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#1
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KVM for use with AT keyboard?
Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the
power drain of an old AT keyboard? I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now getting old and the image on the monitor has started to shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.) This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all 4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made very well. So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one made by DLink http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...107-131&depa=0 Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible mess of any document I happen to be working on. Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM. I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem went away. So I think that someone was right. The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM, but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me crazy. Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that won't go bad after a year or so? |
#2
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On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 05:08:51 GMT, mustard
wrote: Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now getting old and the image on the monitor has started to shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.) This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all 4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made very well. So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one made by DLink http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...107-131&depa=0 Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible mess of any document I happen to be working on. Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM. I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem went away. So I think that someone was right. The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM, but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me crazy. Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that won't go bad after a year or so? If you're handy with a soldering iron you might try making a PS2 "adapter" that taps into USB for 5V (another cable w/plug, plugs into USB port). You might see if you can get a 5V reading first though, to see if the power really is a problem. |
#3
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kony wrote:
On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 05:08:51 GMT, mustard wrote: Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now getting old and the image on the monitor has started to shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.) This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all 4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made very well. So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one made by DLink http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...107-131&depa=0 Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible mess of any document I happen to be working on. Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM. I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem went away. So I think that someone was right. The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM, but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me crazy. Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that won't go bad after a year or so? If you're handy with a soldering iron you might try making a PS2 "adapter" that taps into USB for 5V (another cable w/plug, plugs into USB port). You might see if you can get a 5V reading first though, to see if the power really is a problem. Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you saying I should get a KVM that supports USB and then make an AT to USB adapter for it? Only two of the computers in the cluster support USB. I wonder if something like this would work http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...103-306&depa=0 It has both USB and PS/2 connectors. Unfortunately that model seems to have problems. |
#4
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On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 21:43:02 GMT, mustard
wrote: kony wrote: On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 05:08:51 GMT, mustard wrote: Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now getting old and the image on the monitor has started to shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.) This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all 4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made very well. So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one made by DLink http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...107-131&depa=0 Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible mess of any document I happen to be working on. Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM. I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem went away. So I think that someone was right. The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM, but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me crazy. Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that won't go bad after a year or so? If you're handy with a soldering iron you might try making a PS2 "adapter" that taps into USB for 5V (another cable w/plug, plugs into USB port). You might see if you can get a 5V reading first though, to see if the power really is a problem. Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you saying I should get a KVM that supports USB and then make an AT to USB adapter for it? Only two of the computers in the cluster support USB. I wonder if something like this would work http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...103-306&depa=0 It has both USB and PS/2 connectors. Unfortunately that model seems to have problems. I mean that you'd take a male and female PS2 plug and socket, wire them together pin-for-pin, and add a tap to the 5V pin from a USB plug, port. This inline power injector would then supply more 5V current. |
#5
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"kony" wrote in message news On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 21:43:02 GMT, mustard wrote: kony wrote: On Fri, 29 Oct 2004 05:08:51 GMT, mustard wrote: Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now getting old and the image on the monitor has started to shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.) This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all 4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made very well. So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one made by DLink http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...7-107-131&depa =0 Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible mess of any document I happen to be working on. Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM. I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem went away. So I think that someone was right. The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM, but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me crazy. Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that won't go bad after a year or so? If you're handy with a soldering iron you might try making a PS2 "adapter" that taps into USB for 5V (another cable w/plug, plugs into USB port). You might see if you can get a 5V reading first though, to see if the power really is a problem. Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm not really sure what you mean. Are you saying I should get a KVM that supports USB and then make an AT to USB adapter for it? Only two of the computers in the cluster support USB. I wonder if something like this would work http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...103-306&depa=0 It has both USB and PS/2 connectors. Unfortunately that model seems to have problems. I mean that you'd take a male and female PS2 plug and socket, wire them together pin-for-pin, and add a tap to the 5V pin from a USB plug, port. This inline power injector would then supply more 5V current. To the OP, If you're going to buy the first KVM you mentioned, why not just buy a ps2 keyboard also. There were some listed on the newegg site for as low as $4.00US. David |
#6
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Bk St Crawler wrote:
To the OP, If you're going to buy the first KVM you mentioned, why not just buy a ps2 keyboard also. There were some listed on the newegg site for as low as $4.00US. David As I said in my first post, I like the feel of my old keyboard and would prefer to continue using it. I've tried newer keyboards and I don't like them as well. |
#7
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kony wrote:
I mean that you'd take a male and female PS2 plug and socket, wire them together pin-for-pin, and add a tap to the 5V pin from a USB plug, port. This inline power injector would then supply more 5V current. Thank you for the explanation. |
#8
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Lots of old IBM clicky keyboards available on Ebay
mustard wrote: Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now getting old and the image on the monitor has started to shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.) This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all 4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made very well. So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one made by DLink http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProduc...107-131&depa=0 Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible mess of any document I happen to be working on. Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM. I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem went away. So I think that someone was right. The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM, but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me crazy. Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that won't go bad after a year or so? |
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