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2PORT USB KVM with Audio & Peripheral Sharing
See it at Amazon.com for $86.43Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
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Excellent! Works with enhanced keyboard & wheel mouse
(5 out of 5) by M Randall on Jan 20, 2009I've been looking for years for a KVM switch that would work at DVI video resolutions up to 1920x1200 as well as with enhanced keyboards/mice. This one does so perfectly. I have a veritable graveyard of other devices that I purchased and discarded until receiving this device yesterday.
The issue with most (possibly all) other KVM switches is that they 'listen' in on the USB line for a key combination from the keyboard to initiate a switch from one computer to the other. In principle this is a great feature since you don't have to take your hands off the keyboard to switch PCs. KVMs typically listen on the USB line by decoding the keyboard commands. This is fine for old-style, basic 101/102 key keyboards but if you have an enhanced keyboard with extra buttons for things like multimedia such as my Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000, the other KVMs don't understand the additional key presses and thus don't pass them along to the computer. This problem also impacts "enhanced" (ie extra buttons/wheel) mice such as my beloved Logitech MX Revolution which has seven buttons and two wheels. Other KVMs I've tried can't decode even the basic signals from enhanced mice, turning your enhanced function mouse into a non-function mouse. This is incredibly frustrating and led me to all kinds of arcane hookups including adding an external USB hub downstream of other KVM's generic USB port and not using the USB keyboard/mouse ports. At best this was a sub-optimal, partially functioning workaround - and this was the best I could do with products actually much more expensive than the Aten.
The Aten CS62DU, however, is properly designed and handles enhanced keyboards/mice perfectly with none of that rigmarole needed. I've also been happily surprised with the instant switching speed. The fact that the Aten is powered from the USB port and doesn't require yet another power brick is a plus as well. I'm also pleased by the tiny size of the Aten. I like to keep a tidy work environment (my wife claims this is to balance my frazzled creative mind), and the last thing I need is another clunky black box to hide somewhere.
All the cabling that you need is included with (and in fact is a part of) this Aten KVM. The cables are color-coded, nicely labeled and smartly configured so that multiple connectors are bundled into one wire and only split out at the end which reduces under-desk black wire spaghetti. I also like that it comes with an external switching button, however I didn't even need it since the USB keyboard and mouse decoding works correctly.
One thing to note is that the cables are permanently attached to the device. This allows the KVM to be as refreshingly small as it is but if one or both of your PCs are farther than typical from your monitor, you might need to add an extension cable. The attached DVI cable going to the output monitor is about four feet long and the two cables that go to the PCs are different lengths. One is about 18 inches and the other is roughly three feet. So if your farthest PC needs a total DVI cable run of more than six or seven feet to the monitor you should be sure to have (or order) a DVI male-to-female extension cable (or a female-to-female DVI gender changer adapter to use with an existing standard DVI monitor cable). Such cables are typically less expensive online versus local stores. This isn't even a quibble because some KVMs don't come with *any* of the needed cables and most don't include all the cables typical users need like the Aten does. Since the Aten is currently one of the least expensive USB KVMs capable of up to 1920 x 1200 DVI resolutions, the fact that a few users might need an extra extension cable to accommodate an extended workspace layout is a non-issue.
Bottom line: I highly recommend this KVM switch.
The issue with most (possibly all) other KVM switches is that they 'listen' in on the USB line for a key combination from the keyboard to initiate a switch from one computer to the other. In principle this is a great feature since you don't have to take your hands off the keyboard to switch PCs. KVMs typically listen on the USB line by decoding the keyboard commands. This is fine for old-style, basic 101/102 key keyboards but if you have an enhanced keyboard with extra buttons for things like multimedia such as my Microsoft Natural Keyboard 4000, the other KVMs don't understand the additional key presses and thus don't pass them along to the computer. This problem also impacts "enhanced" (ie extra buttons/wheel) mice such as my beloved Logitech MX Revolution which has seven buttons and two wheels. Other KVMs I've tried can't decode even the basic signals from enhanced mice, turning your enhanced function mouse into a non-function mouse. This is incredibly frustrating and led me to all kinds of arcane hookups including adding an external USB hub downstream of other KVM's generic USB port and not using the USB keyboard/mouse ports. At best this was a sub-optimal, partially functioning workaround - and this was the best I could do with products actually much more expensive than the Aten.
The Aten CS62DU, however, is properly designed and handles enhanced keyboards/mice perfectly with none of that rigmarole needed. I've also been happily surprised with the instant switching speed. The fact that the Aten is powered from the USB port and doesn't require yet another power brick is a plus as well. I'm also pleased by the tiny size of the Aten. I like to keep a tidy work environment (my wife claims this is to balance my frazzled creative mind), and the last thing I need is another clunky black box to hide somewhere.
All the cabling that you need is included with (and in fact is a part of) this Aten KVM. The cables are color-coded, nicely labeled and smartly configured so that multiple connectors are bundled into one wire and only split out at the end which reduces under-desk black wire spaghetti. I also like that it comes with an external switching button, however I didn't even need it since the USB keyboard and mouse decoding works correctly.
One thing to note is that the cables are permanently attached to the device. This allows the KVM to be as refreshingly small as it is but if one or both of your PCs are farther than typical from your monitor, you might need to add an extension cable. The attached DVI cable going to the output monitor is about four feet long and the two cables that go to the PCs are different lengths. One is about 18 inches and the other is roughly three feet. So if your farthest PC needs a total DVI cable run of more than six or seven feet to the monitor you should be sure to have (or order) a DVI male-to-female extension cable (or a female-to-female DVI gender changer adapter to use with an existing standard DVI monitor cable). Such cables are typically less expensive online versus local stores. This isn't even a quibble because some KVMs don't come with *any* of the needed cables and most don't include all the cables typical users need like the Aten does. Since the Aten is currently one of the least expensive USB KVMs capable of up to 1920 x 1200 DVI resolutions, the fact that a few users might need an extra extension cable to accommodate an extended workspace layout is a non-issue.
Bottom line: I highly recommend this KVM switch.
Waaaay better than I hoped
(5 out of 5) by T.A.Carey on May 29, 2009One computer is running Vista Ultimate with high end graphics card. One computer is running Windows 7 RC with very low end video card. At least both use dvi connections. Oh and then i am running a Microsoft usb wireless mouse/keyboard combo that i want to use as my console tools.
I will be darned if the thing worked perfectly right out of the box, mostly. On both computers i had to do a boot a couple of times before the mouse/keyboard would get a clue. However after that no problems.
It is a great spaghetti reducer that does what it is supposed to. What a pleasant experience.
I will be darned if the thing worked perfectly right out of the box, mostly. On both computers i had to do a boot a couple of times before the mouse/keyboard would get a clue. However after that no problems.
It is a great spaghetti reducer that does what it is supposed to. What a pleasant experience.