KVM Switch with Ethernet

Mcintosh85

Mcintosh85

Mcintosh85

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Hi,

I'm new to the forum, and hoping this is the correct place for this question.

I am trying to find the best solution for using 2 laptops with peripherals, but also with Ethernet connection.

I would like the internet (ethernet) to work on both laptops simultaneously, but the other peripherals (monitor, mouse etc) only when switched.

Is this possible with a KVM switch? If yes, any recommendations? If no, what is the best solution for this? To minimise cables/clutter.

Thanks in advance.
 
Maybe remote access the other laptop through whichever you decide is your main one, then all you would need is an £8 unmanaged network switch and a couple of cat5e cables.

Of if your external monitor happens to have two input ports, say HDMI and VGA, then there is software you can get which will share a keyboard and mouse between the two laptops without any hardware switch or cables. I assume the software does it all over ethernet, so will still need the network switch, network cables and the appropriate video cables.
 
This might be a bit more complex than you perhaps had in mind but an option would be to use something like a USB-C/ThunderBolt docking station (CalDigit, Belkin etc) where it provides everything over a single cable, and connect that into a USB-C/TB switch that is connected to both devices. In theory that can charge the laptops if they support PD over USB-C/TB (I'd guess whichever is currently connected via the USB-C/TB switch) and allow multiple monitors, USB, audio, ethernet etc using a single cable to each. I use a CalDigit HDMI dock at work and at home with a MacBook Pro and they work great. I have never tried it with a USB-C/TB switch however!
 
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first off this is after 10mins googling, I haven't used KVMs in over 20 years so please take this as suggestions for further research.

just getting a basic switch will not suffice if you want to have a single ethernet cable shared between laptops, the available laptop connections will dictate what solutions would or would not work for you.

some things to consider

1. can your laptops connect via usb c
2. do either have ethernet ports?
3. do your laptops have hdmi or dvi or both for video output
4. what connections does your monitor have? dvi/hdmi/vga

One ethernet KVM switch would be

MKAN-SG3114​

a HDMI KVM Switch With Ethernet Port allowing for up to 4 computers to connect viua hdmi and usb 3.2 and audio, i suspect this would not be cheap

I can't find anything suitable on ocuk unfortunately for a KVM but a simple ethernet switch with a standard KVM without ethernet could be the cheaper option

edited to help without linking to competitors sorry :)
 
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AlphariusOmegan said:
first off this is after 10mins googling, I haven't used KVMs in over 20 years so please take this as suggestions for further research.

just getting a basic switch will not suffice if you want to have a single ethernet cable shared between laptops, the available laptop connections will dictate what solutions would or would not work for you.

some things to consider

1. can your laptops connect via usb c
2. do either have ethernet ports?
3. do your laptops have hdmi or dvi or both for video output
4. what connections does your monitor have? dvi/hdmi/vga

One ethernet KVM switch would be

MKAN-SG3114​

a HDMI KVM Switch With Ethernet Port allowing for up to 4 computers to connect viua hdmi and usb 3.2 and audio, i suspect this would not be cheap

I can't find anything suitable on ocuk unfortunately for a KVM but a simple ethernet switch with a standard KVM without ethernet could be the cheaper option

edited to help without linking to competitors sorry :)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply.

I actually have a ethernet switch downstairs, with multiple outlets. One goes to a garden room, and one to my main office.

It is in the main office that I would like the optimised 2 laptop setup. Would I have to run 2 ethernet cables to the office from the ethernet switch downstairs (approximately 25m run), to service both laptops? Or could I have the current 1 cable routed, then a splitter in the office, to service both? If a splitter is possible, is this likely to affect the network performance?
 
I wouldn't use a splitter personally. I'd have the cable that goes to the office plug into a 4 port switch in the main office with the laptops both plugging into that, this will allow both laptops full speed access then a KVM connected to the kb/mouse/monitor and laptops.

if you wanted to remove the cost of the main office switch then yes run a second ethernet cable to the downstairs switch, depending on your floorplan and how you currently run the cables this might be a more labourious method and the time and effort could be more than the cost of a switch.

For example I've run all my cabling under the flooring and i cut channels into the brickwork for ethernet ports in the relevant rooms, to add another cable to my office would take me several hours of removing carpeting, flooring, channeling then run the cable and replacing everything. Why do this when I can get a 1gbe switch for less than £20
 
Mcintosh85 said:
Ok. I could do this, but was hoping there was a tidier solution.

Laptops don't have ethernet connection, so would need an additional ethernet to usb for each too.
Click to expand...
WiFi ;)

Seriously, good WiFi is actually good and no wires required.

You may be over thinking this one and you'll want your computers permanently connected to the network and only switching your peripherals.
 
b0rn2sk8 said:
WiFi ;)

Seriously, good WiFi is actually good and no wires required.

You may be over thinking this one and you'll want your computers permanently connected to the network and only switching your peripherals.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately Wifi is not good for some of the work required, even at high upload/download rates.


AlphariusOmegan said:
I wouldn't use a splitter personally. I'd have the cable that goes to the office plug into a 4 port switch in the main office with the laptops both plugging into that, this will allow both laptops full speed access then a KVM connected to the kb/mouse/monitor and laptops.

if you wanted to remove the cost of the main office switch then yes run a second ethernet cable to the downstairs switch, depending on your floorplan and how you currently run the cables this might be a more labourious method and the time and effort could be more than the cost of a switch.

For example I've run all my cabling under the flooring and i cut channels into the brickwork for ethernet ports in the relevant rooms, to add another cable to my office would take me several hours of removing carpeting, flooring, channeling then run the cable and replacing everything. Why do this when I can get a 1gbe switch for less than £20
Click to expand...

Ok, So its acceptable to have more than one ethernet switch in the line then? Setup would look something like this:

Router ------> Ethernet Switch -------> ethernet cable to office --------> 2nd Ethernet Switch --------> 2 x Ethernet cables to the laptops

As long as performance is not affected this would be ok for me.
 
ideally you would have as few switches as required but it's not harmful to chain. my own set up is
routerswitch ----> backbone switch --->living room switch
|--->bedroom 1 switch
|---> office switch

I don't like wifi (personal preferance) so all my equipment is ethernet cabled.

Performance is affected by electrical interferance and length of cable. below 55m you should get the full cat rated speeds but a max of 100m per cable before you need to introduce a repeater/switch, it's unlikely you'll be greater than 55m
 
KVMs that include network switching are annoying. You want network ports to be permanently connected, not switched in/out as you move between devices. Dell made that mistake with the KVM in their monitors.
 
Mcintosh85 said:
Unfortunately Wifi is not good for some of the work required, even at high upload/download rates.
Click to expand...
What work is required? Modern, well configured WiFi is very good.

I do agree that if you can cable, you should but the days of dismissing WiFi because it’s WiFi are long gone IMO.

Mcintosh85 said:
Ok, So its acceptable to have more than one ethernet switch in the line then? Setup would look something like this:

Router ------> Ethernet Switch -------> ethernet cable to office --------> 2nd Ethernet Switch --------> 2 x Ethernet cables to the laptops

As long as performance is not affected this would be ok for me.
Click to expand...
There are bottlenecks in the sense you are limited by the smallest link to the wider network but in practice, unless both laptops are doing large file transfers at the same time, you are not going to notice.
 
Ok, a second network switch it is then.

The switch I currently have is a TP Link TL-SG108. Probably a bit overkill to get another for the office locations. Recommendations for a suitable one? Or really doesn't matter?
 
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