USB KVM switch blues...

B

Bolimomo

Bought one of those IOGEAR 4-port USB KVM switch, for 4 PCs sharing one set of keyboard and mouse. (I don't switch the monitor at all). For the most part, it works okay. But about once every few days, the keyboard buffer will start to act weird.

e.g. Anything I type, will just trigger an endless keystroke, like:

"qwewqewsssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss"

Non-stop. Since the KVM switch takes in power from the USB port and doesn't have its own power supply, there is no "ON/OFF" switch to reset it. In order to reset, I had to unplug the USB cord and replug it in - even need to change it to a different USB port on the PC.

Not only that... it cures only 1 PC. When I switch the KVM to a second PC, same thing. And I have to unplug/plug on the second PC and so on.

Really PITA. I bought the KVM and plugged the USB ports to the back of these PCs - where I really don't want to reach.
 
I also had problems with KVM switches, so I got rid of them and used a software solution. It requires all of the PC you want to control to be on a network. If all of the PCs are running Windows, try using Input Director. If you have a mix of Windows/Linux or all Linux, take a look at Synergy or QSynergy. Surprising, these free solutions works better than a KVM switch if you are just sharing keyboard and mouse.
 
Thanks for the idea, swingtrader123. I have used Input Director before and still have the software. I will revisit it and see if it works better.

But one thing is, indeed, that it requires all PCs to be on the same network. I have both Comcast cable modem and AT&T U-Verse. I put my main trading PC (thus keyboard+mouse at my all time attention) on U-Verse, and the rest on Comcast splitting the bandwidth.

I do have a wifi on this main trading PC to connect to the other network as well. But, for some reason (not known yet), I couldn't even get Window Explorer to access the folders on the other PCs, let alone using an app that relies on it. Some more work to be done there.

I am more keen on using a hardware solution than a software one, one less layer of complexity when problem arises... (or so goes the theory)...
 
Bolimomo said:
Thanks for the idea, swingtrader123. I have used Input Director before and still have the software. I will revisit it and see if it works better.

But one thing is, indeed, that it requires all PCs to be on the same network. I have both Comcast cable modem and AT&T U-Verse. I put my main trading PC (thus keyboard+mouse at my all time attention) on U-Verse, and the rest on Comcast splitting the bandwidth.

I do have a wifi on this main trading PC to connect to the other network as well. But, for some reason (not known yet), I couldn't even get Window Explorer to access the folders on the other PCs, let alone using an app that relies on it. Some more work to be done there.

I am more keen on using a hardware solution than a software one, one less layer of complexity when problem arises... (or so goes the theory)...
More...


I don't know how you have configured your network, but you should be able to access the files/resources of PCs located on the network. Please forgive my forwardness, but here is a solution if you are having problems interconnecting the two networks:

1) Set one router to 192.168.1.1, and set the other to 192.168.1.2

2) Set the devices using static IPs to use one router (U-Verse), or the other router (Comcast)

3) Link the Switches to each other with a Ethernet cable

Now - everyone is on 192.168.1.x so they can share resources, but use different ISPs for connecting to the internet.

Turn off DHCP in one router and only use DHCP on the other one, simply keeping in mind which traffic needs to go where.
 
Thanks for the additional ideas swingtrader123.

I have a few constraints. One reason why I have both Comcast cable modem and AT&T U-Verse (previously used DSL) is survivability. Hopefully no two of them are out at the same time. (But Murphy's Law strikes, I just had both of them out last week. But that's another story to tell...)

I want these 2 routers (cable modem, U-verse) to work independently. I don't really need to add the bandwidth for a bigger pool. Comcast cable modem is plenty, 45 Mbps, under normal circumstances.

And I don't want one modem to rely on the other for anything. They must be standalone, operating independently as in some rare occasions, I may need to reroute all my computers to use one of the two only. e.g. Comcast out, use AT&T. AT&T out, use Comcast.

RE: 1) Set one router to 192.168.1.1, and set the other to 192.168.1.2

One of these days I may design all my nodes to go static IP.


RE: 2) Set the devices using static IPs to use one router (U-Verse), or the other router (Comcast)

I may do that.


RE: 3) Link the Switches to each other with a Ethernet cable

This I can't. One modem is in the living room (Comcast). Don't want to run the coaxial nor a CAT6e from there into my trading room in the hall way. So the "computer to Comcast cable modem + router" is N wireless.


RE: Turn off DHCP in one router and only use DHCP on the other one, simply keeping in mind which traffic needs to go where.

I may think about this a little more. Not sure if I want to go that route. When one of the service provider is out, I want to focus on trading not doing technology modification. Repointing all my computers to a different wifi network is easy. Reconfiguring the router is not something I want to do.
 
The switch sometimes gets confused about which computer it's connected to, especially when I'm waking a computer from sleep. In this case, nothing goes to the display, and I need to press the selector button a couple of times to let the switch figure out what it needs to do. Annoying, but I can live with pressing the selector button a few times, as long as the switch actually starts working properly.
 
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