TechBlog from Sewell

OK, the name says it all, partially because it’s a really long name, but the Gefen DVI3000 HD KVM Ultra Extender (6.25 miles) is everything that it purports to be. This KVM extender lets you use a USB keyboard and mouse and DVI display up to 6 miles away from your system. From our product description:

Got a noisy computer? No problem. Leave your computer in the middle of the desert (or other remote location) and run a single duplex SC single mode fiber cable back to your workspace.

That pretty much sums it up.

As far as quality is concerned, the DVI port is HDCP compliant, and since the KVM signal is digitally encoded and sent along fiber optics, it’s completely lossless, so it’ll be like your tower’s sitting right next to you. Minus the noise, of course.

Rackmount KVMs are all the rage in SoHo and Greenwich Villiage these days, so naturally, Sewell would want to get in on the action. OK, so these aren’t the most glamorous product we sell (see: iTheater) but for you networking professionals out there, this may be of interest. These rackmount KVMs and monitor/keyboard units are designed to take up a single unit (1U) on your network equipment rack while still giving you an LCD monitor, keyboard, pointer device, and (if applicable) KVM switching. The coolest of these really cool rackmount KVMs and monitors have a dual-rail configuration, so that you can pull out your keyboard and monitor, keyboard, monitor, or neither (huh) while still only using one module on your rack. Pretty sweet.

For all those people out there that need to use two computers with a KVM switch, consider your options. PC computers are pretty versitile when it comes to KVM Switches. Almost any KVM will work. Macintosh computers and Unix/Linux computers are a different story altogether. For these type of computers you will want to consider your options. Look at the ports that your computer has available. The most common ports nowadays are the USB port and the PS/2. If your computer has PS/2 ports, then those are your best options.

PS/2 ports are round and have 6 pins in the middle.

USB ports are rectangle on the computer side, just like the one in the picture labeled A.

But at the same time, you will want to make sure that the KVM Switch you are about to order is compatible with that operating system. For example, we carry a 4 port ps2 KVM Switch that works with almost all operating systems. But it will not work with Mac OSX. You can plug the two together using a USB to PS2 adapter, but you are going to get some wacked out results.

You will also need to make sure that your KVM has the right video ports on it. Check out the ports in this diagram to see if any match up, and use the port name to get the right KVM.

Last of all, you will need to know if your keyboard and mouse are going to work with the setup. Many wireless USB/keyboard combos do not work with KVMs since not all USB KVMs send a true USB signal to the computer. In most cases it is much cheaper to get a keyboard and mouse with seperate connectors that have the same interface.

So, for best results you will want to:

1. Check the ports on your computer
2. Check the ports on your display
3. Check the ports on your keyboard and mouse

Once you know these three things you are ready to buy a kvm.

Alright, I’m going to be honest - if the idea of having wireless VGA isn’t cool to you then you are probably reading the wrong blog.

Wireless VGA is cool and it’s now a reality - right now it is only FCC certified for non-residential use (such as in an office or industrial building), but rest assured that soon you will be able to wirelessly control your computer from any remote corner of your house. So go get yourself a flat screen monitor, hide the tower in the garage and convince your non-technical friends that the entire computer is built into the little monitor. OK, that may be a waste of $650, but you should be able to find something cool to do with it.

Just a thought for everyone to ponder on. Macintosh keyboards are trouble when it comes to KVM Switches that use the Scroll Lock key as a switching hotkey. So if you have a Mac keyboard, and want to use it with a KVM, then get a KVM that doesnt use a hotkey. Also, you may want to test the Mac keyboard on both of your computers, to make sure that they are compatible.

A lot of people wonder what the difference is between a splitter and a switch. Basically, a splitter will take one source (such as a satellite receiver, a cable box, a computer, etc.) and splits the signal between two outputs. So if you have a HDMI splitter, you can connect one HDMI source, such as a DVD player, to two HDMI monitors. Notice that this will not extend your desktop - it will just show the same image on both screens.

A switch is the opposite of a splitter - it allows you to take two sources and use the source on one output without having to move cables around. So if you have a HDMI switch you can take two HDMI sources and easily switch back and forth on one monitor.

Check out our DVI Switches, HDMI Switches, USB Switches, KVM Switches and Audio Switches. We also carry DVI Splitters, HDMI Splitters and VGA Splitters.

We just had a customer return a PS2 to USB mouse/keyboard adapter. When the return had been authorized, the part was thought to be defective. When we tested the adapter, it worked fine. Just to make sure it wasnt defective, we tested it with several mice in several different ps2 ports. We plugged it directly into the computer, and tried it in two different KVM switches.

We then found out that the customer had been using a Dell optical mouse. I scraped our barrel, and found a Dell mouse(non optical). Upon plugging the mouse into the adapter, I found that nothing happened. The mouse was definitely good, and so was the PS2 to USB adapter. I searched the web and found several other people with the same problem. It turns out that Dell mice are not always compatible with these adapters.

Maybe Dell has an adapter that does work. As for our adapter, it is not compatible with Dell mice. Our adapter was made specifically Logitech mice. Most generic mice use the Logitech setup. Microsoft Mice also use the same setup as Logitech mice.

Just last week we had a customer that had looked several places for a DVI PS2 KVM switch to work with his Microsoft Elite Wireless Combo(w/ wireless intellimouse). He had received mixed answers as to whether such a device would be compatible with his wireless mouse and keyboard. After testing a similar scenario, we told him that it should work fine, but that we had not tested it with that exact combination. Well, he just received his KVM and says that it is working beautifully.

Our VGA KVM also works with wireless devices. I have personally used it with a Belkin ps2 wireless combo, and that worked great. If you are unsure that yours will work, then give it a try. If it does work, then great. If not, then get it authorized for a return. The only real compatiblity problems I’ve seen are when the wireless combo is going through one ps2 connection(rare), or when it is a USB wireless combo with multiple functions on the keyboard and mouse.

Are you looking for a wireless mouse? Click here.