Iogear GCS632U MiniView Micro USB PLUS KVM Switch with Audio and Cables

Amazon Customer Reviews

(2 out of 5)

Iogear not upfront in product description about conflicts

Despite the mixed reviews here, I decided to gamble and take a chance on the Iogear GCS632U since I've had previous success with their switches. However, I immediately ran into problems with my mouse and keyboard. (Video looked great.) When I contacted Iogear support via their online form, they sent the following blurb back to me. I'm pasting it here so those of you who are still making a purchasing decision can have this information in addition to the incomplete product description provided above:

"Please ensure that you are using a native wired mouse and keyboard as wireless devices or any types of converters/adapters are NOT supported and will not work. Also docking stations or port replicator will interfere with proper KVM functionality and special keys on multimedia keyboards are not supported and will not work."

(5 out of 5)

Great USB Kvm, skip the audio though

Like most other reviewers, I could not get decent performance from the audio part of this KVM. But to finally get a good performing KVM that works with a USB console is worth the price and skip the audio. Good KVMs with PS2 consoles have been around for years, but USB console KVMS that don't cost you any mouse or keyboard functionality have been hard to come by. Many in fact describe themselves as a "USB KVM", but only the connections to the host PCs are USB; the actually keyboard and mouse have to be PS2, or you have to use a USB to PS2 adapter, which is where the functionality in the USB keyboard and/or mouse gets lost.

This compact unit finally does the trick and lives up to the expectations one would have of a genuine "USB KVM".

Thanks IOGEAR. This is certainly on my Product-Of-The-Year list for 2004!

(2 out of 5)

Use dedicated USB peripherals

UPDATED:

Turns out that most of my issues came from a PS2 to USB adapter that didn't work well. I was using a standard keyboard that plugs into the dedicated keyboard port on the back of the PC, with a PS2 to USB adapter.

Switching to a USB keyboard resolved all of the issues I describe below.

-----------------
On a *daily* basis, it will stop recognizing the the hotkeys to switch between PC's, requiring I unplug the keyboard and mouse from the unit and then plug them back in to get the hotkeys to work again.

Also, highlighting text, then typing to replace it generally ends up with very random results as the highlighted text is usually not replaced and your cursor jumps somewhere else in the document. Occasionally, for no discernable reason, your cursor will just start racing away from where you were just typing.

If you're willing to get up and unplug/plug cables once or twice a day and lose some of the type-and-replace convenience, this works fine. But the idea behind these gadgets is to increase convenience, not reduce it.

(5 out of 5)

It works with my Logitech Cordless MX Duo!!

I bought a MiniView Micro USB Plus 2 port KVM (GCS632U) to go with my Logitech Cordless MX Duo. I plugged in a single USB cable from the Logitech into the KVM's keyboard USB port. I left the mouse port empty since the Logitech's keyboard and mouse both use the USB port. I connected the cables to my computers, and fired them up. My computer that never had the Logitech Mouseware software installed recognized and worked perfectly. My other machine that ironically had the software previously installed, needed to have it reinstalled. After that minor hiccup, which is completely unrelated to the KVM, I had everything working flawlessy. All the special keys worked on my machine with the Logitech keyboard and mouse software installed. The other machine doesn't need the special features so I never installed the software. Anyway, what the Belkin USB (F1DS102U F1DS104U) KVM couldn't give me for $100, IOGEAR gave me for $69.99 :) Repeating keys work as they should and switching machines is so fast sometimes I can't tell if I switched. I also like the fact that the unit doesn't beep! Thanks IOGEAR for telling the truth about your products.

(1 out of 5)

Not for wireless use

The instruction manual on the IOGEAR web site finally solved my problem - the "USB" ports on the device aren't actually USB ports. They take a USB plug, but they don't pass the entire signal - they replicate keyboard and mouse ports, and don't allow combinations to pass all data. Skip this switch if your mouse and keyboard are on one USB cable, or you are using a wireless mouse/keyboard combo. It wouldn't even work with a wireless keyboard plugged into the KEYBOARD port and a wired mouse plugged into the MOUSE port. That's right, separate ports - should have tipped me off!