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#307725 - 28/02/2008 08:49 KVM's
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Ages ago, I think at least 4 years, there was a thread on this subject, and somebody posted that they had two screens and hardware/software that, if you moved the cursor from one screen to the other, the keyboard and mouse worked for the screen that the cursor was on.
Anybody remember what that was, as I've just come in to a 2nd screen?
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#307726 - 28/02/2008 08:59 Re: KVM's [Re: boxer]
peter
carpal tunnel

Registered: 13/07/2000
Posts: 4172
Loc: Cambridge, England
Maybe win2vnc? I haven't used it myself, because every time I've had two screens, either one's been Linux (x2vnc) or they both have (x2x), but it sounds like the right idea.

Peter

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#307727 - 28/02/2008 10:30 Re: KVM's [Re: boxer]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5680
Loc: London, UK
Originally Posted By: boxer
Anybody remember what that was, as I've just come in to a 2nd screen?


Do you have a 2nd computer for that, as well?

To clarify:

If you've got two computers, and only one screen, you can use a KVM, which is a piece of hardware which switches your keyboard, video output and mouse (hence the acronym) between the two computers.

Alternatively, you can use VNC or Remote Desktop (or X), which allows you to run programs (or an entire session) on the second computer, and have them displayed on the first.

If you've got two computers and two screens, you can either just use two keyboards and two mice, or you can use win2vnc or x2vnc or similar. They allow each computer to display on its own screen, but the keyboard and mouse are forwarded to the appropriate computer, meaning that you only need one keyboard and mouse.

If, on the other hand, you've got one computer and two screens, then just get another video card (or one with two outputs), plug both monitors into the same PC, and then extend your desktop across both screens (and on Windows, get a copy of Ultramon).

Or, you can do what I do: I have both screens plugged into the same PC, but I commonly have a Remote Desktop or VNC session to a second (or 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th...) computer.
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#307728 - 28/02/2008 10:55 Re: KVM's [Re: Roger]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Sorry, I see now that my post could have well been more specific! Para 3: 2 Computers and 2 screens with one keyboard and mouse is the configuration: I'll check your suggestions out.
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#307732 - 28/02/2008 13:38 Re: KVM's [Re: boxer]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14472
Loc: Canada
Originally Posted By: boxer
Sorry, I see now that my post could have well been more specific! Para 3: 2 Computers and 2 screens with one keyboard and mouse is the configuration


A hardware KVM switch would work equally well here, without connecting up the -V- portion, just the K-M parts instead.

Cheers

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#307733 - 28/02/2008 13:50 Re: KVM's [Re: mlord]
sein
old hand

Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
I think you guys are talking about Synergy.
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#307735 - 28/02/2008 14:12 Re: KVM's [Re: sein]
LittleBlueThing
addict

Registered: 11/01/2002
Posts: 612
Loc: Reading, UK
Software: x2vnc works like a dream to control a windows PC from an X session - it's transparent. x2x does it for, erm, X to X smile
The advantage here is that you can cut'n'paste between PCs.

Sometimes though you just need the hardware (my work PC throws up a fairly hard firewall when it runs a VPN connection) so I just bought a kvm for exactly this purpose. I got a Linksys one in the end - I went through 2 or 3 Belkin ones which were all flakey after a few minutes to a few hours use.

Check the plug types:

Are you using a USB keyboard and/or mouse?
Or is it a small round plug for them both? That's 'PS/2'
Or does the keyboard have a large round plug? That's 'AT'

You can convert between most of them but it's easier to get it right.

£12 inc postage...

HTH

PLAGUE WARNING: Don't buy one of these


David
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LittleBlueThing Running twin 30's

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#307736 - 28/02/2008 14:38 Re: KVM's [Re: boxer]
Attack
addict

Registered: 01/03/2002
Posts: 598
Loc: Florida
Are you talking about this thread? When I had a PC and a Laptop on my desk at work I was using Synergy .

I haven't used it yet but if your only running Windows then MaxiVista seems very cool.
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Chad

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#307737 - 28/02/2008 15:10 Re: KVM's [Re: LittleBlueThing]
sein
old hand

Registered: 07/01/2005
Posts: 893
Loc: Sector ZZ9pZa
Originally Posted By: LittleBlueThing
PLAGUE WARNING: Don't buy one of these

I'd just like to extend that to all Belkin KVMs that look anything like that. I had a USB number which drove me around the bend and intermittently had a mind of its own. I wanted to smash it up Office Space style.
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Hussein

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#307743 - 28/02/2008 17:32 Re: KVM's [Re: sein]
Cris
pooh-bah

Registered: 06/02/2002
Posts: 1904
Loc: Leeds, UK
Originally Posted By: sein
I think you guys are talking about Synergy.


I think it is, Godfrey I think we have had a discussion about this in the past, if you need a hand setting it up give me a shout I will pop over and give you a hand, it is very very cool when you get it working!

Cheers

Cris.

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#307751 - 29/02/2008 06:56 Re: KVM's [Re: Cris]
boxer
pooh-bah

Registered: 16/04/2002
Posts: 2011
Loc: Yorkshire UK
Brilliant!! As always this site is the most supportive on the web, thanks everyone for your input,
Cris, it'll probably be a week or so 'till I have the 2nd screen available, but, looking at the Synergy website, I've little doubt that I'll need your help.
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#307752 - 29/02/2008 07:22 Re: KVM's [Re: sein]
Roger
carpal tunnel

Registered: 18/01/2000
Posts: 5680
Loc: London, UK
Originally Posted By: sein
I'd just like to extend that to all Belkin KVMs that look anything like that.


Personally, I'd extend that to anything made by Belkin, but particularly their cheaper KVMs. We had a load of them here at work, but we threw them away and replaced them with a couple of Avocent AutoView jobs.

I don't currently use a KVM at home (I do the Remote Desktop thing), but I've got a quite nice IOGEAR 4-port KVM. I don't think you can get them in the UK, though (Hugo kindly picked one up for me when he was in the US a while back).
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#307754 - 29/02/2008 12:28 Re: KVM's [Re: Roger]
mlord
carpal tunnel

Registered: 29/08/2000
Posts: 14472
Loc: Canada
A Linksys 4-port KVM was a key part of the mainstay infrastructure of our company headquarters here (aka. my home office) for many, many years.

The hardware for it looked identical to other brands of four port KVMs available at the time, including models from Belkin and D-Link.

It went flaky at some point around mid-life, after about five years. I then cracked open the case and resoldered the external connectors to the internal PCB. It was still going strong after another five years when we replaced it with a six port model by SmartView.

The only regret about the new one, is that their eight port model would have been even more useful to us (but it wasn't available at the time).

Cheers

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#307760 - 29/02/2008 15:08 Re: KVM's [Re: Roger]
tfabris
carpal tunnel

Registered: 20/12/1999
Posts: 31563
Loc: Seattle, WA
Quote:
we threw them away and replaced them with a couple of Avocent AutoView jobs.


Can't get any better than that. And I'm not saying that just because G/F works there. I've used the Avocent products at three different companies now, and they're just awesome. (At one of the companies, it was an Avocent switch with the Dell logo stenciled on it, they do a lot of OEM business.)

Where I'm working now, we've got the entire lab wired up to their IP-enabled switches. I navigate to http://kvm and have instant control of any machine in the lab. It's "freakin' sweet".

Careful, though, Avocent bought at least one of the little entry-level-kvm companies to fill in the low-end hole in their product line. I don't know how to tell which switches in their lineup are part of that group. Probably tell by the price tag... smile
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#307764 - 29/02/2008 15:39 Re: KVM's [Re: tfabris]
wfaulk
carpal tunnel

Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
There's some nice stuff about Avocent KVMs, but I've been turned off by their false advertising. In particular, they claimed that I could daisy-chain their switches together and have one menu show all of the connected consoles. Apparently that simply wasn't true, at least with the models I had, despite the fact that it was explicitly in the documentation.

Also, the KVM-over-IP software is exorbitantly priced, after you've already purchased the KVMs, which are not cheap themselves. The dongles are pretty pricy, too.
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#307766 - 29/02/2008 16:37 Re: KVM's [Re: wfaulk]
drakino
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
All of the later Compaq branded KVMs, and HP ones are Avocent based, and they worked well. The IP KVMs though were less useful, as they were billing them as a remote management solution at a time when practically every Proliant going out the door came with a built in remote management solution already. The Avocent stuff only offered remote keyboard and mouse, while the built in stuff offered remote power, remote media and other features on top of the basics.

Quote:
In particular, they claimed that I could daisy-chain their switches together and have one menu show all of the connected consoles. Apparently that simply wasn't true, at least with the models I had


I remember this being a bit fussy on some of their earlier stuff, generally the ones with very generic on screen displays. New firmware did fix it, but some of the models had physical rom chips that had to be swapped to upgrade them. The later ones (2002ish) worked great to cascade, and I rarely saw any support issues with them.

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#307767 - 29/02/2008 16:45 Re: KVM's [Re: drakino]
tman
carpal tunnel

Registered: 24/12/2001
Posts: 5528
The IBM ones we've got are rebranded Avocent as well.

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#307778 - 01/03/2008 16:40 Re: KVM's [Re: Roger]
matthew_k
pooh-bah

Registered: 12/02/2002
Posts: 2298
Loc: Berkeley, California
Quote:

I don't currently use a KVM at home (I do the Remote Desktop thing), but I've got a quite nice IOGEAR 4-port KVM. I don't think you can get them in the UK, though (Hugo kindly picked one up for me when he was in the US a while back).

I recently started suspecting that IO Gear was really Aten, and I just checked and found out it was true. Aten is my favorite KVM brand, so I'll be checking out IO Gear.

Stay as far away from anything Belkin. I use one at work and it's the second worst KVM I've ever had the misfortune of dealing with.

Matthew

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