KVM switch or software solution?

ededed84

ededed84

ededed84

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11 May 2012
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I have just started looking in to something like a monitor switch. I have just discovered a KVM switch from my research. And also read that no one uses them any more.... So I am lost in a world of which I know very little and there are too many option, none of which seem quite right.

So I am hoping the smart folk here can offer a few suggestions.

What I currently have is:

I have 2 PCs and 2 laptops.

PC 1 is my main gaming PC which connects via displayport, and needs to run at 1440p resolution with max FPS of 165.

PC 2 is for 'work'. It runs off of a mobile dongle as it requires a different IP address. The monitor it links to only has 2 dvi-d connections. This is 1080p.

Laptop 1 has HDMI out and what i presume is VGA (i could be wrong - its 15 pins (3 rows of 5) ... currently this is also used for 'work and also has a mobile dongle linked for a seperate IP address. At the moment it is not linked to a monitor.

Laptop 2 is not used at the moment, but will in the coming months be used for the same purpose as laptop 1. This has a displayport and 15 pin (VGA?) port on it.

What I want is:

I want to be able to use all 4 devices from the same desk. I currently have 2 monitors / keyboards / mice on the desk and the laptops balanced on things to the side of the desk. So space is becoming an issue.

Ideally I would like to only use 1 keyboard a mouse for all the 4 computers.
Ideally I would like to keep both monitors and run each machine as duel screen with side by side display.

Is there a solution out there (or maybe a mix of solutions) that will be able to get all 4 working with 1 keyboard and mouse, duel screen for all 4 machines, without limiting the video quality or FPS of the main gaming PC?
 
Both PCs and both laptops at one desk? Do you absolutely need this? I.E. Can you do without it, because there are a few options. One, is going to be tricky (hardware) and two (software), isn't going to be great, but may work.

My setup is 2 PCs, and it won't come close to what you need. But maybe this could help, somehow.

Personally, I run a KVM switch for mouse and keyboard (switch supports 4 machines) as well as a 2nd one dedicated entirely to my touch screen. Btw, the touchscreen is on its own KVM as it doesn't play nice with the mouse and keyboard connected to the same KVM switch!
Anyway, my KVM switches support VGA, but, just so you know, there are switches that support DVI. However, my monitors have multiple connections, so I don't use KVM switches for displays, only the built in menu, switching between those input connections.

So, in order to switch screens to my 2nd PC, I make a single button press on each KVM switch, then I select the correct input for my paired monitors. Et Voila, it all switches round and I have perfect control. I also prefer this kind of setup as it allows me to mix and match, depending on my needs.


This is half of what you need, I understand. But, here's an idea - maybe it would be better to bring in a dedicated screen for the laptops and isolate the KVM switching for those two, while also running a KVM switch on the main PCs. I think this would allow you to avoid any problems with monitors and connections. Have a think :)
 
Wow i remember KVM, i used to use them about 15 years ago, didnt know they still exsisted.

I would use remote software to control the 3 work PCs from your main gaming PC as thats the only one you need to have low latency. I havent used remote software for a few years now as im down to just one PC so i cant remember the name of the program i used but it was very simple and worked very well, i could even control my PCs while i was out at work from my phone. I would plug both monitors into your main pc and extend your desktop onto the second monitor so you can keep that open to control the other pcs while your gaming on the main screen.

Im sure someone can suggest some good software for the job.
 
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BluD said:
Wow i remember KVM, i used to use them about 15 years ago, didnt know they still exsisted.

I would use remote software to control the 3 work PCs from your main gaming PC as thats the only one you need to have low latency.
Click to expand...


Yeah, KVM is still a thing. You can get stuff with HDMI, usb, etc. Btw, what remote software do you use? I occasionally use Splashtop in the house to control machines in other rooms. Quite handy when moving files manually!
 
OK so I have installed teamviewer and it looks perfect for all but 1 aspect. To connect to the 2nd PC the 2nd monitor needs to be connected to it so that I can accept the remote connection.

This causes the issue that I cant run both screens as a duel set up...

So possibly back to the KVM (or simpler monitor switch) ...

Is there a switch out there that allows for this?

PC 1 to link to monitor 1
PC 2 to link to monitor 2
Monitors 1 and 2 to link to PC 1 as duel screen

??? Would be ideal. As then i can mix up the teamviewer use and still get duel screens.
 
Yeah Teamviewer, thats the one i used to use, was a great little program. I dont remember having to accept connections though, maybe i had it setup to automatically accept i dunno, im pretty sure it was just on in the background and started with my PC as i could just log onto the PCs on my phone when i was at work. I remember it had accounts and the passwords were saved so it just connected up when i clicked on the name of the PC i wanted to connect to.

I would just get the second PC all setup with team viewer using the spare monitor then connect it back to the first PC if you can work out a way to auto accept the connection. It could have changed i guess since i used it as it was a few years ago.
 
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Pardon my ignorance, but is there a reason not to use the remote desktop connection application in Windows? I used it to interact with my rack server when i was doing configuration and never ran into any problems!
 
thanks for the help guys. i got it all sorted now :)

using teamviewer for the connection (akafonzie - teamviewer is way simpler to set up than RDP)

I discovered that after the initial set up, the other monitor doesnt need to be plugged in to the 2nd display. however i have 2 dvi-d out ports on the monitor and so now it is successfully linked to both pcs, and able to change between the PC from the monitor directly.

Thanks got for your help all.
 
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