big silver button on top of the unit isn't actually what I would call a button in the strictest sense of the word. When you press it you are actually causing the whole plastic case to flex rather than depressing a separate button. While it seems durable enough at the moment, I wonder how long it will last. It also means that sometimes you end up with a double-press of the button, and so over-shoot the PC you wanted to control and end up having to cycle back through the whole lot again. It's not a major problem, more a minor annoyance.

In summary, if you have a number of PCs in the same location that you would like to control, one at a time, from the same keyboard, monitor and mouse, then at £50 this is a good budget option. It's not the most ergonomic solution and, thanks to the location of the sockets and thickness of the cables, it will undoubtedly take up more desk space than you expect and leave you with a bit of a rats-nest of wiring. The other thing to watch out for is that it doesn't support the newer USB and DVI standards, nor does it switch audio. But taking it for what it is - a low-priced PS/2 KVM switch for Small Office / Home Office use it does a reasonably good job and for that it gets 4 stars.
 

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