KVM switches

[grep]

I love KVM (Keyboard Video Mouse) switches, but it seems to me that they are not really good enough, the resolution of the video often suffers at really high resolutions, ie greater than 1600x1200, and they seldom support dual monitors. The usually lack the ability to reset the keyboard/mouse/video if it messes up. They don't seem to be able to control/support removeable media. they don't seem to support remote diagnostics. I would love to have a really good kvm switch that didn't cost an arm and a leg. But I would be willing to pay well for a really capable kvm switch, one that could support multiple monitors, high resolutions, removeable media, remote resets, and keyboard/mouse resets. What do you guys think, do you have/want or use kvm switches, would you want any of the features I have mentioned, do you already have them?

Ron

[Ranger_abx]

I use this one.

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...FOmniViewSE%2F

It's only $112 on buy.com. You control it by hitting the scroll lock button twice and then hitting the up or down arrow key. It cycles to the next attached box every time you do this. The greatest part about that is you don't need to touch it to switch boxes. I have mine buried behind my computers.

I don't use it for my primary box because there is a video loss at higher res. I have an old monitor plugged into it and use it for my other boxes. It works really well, and I have no complaints other than the video loss at extreme res.

Every once every three months or so one of the boxes loses the mouse connection. I've just unplugged the mouse from the extension cable and plugged it back in and the problem goes away.


I'm not quite sure how removable media has an effect on a KVM switch. By remote resets do you mean simulating the pushing of the reset button on the computer?

One feature I'd like to see as part of a KVM switch is audio ports. I'd like to be able to plug some speakers into it and an audio cable to each box and have it switch sound as well. I've done this same thing with a separate unit, but you have to manually switch it on the unit.

[grep]

no the remote reset I mean is for when you lose the mouse, some of the more expensive kvm switches have a keystroke combination to reset the mouse. So you don't have to unplug and replug the mouse cable.

The removable media allows you to have a floppy drive that can be in the kvm box and send the info on the floppy drive to which ever box you want. same if you have a tape backup unit. Instead of having a floppy and tape drive in each machine, you just have one in the kvm switch.

Yes the audio port allowing one set of speakers to serve all the boxes. I hadn't thought of that but it would be another nice feature.

The single most important feature for me would be the support of at least dual monitors

Ron