Home > Consumer Reviews > Belkin 2-Port KVM Switch with Bundled Cables (F1DJ102P-B)

The two complaints most often leveled against KVMs are: (1) video degradation, and (2) hardware incompatibility. I have not encountered either in using the Belkin F1DJ102PB for the past month.

I am running 2 Dells, one with W98 and the other XP-Home, through the Belkin to an Optiquest/Viewsonic Q95 monitor at 1152x864 and 85hz. The keyboard is a vanilla Dell keyboard and the mouse is a Microsoft Wheelmouse Optical. There have been zero problems.

I work with Excel spreadsheets all day long, staring at endless rows and columns of small font numbers. This makes me VERY fussy about video issues like ghosting, fuzziness and blurring. I can detect absolutely NO difference in video quality when using the KVM as opposed to running straight from PC to monitor.

The switch's maximum video bandwidth is 200Mhz. If you are using very high screen resolutions with high refresh rates (say something higher than 1600x1200x100hz=192Mhz), this could become an issue.

The mouse worked immediately on the Dell on which is was originally installed and, once I installed its drivers on the other machine (a step that I think many forget - and then complain about hardware problems), it worked fine there as well.

The unit itself is small and has cable connectors on all 4 sides. Once everything is connected, this arrangement can be somewhat ungainly - a big electronic spider. I have placed mine on the floor underneath my desk. This means I must use the keyboard shortcut to change between machines rather than the button on the switch itself, but I think I would do that anyway - its so easy. Hit the ScrollLock key twice and then either the up or down arrow key (BUT - only the arrow keys in the cursor keypad - not the ones under the '8' and the '2').

Every time you change from one machine to the other, the KVM emits a little chirp. I would like to strangle that little chirp, but this is my only complaint about the unit. It is an inexpensive (especially when you consider that Belkin has included the cables) but entirely satisfactory piece of equipment. Highly recommended.

This switch is wonderful. I was worried at first that is was so inexpensive (many KVMs are much more) but it works well. I use it to switch between two computers, one running XP Pro and the other running Server 2003. Both are set to a resolution of 1280x1024 at 85Hz refresh rate. I found that the monitor works best if both computers are set to the same resolution. Switching between the two is painless, using either the switch on the KVM or the keyboard shortcuts. The KVM can also automatically switch but because I leave my computer running Server 2003 on all the time I need to manually switch back and forth. Considering all the cables ar eincluded I think this is a great deal. Just be sure you need the PS2 model. If you have a USB mouse or keyboard then get a KVM that takes USB inputs.

This is the second KVM I have tried for my home office and have been thrilled at the performance. The functionality is as advertised. Setup was easy and you don't have to buy cables (long enough for my needs) seperately. I just hooked it up and let it go on my Windows XP and Red Hat 9 machines. The switch between computers is quick. I am also very happy with the price of the device. My only minor complaint is that the KVM has inputs all over it, and as a result you have to be careful so you don't end up with a rat's nest of wires.

I have been using this switch at work for a couple of weeks. It works well when using the keyboard shortcut. It is powered by the keyboard PS2 connection, so no power adapter is required. One small complaint about the unit is the bundled cables are 3 pieces for each computer, instead of being molded together, so I've got a LOT of wires under my desk now.

Now for the big complaint. For me, this is a deal-killer. If I were using this at home and paid my own money for it I would have returned it. There are ports for connecting cables on ALL FOUR SIDES of the unit. Who decided that was a good idea? The cables are heavy and take several inches to turn 90 degrees, so the unit takes up about 12" X 12" on my desk. This is unacceptable. Please, KVM Switch designers, all the cables should exit the back of the unit, unless it is designed to be mounted in a server rack.

I bought this switch so I could share a Dell Monitor, Dell ps2 mouse and a Dell ps2 keyboard with my dell desktop and my toshiba laptop.

Plugged it in and everything worked perfectly! It came with 2 sets of cables which is all you need to get this switch working. I have seen one set of cables go for $25 in the stores, so 2 sets of cables and a switch all for under $40 is a great buy!

I also like that you can switch between the two machines using hot keys, since the switch is buried under 1000 cables under my desk.

The design of the switch requires that something be plugged in on every side of the unit, which makes it tough to set it on a table top or desk. However, for the price it's not that big of an issue.