Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I purchased this KVM as it supposedly was one of the few that would work with a wireless keyboard/mouse (one that uses a USB "receiver") and I could find only positive comments across the web.
Unfortunately, BUYER BEWARE!
The only positive comment I could say about this product is that it arrived quickly. Too bad, though, as I wasted additional money and time to try and get it to work properly.
My setup:
DELL desktop with add-on high-end dual DVI graphics card.
Very high-end notebook with a high end DVI + HDMI dual monitor graphics card. (This required one HDMI to DVI-I cable)
Wireless mouse/keyboard combination using a single USB receiver.
Here is a partial list of the problems with this unit.
GENERAL ISSUES / FEATURE DEFICIENCIES
1. Difficult to work with, as the back panel connectors are very close together. Since DVI cables tend to be thick, it is extremely difficult to plug everything in and/or move connectors once you get cables in the right place.
2. Manual states that it is for the 2 and 4 port version, however only describes buttons and setup that is accurate for the 4 port version.
3. Front panel LEDs have no markings and are unintuitive as to what they mean.
4. No way to have the Audio stay with a particular PC - it always follows the selected computer.
5. All special functions (like turning scanning on/off) require keyboard sequences, which is useless if you have to put your keyboard USB receiver into the general USB ports (instead of the keyboard port) - which must be done if you want your keyboard driver to be able to integrate with the keyboard (or mouse) driver.
BUGS
1. The most fundamental KVM requirement is that the KVM must make the PC think that monitors are always attached. However, when I pressed the front panel switch to move "focus" to my laptop, my desktop computer thought its monitors were disconnected. This caused the desktop to automatically reconfigure its video to use one monitor, moving all my opened apps to a single screen. When I used the KVM to switch back to my desktop, I had to reset my graphics controller to dual monitor mode and move the apps back to where I wanted them.
2. Using the regular USB keyboard port, occasionally pressing a key auto-repeats a dozen or so of the same character.
3. Using the regular USB mouse port, occasionally the mouse stops working and requires the USB receiver to be removed and reinserted - which only works some of the time.
The manufacturer claimed that part of the problem was that I needed to use DVI-I cables instead of DVI-D cables (although digital monitors usually do not even allow DVI-I cables to plug into their DVI connector) and should not need the additional analog pins available on DVI-I cables. I purchased 4 high quality DVI-I cables to use to connect the unit to my PCs and tried again. However, it made ZERO difference and every problem still existed.
The bottom line is that this unit DOES NOT WORK properly!
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StarTech 2 Port Dual DVI USB KVM Switch with Audio & USB 2.0 Hub (SV231DD2DUA)The SV231DD2DUA 2-port Dual DVI USB KVM Switch allows two PCs, each with dual DVI video outputs, to share two monitors, one microphone and set of speakers, one keyboard and one mouse as well as two other USB peripherals. An ideal solution for graphic designers, CAD/CAM designers or educational and financial institutions, the dual view KVM Switch allows you to instantly switch back and forth between dual DVI display PCs at the touch of a button, while maintaining professional level video quality on both monitors. The dual DVI switch also features an integrated USB hub port that allows USB 2.0 peripherals such as thumb drives, external hard drives or web cams to be shared between attached systems - eliminating duplicate peripheral costs. Please Note: While both DVI-I (analog mode) and DVI-D (digital only) are supported by the KVM, both source PCs should output the same signal type for proper switching. It is recommended wherever possible to use DVI-D cables across all PC to KVM and KVM to Console connections. Please contact technical support if you require assistance identifying your source. Backed by a StarTech.com 3 year warranty and free lifetime technical support.
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Click here for more information about StarTech 2 Port Dual DVI USB KVM Switch with Audio & USB 2.0 Hub (SV231DD2DUA)
