Advantages: Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution Disadvantages: No manual overide or audio support
stops autoscanning and lets you use the currently selected PC.
The Belkin claims support for scrolling mice but I did find sometimes one PC would start up without recognising this facility if it wasn't the currently selected one when booting up and in extreme cases, wouldn't recognise the keyboard and mouse at all. Previous KVM's I've used send the PC fake 'There's a keyboard and mouse here' messages when not selected and it seems this unit does not, which is a pity.
Conclusion
The Belkin 2 port KVM is a well built unit that works nicely and provides a great way to save desk space and the cost of a second monitor, keyboard and mouse. The long leads are useful and despite the niggles with scrolling mice and the lack of manual switch. I'd say this unit is worth considering at this price if you can live with those shortcomings ...
Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution, audio support Disadvantages: No manual overide
It's surprising how many people have more than one PC at home although even more surprising is that many of them each have their own screen, keyboard and mouse.
In many cases this makes perfect sense but sometimes, you know you'll only ever use one or the other - perhaps one is your general PC and the other your music workstation. In these situations you can save a lot of space and money by investing in a KVM switch. KVM stands for Keyboard, Video and Mouse and allows you to use one keyboard, mouse and screen shared between two PCs.
This particular unit from Belkin is unusual in that it also includes audio support and also comes with all the leads permanently attached instead of being supplied as a separate cabling set.
Wiring it Up
Installation is simply a matter of taking each of the two main cables and plugging the sets ...
Advantages: Cheap, reliable, simple to use Disadvantages: None.
I liked this switch so much, I bought two of them.
Netgear have a reputation for cheap and reliable networking equipment, and this 5 port unmanaged switch is no exception.
When I bought my two, they were retailing online for approx £35 each - but these days you should be able to get one for approx £25 (inc VAT.)
The switch is more or less the size of my hand (yes, I have big hands). With 5 ports on the back - all are auto-sensing, as is the gigabit standard, so you don't have to worry about crossover cables if you're daisy-chaining switches... The only other port on the back is for power, which is the usual "wall-wart" plug in transformer you get with most home networking equipment.
Given the switch is unmanaged, you can just plug desktop computers, laptops, XBOXes, network printers straight into the switch, and not worry ...
Product Information for "Brocade 300 - switch - 8 ports" »
General
MPN
BR-320-0004-A1
Device Type
Switch
Enclosure Type
External - 1U
Width
42.9 cm
Depth
30.7 cm
Height
4.3 cm
Weight
4.2 kg
Networking
Ports Qty
8
Auxiliary Network Ports
16 x SFP (mini-GBIC) Ports on Demand
Data Transfer Rate
4.24 Gbps
Data Link Protocol
4Gb Fibre Channel
Remote Management Protocol
SNMP 1, Telnet, SNMP 3, HTTP, HTTPS
Connectivity Technology
Wired
Features
Full duplex capability, auto-sensing per device, trunking, load balancing, LDAP support, ISL support, Syslog support, traffic shaping, port mirroring, IP address filtering, firmware upgradable, event log, Quality of Service (QoS), RADIUS support, SSH support
Expansion / connectivity
Expansion Slots Total (Free)
24 ( 16 ) x SFP+
Interfaces
1 x management - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX - RJ-45 female
1 x management - RS-232 - RJ-45 female
8 x network - 4Gb Fibre Channel
1 x USB - 4 PIN USB Type A female
Miscellaneous
Rack Mounting Kit
Optional
Encryption Algorithm
SSL
Authentication Method
RADIUS, Secure Shell v.2 (SSH2), LDAP, DH-CHAP
Power
Power Device
Power supply - internal
Voltage Required
AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Power Consumption Operational
48 Watt
Software / system requirements
Software Included
Brocade Advanced Zoning, Brocade Fabric Watch, Brocade Advanced Performance Monitoring, Brocade Extended Fabrics, Brocade Advanced Web Tools, Brocade Data Center Fabric Manager, Brocade Adaptive Networking
Manufacturer warranty
Service & Support
90 days warranty
Service & Support Details
Extended service agreement - replacement - 90 days
Environmental parameters
Min Operating Temperature
0 °C
Max Operating Temperature
40 °C
Humidity Range Operating
10 - 85%
Manufacturer's product description
The Brocade 300 is an 8 Gbit/sec fiber channel switch that provides an affordable entry-level solution for small SANs or the edge of larger SANs. It enables small to medium-sized enterprises to simplify their IT infrastructures, improve system performance, maximize the value of virtual server deployments, and reduce overall storage costs. The Brocade 300 provides exceptional performance and functionality at an entry-level cost. It combines auto-sensing 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gbit/sec fiber channel throughput with features that greatly enhance fabric operation. The Brocade 300 provides these capabilities while consuming less than 2.5 watts of power per port for exceptional power and cooling efficiency. Brocade 300 setup and configuration is simplified with the Brocade EZSwitchSetup wizard, which makes switch configuration, deployment, and management an easy 3-step point-and-click process. The Brocade 300 is easy to deploy, manage, and integrate into both new and existing IT environments. With capabilities such as Ports On Demand scalability from 8 to 16 or 24 ports, the Brocade 300 enables organizations to grow their storage networks when necessary, in a non-disruptive manner.
