Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I bought the Belkin F1DS104U because I have a desktop and a laptop I wanted to control with a single console setup (keyboard, trackball, and monitor). I use a USB keyboard and trackball so I thought this product would be perfect for me, and it gave me the expandability to add another system (laptop) from work.
This product is billed as a KVM for the SOHO, and most home users these days have multimedia keyboards. However, this product DOES NOT support the multimedia functions of keyboards WHEN attached to the KVM per Belkin's manual. The KVM has USB ports specifically set aside and labeled for the keyboard and the mouse (or trackball). Because the firmware for the product allows hotkey switching between system, Belkin set up the product so that the hotkeys were only recognized through the "keyboard" labeled port. However, with the keyboard connected to this "keyboard" port, none of the multimedia keys work (yes, even with proper drivers installed). Two unique keyboards were tried without success.
The KVM does have two additional USB ports for peripherals. On a whim, I attempted to connect the multimedia keyboard to one of these ports and (tada) full multimedia functionality (at the loss of one of the available peripheral USB ports and hotkey switching). This issue is undocumented in the Belkin manual and Belkin site to this day.
A separate and just as aggravating issue is the inability of the KVM to deal with NOT having a mouse (or trackball) connected to it. I connect my trackball through my keyboard (it has a two port USB hub) to reduce cable clutter. If the KVM does not have a mouse connected to it, it emits a piercing "beep" at regular intervals. My quick fix? I connect an extra mouse I had in my spare parts bin to the KVM and dropped it behind my desk out of sight. The surrogate mouse sits idle and appears to alleviate the issue, but it does show up on both of my systems' hardware config. Luckily, I have not run into any conflicts with two mouse input devices.
A 45 minute call to Belkin's customer service back in June '02 yielded no solutions to my problems (I discovered the workarounds on my own through a couples hours of trial and error). The tech took my contact information and promised to call me back in the next couple of days ... I'm still waiting for that call (it's December).
I thought the product idea was a great concept ... Belkin just dropped the ball miserably in the execution and support.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Belkin F1DS104U 4-Port Omniview USB KVM Switch
Belkin gives you control over up to four USB computers from a single USB console. The Switchs built-in 2-port USB device hub lets you connect two additional shared peripherals, eliminating the need to disconnect and reconnect these devices when switching between computers. This also reduces the cable clutter on your desktop. Our audio feature lets you switch between computers sharing speakers and a microphone, without having to unplug and re-plug them.
Click here for more information about Belkin F1DS104U 4-Port Omniview USB KVM Switch
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