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 2portKVM 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 KVMswitch. 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: Build quality, flexibility Disadvantages: Too few USB ports, a bit pricy
to switch from one machine to another.
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The CS1774 is a small but pleasingly heavy device that support up to 4 different computers. As well as the basic KVM function, it also includes a 2port USB hub, stereo out and microphone in and an Ethernet hub that accepts both 10 and 100Mbps links.
The kit includes a full compliment of leads for 4 PCs, a firmware upgrade cable, external PSU and full printed manuals along with a quick start guide.
The build quality is excellent with quality connectors and a solid metal case. The CS1774 is well designed with all the leads connecting at the rear except for two USB ports making it easy to keep everything nicely tided away. It is also designed to stack with similar units if desired. The keyboard and mouse connectors are USB although ...
Product Information for "Sitecom KV 005 - KVM switch - 2 ports" »
Kvm
Keyboard / Mouse Interface
PS/2
Max Resolution
1920 x 1440
Max Video Bandwidth
200 MHz
Manufacturer's product description
The KVM Switch Kit is ideal for controlling two PC's in the same working environment. The KVM Switch Kit saves you a lot of space, because it enables you to operate two PC's with one single monitor, keyboard and mouse. Thus you can control, for example, a printer server, a backup system and an Internet server without leaving your workstation. The system gets switched on automatically when you start your PC, or you can activate it via a combination of keys on a keyboard, or you may activate it manually over the KVM Switch Kit.
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