2 Pcs , 2 TFTs, one keyboard and mouse!

Hussman · 8 Aug 2006 at 23:11

Hi,

I currently have 2 PCs and 2 tfts.

Due to lack of space on my desk I only have 1 keyboard, and 1 mouse.

I'd like to work on both PC simultaneously, using the same keyboard and mouse.

In the past I have tried using a KVM, but the image degradation was too much and I took the KVM back.

I was wondering, now that I have 2 tfts, could I use a KVM, but not connect up the monintor leads. Would this still work, and just allow me to use the same mouse and keyboard?

I had thought about buying a second mouse and then getting 2 keyboard cable extenders. I could then have the two extentions on the desk and manually unpluging from one and into the other each time I wanted to swap the PC I was working on. This was a bit of crap idea.

Please don't tell me to buy a bigger desk. I don't have the room!!

All help gratefully received.

Minstadave · 8 Aug 2006 at 23:12

Hussman said:
In the past I have tried using a KVM, but the image degradation was too much and I took the KVM back.

I was wondering, now that I have 2 tfts, could I use a KVM, but not connect up the monintor leads. Would this still work, and just allow me to use the same mouse and keyboard?

Thats how I'd do it

Or just plug both monitors into one PC, use an extended desktop and just remote desktop to the second PC.

Trigger · 8 Aug 2006 at 23:13

Buy a bigger room?

Nah, that setup should work fine

Out of interest, how long ago did you try the KVM on the monitor because with my current belkin one, I suffer hardly any quality loss at all :confused:

Hussman · 8 Aug 2006 at 23:22

Why don't they make houses out of lego? You could build a bigger room easier then!

It was about a year ago. Bought it from a shop in the high street where you order things via a catalogue. Advertised by Richard E Grant.

It was a Belkin one.

Thanks for the help...

Coln · 9 Aug 2006 at 17:39

Got kinda a similar problem as well just now.

2 x Pc's (4000+ & E6600) and 1 monitor (NEC 20WGX2). Just bought the monitor yesterday and getting ghosting on the image coming from the KVM. Going to try plugging the gfx leads into the monitor direct and switching picture via the monitor and just use the KVM for keyboard and mouse (suppose it'll be just a KM then

)

Will report back how that works later

kitten · 9 Aug 2006 at 18:25

Yes, you can connect each PC with it's own TFT and use a single Keyboard and single mouse to control them through a KVM.

I have Daxten Scout... Cheapo 4 port KVM. The Image quality is fine (using supplied cables). I use my PC for DVD/Games/Digital TV. I Dameware into the servers downstairs.

Bolting a sliding drawer/platform under the desk for the second keyboard and mouse, and hanging a TFT of the wall with a positionable wall mounting stand is another space saving solution.