wrote:

On Mon, 5 Nov 2018 11:43:46 -0500, John McGaw wrote:

On 11/5/2018 9:59 AM, wrote:
I am looking at KVMs on EBAY - will choose DVI this time. I notice
the pics show only one USB to support mouse and keyboard. How do they
get away with that? My mouse and keyboard each has its own USB
connector. and right now needed two ports on my defunct IOGEAR VGA KVM
is why I ask.
Thanks
Al

Which one are you looking at, specifically? Mine has a single USB on the
front and two on the back for keyboard and mouse
There are many. One is:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KVM-Cable-f...0~:rk:197:pf:0
I guess I am confused.
You see my present, now defunct, KVM is VGA, and the VGA cables
connecting each PC to the KVM connect the mouse and keyboard
capability with USB attachments on said cables to both (plus sound
cables). And of course, the mouse and keyboard themselves connect to
the KVM too. That's how the mouse and keyboard reach each PC. So far
I do not see that on the DVI models. I think I see (on the DVI) just
one cable, printer on one end, USB on the other. Also sound cables
tho. So I have no idea how the mouse and keyboard each reach the PCs
via a DVI KVM. Unless it is thru the DVI itself?
Thanks for your response.
Al

Cables aren't a KVM. With cables, YOU will have to do the switching
between input devices (keyboard and mouse) and the computers. I thought
you wanted a KVM.

From what I can tell in the eBay auction, that is just the cable that
goes between the computer and the KVM as just one host on the KVM. You
need the same cable for each host. If the KVM has 5 hosts it can switch
between and you have 5 hosts for the KVM, you will need 5 sets of those
cables.

As mentioned in my other reply, multiple USB devices can go to one USB
port. Just because you've been physically connecting the keyboard to
one USB port and the mouse to another USB port on a computer (to use up
2 USB ports) doesn't mean it must be that way. You could hook up both
the keyboard and mouse to one USB port on your computer. I suspect the
cables you pointed at has the KVM with 2 USB ports on the front or
separately on the back for the keyboard and mouse (2 USB ports for 2
input USB devices) but hubs those 2 input devices to 1 USB port to the
computer.

There is no need to use up more USB ports on the computer than just one
for both the keyboard and mouse. Physically each device has its own
cable but that doesn't mandate you must use the same number of USB ports
at the computer. You don't even need a KVM to share multiple USB
devices to one USB computer port. A passive or powered USB hub could
run both your keyboard, mouse, tablet, trackball, flash drive, USB HDD,
and lots of USB devices to just 1 USB port on the computer. A KVM can
have its own USB hub to do the same. There's no need to run N USB
cables from the KVM to the computer for N USB devices connected to the
KVM. You can connect N USB devices (however many the KVM allows)
through a hub to *one* USB cable to *one* USB port on the computer.
There is no restriction of just 1 device per USB host controller (the
USB port in your computer).

You pointed at "KVM cables for blah blah blah". Show us the *KVM* in
which you are interested, not cables that might be used with it.