IOGEAR 2-Port DVI KVMP Switch with Audio and Cables (GCS1762)
From IOGEAR
The IOGEAR DVI KVMP Switch GCS1762 switch charts a revolutionary new direction in KVM switch functionality by combining a 2-port USB KVM switch with USB peripheral sharing capability at the same time as it provides an interface for a digital monitor (DVI). As a KVM switch, it allows users to access two computers from a single USB keyboard, USB mouse, and monitor, and any peripherals such as printers and scanners. The GCS1762s independent (asynchronous) switching feature, allows the KVM focus to be on one computer while the USB peripheral focus is on another. This eliminates the need to purchase a separate USB hub as well as the need to purchase separate stand-alone peripheral sharers - such as printer servers, modem splitters, etc. The GCS1762 further improves on previous designs with DVI (Digital Video Interface) connectors, and the transfer of keyboard and mouse data to the computers via a fast, reliable USB connection. DVI supports both digital input (flat panel displays, data projectors, plasma displays, digital TVs and set-top boxes) and analog video input (traditional monitors and TVs).
- Brand: Iogear
- Model: GCS1762
- Original language: English
- Dimensions: 9.00" h x 4.00" w x 11.00" l, 1.76 pounds
- CPU: AMD Athlon 1 GHz
- Memory: 128000MB DRAM
- Hard Disk: 1GB
- Processors: 1
- Native resolution: 640x480
- Display size: 669.2913385827
A few fatal flaws
This product would have been the answer to all of my problems if it weren't for a few fatal flaws;
1) It does not support 'multifunction' keyboards...their technical support informed me this includes any keyboards that include volume control, internet buttons, etc. You know, the kind that come with most modern PCs sold today. I don't use those buttons and keyboards are cheap - I'd be willing to just buy a new one except:
2) Mice with wheel buttons are not supported (according to their tech support, this also constitutes a 'multifunction' device)...so if you are a gamer (or just like the wheel button), prepare to replace your gaming mouse with a plain vanilla 2-button mouse.
3) Their tech support is pretty awful; They seem to have a checklist of devices that are unsupported (despite being pretty standard with most PCs on the market today), and seem more interested in finding a reason why your configuration is unsupported (thus ending the call) than actually working with you. My mouse was working on both PCs but was just a little choppy on one, but once the support person latched onto the fact that it had a wheel, they were unwilling to waste another second talking about what might be causing the problem and if anything at all could be done to fix it.
It's too bad, it's even a slick looking little device. I give it two stars because it does indeed switch back and forth between the two monitors.
It works ok if you work at it...
I'm switching a pc and a mac on an apple cinema 23" display at 1920x1200. The switching works fine with the mac but sometimes the display won't immediately show the pc. Not the fault of the kvm, apparently -- switching the DVI cable has the same effect. BUT you can solve that problem by putting the pc display to sleep quickly. When it wakes up with the focus already on the display, it works fine.
The keyboard is another story. First, there are two usb ports on the front, one for the keyboard and one for the mouse. Using my mac keyboard with the mouse plugged into it (it has a small hub in the kbd), the mouse will not work when the two are just plugged into the kbd usb port on the KVM. So, I plugged them both into the mouse port on the KVM. This works perfectly -- except -- the keyboard hotkeys do not work. In order for the mouse to work, it MUST be attached to the mouse port. For the keyboard hotkeys to work, the kbd MUST be attached to the keyboard port. But this leads to other problems. Apparently the firmware is a little buggy because the keyboard gets to acting oddly from time to time, slow typing, stuck keys, etc. This is because the keyboard port interprets the data for the keyboard, looking for hotkeys and/or mapping mac keys to pc keys. I turned off the mapping, and so far so good except for an occasional hiccup which can be fixed by using the 'reset usb' hotkeys. Of course, plugging both kbd and mouse into the 'mouse' usb port works perfectly, and you can switch the focus using the front panel switches.
Nice package, horrible product
I got this KVM switch yesterday and hooked it up to my laptop and my old desktop. The laptop would display properly on the monitor, but the desktop wouldn't. Plugging the desktop in directly confirms that my DVI port works. Also the switch would tend to lose the connection with my keyboard. I spent 3 hours repeatedly rebooting my computers, but I could never get the switch to work properly.
