Advantages: Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution Disadvantages: No manual overide or audio support
has USB connections for the keyboard and mouse although Belkin do a range of KVM's so you can probably find a PS/2 equivelent if you have that sort of mouse/keyboard. The PS/2 models also include PS/2->USB adaptors so you'll also need those if you have a USB mouse and PS/2 keyboard. This particular model has no support for audio so if you need to also have your microphone and speakers switch from PC to PC, look elsewhere.
The monitor, keyboard and mouse are then connected to the KVM to complete the set up. One bugbear is that like the vast majority of KVMs, this Belkin unit has cables going in one end and out the other making it difficult to place on a desktop without having cables hanging out everywhere. However, there is no reason why you can't just tuck it out the way out of sight as it has no parts you'd normally need to access ...
Advantages: Cheap, all in one solution, audio support Disadvantages: No manual overide
two PCs along with audio. The video side uses a VGA connector and supports resolutions of up to 2048x1536 @65Hz.
Switching between PCs is done via an easily remembered keyboard sequence. I would however have like to have had a manual button on the device itself in case the keystroke sequence interfered with anything. Also, if the current PC locks up, you can'tswitch to the other without rebooting the locked one.
The top of the F1DL102P features a pair of LEDs to show which PC is currently selected.
If you need to keep an eye on both PCs, you can enable autoscan mode which toggles back and forth between the PCs every eight seconds. A quick press of the space bar stops autoscanning and lets you use the currently selected PC.
The F1DL102P claims support for scrolling mice but I did find sometimes one PC would start up ...
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 "Nortel BayStack 470 model 48T - switch - 48 ports" »
Manufacturer's product description
Part of the successful Nortel Networks BayStack family, the BayStack 470-48T Switch is a high-density, stackable 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Layer 2 switch with two built-in GBIC uplink ports as well as built-in stacking connectors in a compact 1U high design. The BayStack 470 Switch is designed to provide high-density connectivity to enterprise customers, enabling network resources to be provisioned across the enterprise via a highly available, scalable solution that minimizes capital and operational expenses, while offering Quality of Service (QoS) feature-rich functionality.
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