I have a manual no-name 4 port KVM switch I picked up used at a computer
swap meet. It has a red reset button on it to reset the keyboards attached
if they get stuck (hung). I have to switch on each PC one at a time with
the keyboard + video switch to that PC for booting so it will detect the
hardware. I then repeat it for each other PC I have connected.
I don't use the serial port mouse connections yet. There are only serial
DB-9 mouse port connections on the switch and I need to connect a mix of
PS/2 and serial mice to them. Currently I just run separate mice on each
PC. I am just lazy to figure out the best mouse setup right now.
Everything is working perfectly right now on my first try in setting it up
so I am happy with it. I also need to track down the correct DB-9 to DB-9
cables for the mouse. I go to swap meets to pick them all the cables for my
box as they are cheap ($1-$2) used there. So far my switch box cost $25
with all the cables (box, 4 video, 4 keyboard).
For a manual switch, I don't have video problems. But I am running 800x600
res on the PCs with older 15 inch monitors. My main PC had a dedicated 17",
keyboard and mouse. My other PCs (SETI farm) run off the switchbox. Never
have problems running the switch box on video except if I don't manually
click into the switch position properly, then I get a bit of red tint. I
just jiggle the rotary switch a little and it is clean right away. The
keyboard froze once, just pushed the red reset and it came free right away.
I was afraid my previous post description would be too involved to
understand what I was trying to get across for the mouse ports.
I won't get into that again. My main point of curiosity was can a dual
mouse be used on my manual switch box running in PS/2 mode on one and serial
mode on another. Wiring wise I can connect everything with the appropriate
adapters. It looks like I will have to try it out on old 486s I have lying
around here.
The easiest way for me is run a serial mice on all PCs and skip the PS/2
ports.
"Thomas M" wrote in message
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As Alien Zord said, the keyboard is not a problem as keyboard converters
work because it is a simple wiring change between the two types of
keyboards
and not an electrical/electronic one.
But a mouse in serial mode and mouse in PS/2 mode are different modes
electrically/electronically. There are dual mode mice for PS/2 and
serial.
The mode of operation is determined when the mouse is turned on with the
PC
at power up.
I think this is going to cause a problem.
I have been wondering about the serial/PS2 mouse scenario. I have a KVM
switch with serial mouse DB-9 support.
Mind giving me the brand and model so that I can see if it will work for
my needs?
I think I could use it with the
appropriate cable converters to switch a PS2 mouse. I have a dual
Microsoft
mouse (serial and PS/2 support) and could connect the mouse to the KVM,
then
use DB-9 cables to the PC, add a serial to PS/2 converter and plug in
the
PS/2 mouse into the PC. Electrically it should all work fine in my
mind.
It will use the serial wiring and be in PS/2 mode through it.
Unconventional but nothing wrong with it. I assume one could use a KVM
with
PS/2 connections to run a serial mouse with all the appropriate adapters
converting the wiring.
This is basically what I am researching. As I understand things, it
won't work the way you describe if the KVM switch has only PS/2 ports.
The issue is that the KVM switch has to be able to emulate both serial
and PS/2 mice. Active KVM switches that autodetect activity and switch
automatically emulate only PS/2, so no matter what adaptors you have,
they will not work with serial mice. Supposedly, manual switches will
work with both kinds of mice, but deliver poor video quality.
I emailed Belkin Product Support to see if any of their KVM switches can
handle serial mice, and I was told that Belkin KVM switches support only
PS/2, and that a second mouse would have to be used for the machine that
requires a serial mouse.
An extension of this scenario is can I use the dual mouse in both serial
and
PS/2 modes. By this I mean have a PC with serial mouse only (AT) and
another with PS/2 mouse port support. I know I can physically wire up
the
KVM and the PC with adapters so they are all connected to serial and
PS/2
ports. But can a dual mode mouse operating in one mode, say serial, to
a
serial port PC switch over with the KVM to a PC in PS/2 mode. Or will
it
goes nuts or worse, fry the port(s) or mouse.
In your case, it might work because--if I understand you correctly--your
KVM switch has both serial and PS/2 ports, which probably means that it
can emulate either type of mouse. However, I'm a newbie when it comes to
KVM switches, so I could be wrong.
--Tom