The Linksys ProConnect Integrated KVM 2-Port Switch lets you take instant command over two PCs—all from a single keyboard, mouse, and monitor!
1 Worked great for about a year, then kaput.
This switch was awesome for about 1 year. Purchased it in April of 2004 and until last night it worked flawlessly. Now the primary display blinks on and off repeatedly.
5 stars for the switch in working order.
-4 stars for crapping out after a year.
= 1 star from me.
2 Non-existent technical support
I need several KVM switches of this general kind, but need to find out if this permits the use of a PS2 to USB adapter.
Two hours on the phone with some folks in Bangalore (or thereabouts) has left me with more questions than answers.
WHY would we buy a product from CISCO>/LINKSYS when their tech support people are so clueless?
3 LCD video is blurred/aliased
This KVM switch is junk. I have this setup at work: I connect a top of the line WinXP HP laptop and a WinXP HP desktop to a 19 inch NEC LCD screen. The screen image is always blurred with one machine... sometime the desktop and sometimes the laptop. I tried to treak the windows display settings but nothing worked. This product should not be sold.
4 Great if you don't have a keyboard with other functions
I bought this a couple of years ago and it was working well. Until I upgraded my keyboard to one of the ones with a couple of extra functions on it, like volume control, play/pause etc. It's a brand new logitech keyboard. Oh, and my mouse with forward and back buttons on it also fails to work correctly with this. Oh, and if you want to use USB devices this won't work for you at all.
5 Oh, so you wanted a KVM that processes EVERY mouse click?!?
Before I review the product itself, let me just say how terrible the Linksys / Cisco support was when I called. When I got the obligatory Indian support representative and after he asked me what the device I was calling about, he said he was going to put me on hold so that he could "validate the (mumble)". "Validate the WHAT?", I asked. "Validate the (mumble)", he said again. Eventually I agreed to let him put me on hold, but it was never clear what he was "validating", though I hear from people who've been there that in India it's not uncommon for people to "validate" in ditches in public places. I guess for a $35 device I shouldn't expect top-notch technical support, but I digress.
On the other hand, I did expect the thing to work, and it does . . . sort of. The hardware I have isn't exactly Brand X: I have a Microsoft (manufacturer) / Dell (reseller) keyboard and a Logitech Trackman Marble keyboard and I'm using Windows XP. So this is pretty mainstream hardware and software we're talking about. Anyway, to make a long story short, despite getting no help from technical support (they told me the device was defective and that I should return it), I eventually got it mostly working. "Mostly" meaning that it sometimes misses mouse clicks, usually one of a pair of left double-clicks; you know, the kind you use practically every minute that you're on your computer. If I click more slowly (i.e., allow more time between clicks) it works most of the time, but what the heck is that about? It's a hardware device, for goodness sake: I shouldn't be able to double-click too quickly. What's it doing, anyway? "Validating"? I guess my Indian friend was right about one thing: I do need to send it back. And I will.
6 Perfect for the home user
I have used many KVMs in server rooms. These industrial-strength boxes are big and expensive because they're designed to allow you to control large number of servers.
Another feature of server-oriented KVMs is that they give an audible "chirp" when you switch to a new machine. That's helpful in noisy server rooms when you are switching between servers that have desktops that look mostly alike.
But when I wanted a KVM to switch between 2 PCs at home, I wanted something small, inexpensive, and quiet (I most definitely don't want a loud "chirp!" waking up my kids at night).
This Linksys is just about perfect. Because it has cables molded in, it is very compact. It switches silently (no chirp), and the video signal is clear and free of jitter or noise even at high res (1280x1024) with high refresh rates.
Another customer said that he had some compatibility problems, but I haven't had any. I use a Microsoft optical USB mouse with a PS2 converter (it's a little adapter plug that came with the mouse) and I have used the KVM with a normal Dell keyboard, and with my current ultra-ergonomic Kinesis Classic keyboard.
I would have given this unit 5 stars, except that I think the cables would benefit from being just a bit longer. As it is, the unit works well, has excellent compatibility, and is an incredible value.
7 Good for swiching bad for mouse and keyboard features.
If you use this KVM you'll loose almost all extra features and functions of your keyboard e.g. thumb-button, internet-shortkeys-buttons (my Logitech products are seriously crippled), and the support even advise against using cordless products. None of this information you'll find in the manual or on the retail-box!
8 Frustrating to use KVM
Having used an older Linksys KVM for several years, I chose Linksys again. Unfortunately this was not a good choice. The hot key switching does not always work. I use a Logitech Cordless keyboard and Cordless trackball and the double click does not get processed quick enough to switch about 25% of the time. Get a hard button KVM as well as hotkeys.
9 Can't compare to IO Gear
While this product worked with my new custom P4 2.8 GHz and my older custom PII400, it failed miserably with a Gateway P133 and the same PII400. The mouse was not recognized on the Gateway, the keyboard would not work with the mouse plugged into the KVM, and the monitor went black with each keystroke even after removing the mouse. I tried several different configs, even different mice, with no success. I took it to work where I have 2 Gateway PII400s, and it failed with them as well. Before you blame Gateway, I went and bought an IO Gear KVM for $50, including an audio connector. We use IO Gear 4 port box-style switches at work with great success. The 2 port mini KVM from IO Gear worked flawlessly. LinkSys' site doesn't even list the KVM as a product they sell. Stay away from this one.
10 Mouse emulation
This KVM (as well as many others on the market) uses mouse and keyboard emulation, which allows one machine to be booting while the other machine is selected.
This particular switch is hardwired to emulate a generic 2-button wheel-type mouse, which means that any other type of mouse (like an old trackball, in my case) will probably not work correctly.
Some KVMs say explicitly (in their product spec) that they support particular mice models or types. For example, Startech's Ultra Compact 2-Port KVM Switch (SV211MICRO) supports MS Intellimouse (Pro Version), MS Explorer and MS Optical Mouse.
So the upshot is:
If you have a generic 2-button wheel-type mouse, any KVM should work; otherwise, you need to look for a KVM that explicitly supports your mouse model or type. And if you have a really old mouse, you may be out of luck.
11 Simply terrific
So far, I've bought two of these, and I'm about to buy my third. It's easy to connect, inexpensive, and reliable. If you don't need DVI-monitor or USB-mouse support, this is the way to go.
12 just fine
Works fine for me. I've got a Mandrake 9.2 Linux server/workstation and a Compaq notebook, with a standard keybard, Logitech Trackman, and e-machines flat-screen CRT. With an older Dell Trinitron CRT and an NEC LCD, there were some video artifacts; maybe it's my cheap GF2Ti card with the long cable lengths, but the e-machines CRT seems to handle it fine with no visible artifacts (1024x768x24-bit, 75Hz (monitor-limited) -- I think higher refresh may be the problem for the other monitors). It would be nice to have the capability of a USB mouse, though, especially with laptops with one port for either KB or mouse, but you get what you pay for I guess. Now I use two different trackballs, which is not too much of a pain.
13 Very good product
I have 2 of these. Both are working perfectly. No problem at any res/freq setting I have tried.
14 Cheaply made product
This particular product is a piece of junk. I bought it after using the previous version where you plug in the cables into the switch box seperately. I am still using the older version at work for the past 2 years. I ordered this for my home use, thinking this is a more compact, better and newer product. 2 months after I started to use it, mouse and keyboard cables stopped working. I would have view on the screen, and I wouldn't be able to do anything from the keyboard or the mouse, on one of the PCs only. It would work for the other PC. And since cables are built in, I could not replace the cables, either. I ended up throwing away $35. It's cheaply made, very low quality product.
15 This product is brilliant!!!!!
Why is this item brilliant?
1) It's cheaper than other models
2) It supports a 5 button mouse unlike more expensive models (Belkin!)
3) The switching process is easier than other models. Just hit the Scroll Lock twice and you switch to the other machine. Other switches make you hit the Scroll Lock button twice followed by a third key.
I now own two of these!!!
16 Suspiciously missing specs...
I haven't bought this product. But I am researching various KVM switches on the market because I need to buy one to to share KV&M between my desktop and laptop. Two very important features for a KVM product are (1) What is the highest refresh frequency for a given display resolution, and (2) Is Hot-swap capability supported?
So I checked the specs for this product on the Linksys web page. Surprisingly, the web page mentions only the highest resolution (1920 x 1440) several times but makes no mention of the corresponding frequency. WHY would Linksys not reveal this frequency? My guess -- perhaps the highly touted resolution is only good up to 60Hz, where the monitor flicker makes it practically unusable?
HOT SWAP is the ability to disconnect a computer and reconnect it on the fly without hanging up the KVM set up. Another very important feature that Linksys conveniently makes no mention of -- does this product not support hot swapping? That would make it practiclly unusable for laptop users, who unplug their laptops every morning when going to work/school.
Makes me suspicious...
17 Great Product
I purchased two of these switches for my employer. We use them to switch between a computer on are network, and a computer set up for a wireless internet connection. Both have performed very well. I think if your using this item to switch between two pcs, not a pc and a laptop, you will have no problems.
18 Doesn't fully support Logitech MouseMan
This product does not fully support the Logitech MouseMan Optical mouse. Linksys' product data sheet claims "Compatible with Virtually All PS/2 Keyboards and Mice", but what they don't say is that all mice are treated as a generic wheel mouse. Once this KVM switch is installed the thumb button and other features of the MouseMan Optical mouse are lost.
19 Laptop users beware
Bought the product to connect a Compaq desktop and a Dell laptop, found that I couldn't use the product on the laptop due to mouse interface issues. READ THE LINKSYS FAQ BEFORE BUYING THIS PRODUCT FOR SIMILAR APPS. Probably ok for two desktop apps.
20 You get what you pay for...
I purchased this KVM switch about 5 months ago or so, and it has always given me a flaky performance. Switching between my laptop and desktop has been very intermittent in performance: sometimes it switches, sometimes it doesn't. Also sometimes the scroll lock key doesn't respond when you hit it twice to make it switch between machines. To make it work I have to unplug the switch from all my devices then plug them all back in. It is a very big pain in the rear! Also when I boot up only one machine it doesn't like that. It seems to like it better if you boot up both machines, ack! I hope this thing is under warranty; if not I will go with a different manufacturer. I am very disappointed with this Linksys product!
21 Excellent Product
I have had this for little over a year and it works great.
I switch between two WinXP Professional PCs. The best part is that once both machines are booted and I am logged on, I can disconnect the mouse, use it on my third machine (which has it's own keyboard and monitor and is used rarely) and reconnect it back to the KVM switch without any problem.
I wish that in their next version, they can somehow add USB port sharing (Use one printer for both machines).
22 Good Product
The product was easy to install and worked as advertised. I only wished that the direction would have been more detailed. Another great product form Linksys.
23 Great KVM Switch for the Price
Works great for me. Scroll wheel on my mouse works fine and it switches between two PC's. I'm going to buy another one!!!!
24 Would not buy this KVM
I was extremely surprised at how poor this KVM performed in my simple home setup. I have 2 ps2 machines (XP, RedHat9). I bought this and had to return it in one week because of the problems I had. First, I could never get any of my mice (Microsoft Optical Intellimouse, Microsoft Wheelmouse, and Logitech mouse) to be recognized. So, I just used the monitor and keyboard functionality for 7 days. While the switching between machines worked as advertised, I had keyboard problems. The KVM caused typed characters to be missed by the computer or a single keystroke would end up being recognized as 2 or 3 strokes of the same letter by the machine. My only option to get any work done was to slow my typing down significantly. I would not recommend this product and recommend users to pay the extra [money] for the Belkin 2-port KVM Switch (cables included but not built in unit).
25 Almost Perfect
This has worked perfectly, but the only problem is that there isnt room for a usb to ps2 adapter.
26 Works for me
I had absolutely no problem with mine. I got my KVM from the IT dept at work and hooked it up to an old Dell laptop and an old Compaq desktop at my desk. I like it so much that I'm buying one to use at home.
I wouldn't be surprised to find out that most of the problems mentioned in other bad reviews are the result of external factors like bad cables, old/damaged pc parts, poor storage environment at vendor site or damage during shipping.
27 An A/V - Media Tech
Perfect! Well, I was worried about monitor distortion as others have mentioned. Got it anyway and one PC was perfect, the other PC (that had a temporary crappy old PCI video card) actually DID have distortion. NOT the fault of the KVM switch. For kicks, I installed a different video DRIVER for that card, and for some reason it FIXED the problem. Then I put an AGP card back into the 2nd system, and it also worked perfectly.
Factors that affect Video Signal: VGA cable too long; Cable extensions, weak video CARD signal (possibly from unreliable POWER supply in the computer), Video cables too close to other cables (power cords and such). If you experience distortion, it would probably happen with ANY KVM switch you buy. After all, you ARE extending your video cable. Worked great with CORDLESS KEYBOARD AND MOUSE.
WHAT WOULD MAKE IT BETTER: Heavier gauge shielded video cables, Ferrite bead at the end of each cable... Of course this would also make it and more expensive and bigger.
This is a good value.
28 You get what you pay for
I was lured by the good company reputation, low price, and consolidated wire management. However after my experience with two of these switches (the original plus a replacement), I think I'm giving up on the all-in-one KVM design.
On both units, port 1's mouse had a very annoying problem: if you moved or clicked the mouse, there was about a second delay before anything happened. On the surface this did not seem like a big problem, but after about 10 minutes of keyboarding and mousing, the bug drove me crazy. I tried several different mice, but got the same results.
Also port 2's video jumped slightly every second or so -- it's very subtle (it looks like an incorrect refresh rate) but irritating. Perhaps the switch does not support 1280x1024x32 bit -- I'm not sure since the "manual" (a double-sided 5"x11" piece of paper) doesn't specify.
By the way, technical support was as useless as the manual -- very short, not familiar with the product, and recommended that I return it. Beware of this one!
29 Slightly Blurry Video
I have pretty sensitive eyes and there is pretty noticeable distortion on the video. I'm attached to 2 laptops and an 18" Dell LCD at 1280x1024 resolution. The blurring is manifested as a slight shadow to the right of the "true" image. For example, there is a slight shadow cast to the right of black text on a white background. Strangely, this blurring is worse on my connection to an IBM T23 laptop. The blurring is slightly less noticeable when connected to the docking station that my Dell Inspiron is attached to.
Another caveat to note is that as my IBM laptop doesn't have a keyboard connector on it, I can only drive the monitor through this KVM switch. For some reason, the mouse doesn't seem to work if the keyboard split is not connected to the target machine. This may just be this machine so I'm not sure.
30 Works great
I read the reviews that said people had problems with their cables .. not me. Works great. No video distortion, no keyboard or mouse problems. For the money, it's great to have one of these around the house.
31 Does what it says
This product does exactly what it says that it will do. I am happy with the performance of this product. The only thing that I wish was different is that I would like a switch to toggle with to be located on the KVM itself instead of having to use the hot keys inorder to change computers.
But this product is worth the money anyways and I would buy it again in the future.
32 Hot-key switching is not at all reliable.
This unit uses keyboard hot-keys for switching. It regularly fails to switch and has, at times, caused me to 'lose' one of my computers.
I've also seen keyboard errors, but only from pc #2. My keyboard is a wireless Microsoft Natural (which gives me no trouble when it's plugged straight to either computer).
Keep looking for a higher quality product.
33 Outstanding Performance & Price
I shook off some of the negative comments below and bought one for myself. I have used it between a Dell XP Pro and a Win98 clone, as well as a Dell Linux server and another Win98 clone. In both circumstances the switch performed flawlessly. I have read generic problems with KVM's and mouse/monitor problems and it seems to be either plug and play getting in the way or cheap monitor-itis! In my case, this thing works flawlessly. Recommended. And what else would you expect from Linksys? I love their networking stuff too (especially the EFSP42!)
34 Possibly the worst KVM Switch I ever used
As title says, this kit is possibly the worst KVM switch I ever used. I used this switch to connect my laptop (with a port replicator) and a desktop. When swtiched to the laptop, the mouse just hangs. In the rare occasions when mouse responds, the middle scroll button is not working. After removing the KVM switch and connect mouse directly to the port replicator the mouse works fine.
The story is not finished yet. When switched to the desktop, the Video image on the monitor is twisting constantly. The mouse is responding yet the middle scroll button is still not functioning.
All the problems go away when connecting keyboard, mouse and video directly to the machines. I don't know why this product gets high rating in the first place but I am pretty sure this KVM switch of mine will go to landfill pretty soon.
35 Wonderfull
A just have one thing to say "This item is TERRIFIC"
36 Switch Didn't Work
I tried two of these thinking the first was defective, but was unable to switch between PCs with the replacement also. If I booted only one PC it worked, if I booted both, only the PC that booted first worked regardless of which side of the switch it was connected to. I was very disappointed.
37 No complaints at all
... I was really pleased. I've had no trouble with any monitor blurring or degradation of quality. Works like a dream. I'm very happy.
38 Reasonably priced, yet great value!
I have used other KVM switches in the past, mostly the mechanical kind, with mostly unsatisfactory results; the worst of which being my monitor being fuzzy, enough to give me a headache. If you only have two computers to connect, this KVM switch is MUCH better for the cost than other switches I have found. My monitor is no less clear than it was when it was directly connected to my computer and doesn't (have to) take up any desk space. I highly recommend this switch.
39 Works well, Recommended.
Easy to setup and use. I switch between a linux and windows box with no degredation in video performance (1280x720).
40 Good price if you can live with slightly blury video
The price on this switch/cable setup is very reasonable, however, I immediately noticed a slight and annoying blur on my monitor. The blur became so annoying that I've disconnected the cable and will likely not use it. I'm back to switching my keyboard, mouse, and monitor manually when I need to access my Linux box (or using VNC which is OK, but not as snappy as being at the console).
I could definitely live with the bluring if I were using the switch on a set of machines that I access infrequently. Unfortunately one of these systems is my main computer that I spend 10+ hours a day in front of.
41 Great product at great price
After looking at a number of KVM switches that were twice the money or more, I bought two of these Linksys units. I'm very happy -- they include integrated cables, work great, and are very reasonably priced.
One thing to keep in mind: they don't work with USB-connected mice, only with those using traditional PS2 ports.
42 Works
I used this item with two PCs, one running Linux and one Windows. Keyboard and monitor worked right away. For some reason, the mouse originally didn't work with the KVM under Windows. I deleted the mouse driver and rebooted, and now everything works great.
43 Does the job with simplicity and low cost
An easy to install and use product. Allows connection to two computers using a single monitor, keyboard and mouse. I have Win95 and Windows XP machines hooked up, and I have noticed no degredation in video quality. Keyboard and mouse operate as normal. A very cost effective solution!
44 Happy with my KVM switch
I am a computer engineer and needed a good quality KVM
switch to connect two computers to one monitor. This small
switch comes with built in cables and is well built.
I connected both a windows box and unix workstation to
the same monitor with no problems. The average user shouldn't
have any problems either since this product is not operating
system dependent. This is a wonderful product that I would
highly recommend.
