KVM - What is available & cpl of Q's!

[ytrebil]

Just found out there is such hardware available that at the flick of a switch can swap mouse, keyboard and monitor from 1 PC to another.

I notice that they also do it via USB as well so will work with USB mouse and keyboard which is cool.

Question is, firstly, if one PC is using DVI cable to work with mon, and other is using normal VGA cable, how do I go about switching? If I connect up DVI cable to the KVM from my mon then DVI to 1 of my computers, then with the other just soley link up the VGA from the mon to the other PC and by-passing the KVM switch box, how will it work? Will the monitor switch from DVI to using the VGA for the other PC?

Probably sounds a bit complex so I'll try and break it down...

KVM Switchbox
IN:
- USB mouse
- USB keyboard
- DVI cable from computer A

OUT:
- DVI to monitor
- 2 x USB cable to computer A
- 2 x USB cable to computer B

Monitor
IN:
- DVI cable from computer A
- VGA cable from computer B

Computer A
IN:
- 2 x USB cable from KVM switchbox

OUT:
- DVI cable to KVM switchbox

Computer B
IN:
- 2 x USB cable from KVM switchbox

OUT:
- VGA cable to monitor

When I flick the switch from Computer A to Computer B on the KVM switchbox, does the VGA cable from Computer B to the monitor become active or will the monitor still try to use the DVI cable?

Thanks - sorry for long drawn out explanation lol - had to think about it!

Also - what's the best value for money one on the market at the moment? I've seen the Belkin one which supports USB K&M and DVI but it's about £80!

[-ChEM-]

doubt it, cant you just use a converter for computer A to run it through a VGA kvm into the monitor VGA or vice versa with DVI?

[ytrebil]

Can you get DVI connectors to go on the end of a VGA cable? Is this simply just a way of pluggin a VGA cable into a DVI female or does it transform the signal?

I wanted to keep Computer A running a DVI straight through without messing the signal up with analogue. So it's going to be some how adapting Computer A's VGA cable into a DVI adapter.

[arthurleung]

You can use a DVI -> VGA converter but they don't work another way round.

So you have to get a D-Sub (VGA) Switch and connect everything in VGA.

KVMs don't really have much flexibility, on top of their massive price tag.

Another way is to upgrade the computer with VGA so that it can output DVI, then use a DVI switch. DVI Switches don't handle analog signal, nor VGA can carry digital signal.

[ytrebil]

Okay cheers mate, if I can't upgrade Computer B to DVI I'll just have to use analogue for the time being.

Doesn't really bother me too much as on my TFT I can barely notice the difference between VGA & DVI.

That's all I needed! Oh yeah - can you recommend a KVM 2 port switch that is USB & VGA video then?

Don't wanna spend a great deal but obv quality needs to be spot on. Although I wouldn't have thought a switch would affect performance/quality of a computing experiance anyway would it? It's only channelling signals, not interfering right?