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| IOGAER GCS14 4-Port MiniView PC PS/2 KVM Switch Kit with Cables(PS/2) |
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List Price: $64.68
Our Price: $46.10
You Save: $ 18.58 (29%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: IOGEAR
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Average Customer Rating:   
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Batteries Included: 0
Binding: Electronics
Brand: Iogear
EAN: 0672792501029
Feature: Device Type - KVM Switch
Is Autographed: 0
Is Memorabilia: 0
Label: IOGEAR
Manufacturer: IOGEAR
Model: GCS14
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: IOGEAR
Special Features: nv:Computer Connections^4|Keyboard Port Type^PS/2|Keyboard Port Type^AT|Monitor Port Type^VGA (15-Pin D-Sub)|Monitor Port Type^SVGA|Mouse Port Type^PS/2|Integrated KVM Cable^No|Power Supply Type^External AC Power Supply|LEDs^4 Port LEDs|Port Selection^Push Button|Port Selection^Hot-Keys|Port Selection^Auto Scan|Auto-Scan Intervals^5 seconds|Switching Confirmation^Audio Beep|Monitor Resolution Support^Up to 1920 x 1440|Operating Temperature^5°C~40°C (41°F~104°F)
Studio: IOGEAR
Warranty: 3 years warranty
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Features
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Device Type - KVM Switch
Form Factor - N/A
Dimensions WxDxH - 6.8" x 3.5" x 1.25"
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Editorial Reviews:
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If you have more computers than hands, IOGEAR has a simple, elegant solution for you: the KVM (Keyboard-Video-Mouse) Switch. This self-powered KVM switch features mouse and keyboard emulation to ensure smooth operation, as well as support for Plug And Play monitors and most wheel mice, including Intellimouse, FirstMouse+, MouseMan+. Truly a complete solution in one box-- now, what are you going to do with all that newly free desk space? 3 year warranty
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| Spotlight customer reviews: |
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good product
Comment: Easy to use for 4 computers and needs no power, click and switch. Price was cheaper than buying from the Iogear website.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Worked great - after a call to tech support
Comment: I had purchased a generic 2-port KVM and the video was badly degraded so I decided to go with this 4-port model based on the reviews. There was a significant difference right away as the video is flawless and mouse/keyboard emulation is consistent--you can even boot up one computer while working on another, or hot swap systems, which is great if you test or repair computers.
The only problem I had was switching between computers using the Hot Keys. The manual says to press Ctrl + Alt + Shift, then the port number, then Enter. I could not get it to work. A call to IOGEAR tech support (at 4 in the morning, they have 24 hour phone support!) clarified the situation. Instead of pressing Ctrl + Alt + Shift together, you must press them in rapid succession: Ctrl, then Alt, then Shift, then port number, then Enter. I's not very elegant, but it does work.
This unit gets 4 out of 5 stars, only because it may not work with the following: usb mice or mice with multiple buttons/features, USB keyboards or keyboards with custom buttons, wireless mice or keyboards. My Kensington Expert Mouse works, but is demoted from a four button mouse to two button.
If you can live with a standard PS/2 mouse and keyboard, this is a solid choice, probably the best KVM for the money.
Customer Rating:
Summary: You Have Got To Be Kidding Me!
Comment: This is the worse P.O.S. I have ever seen sold by anyone online. This item is very dirty, scratched and nasty looking. I do not want to touch it without latex gloves on.
And where are the cables? Never mind that this product came beyond the dated expiration time frame; this seller did not even attempt to get ahold of me, despite me emailing them, until the very last minute.
And like I have never bought anything online before...try for over 10 years. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard the same old excuse, "The post office, or UPS, damaged the box and contacted us so we asked for it to come back...", please, that is as old as dirt!
I am sending this back and will contact my credit card company and Amazon to report this serious violation of respected internet trade.
I usually am a repeat buyer from successful sellers---you can bet your life I will never do business with this person again.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Plugged it in and it worked.
Comment: After reading all the reviews I saw for KVM's I wasn't sure it would work but it did. I hooked it up to 3 computers and tried to use my USB mouse with an adapter. The mouse didn't work so I switched to a regular mouse and it worked fine. I like it on my desk so I can look to see which computer it is on. (It has a light.) However with the cables coming out of all sides it takes up a bit of space. Overall I am pleased and it wasn't too expensive. Cables are good quality and I had no difficulty setting it up.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Works fine -- minor startup glitches and minor feature complaints
Comment: There are an awful lot of reviews out on the Web for KVM switches. Usually, more information is good, right? In this case, I found so many contrasting opinions on any given switch or company that I was banging my head against the desk just trying to decide what to buy. Usually, the head-banging doesn't start until the equipment has been received and the setup begins.
In this case, I found that most of the head-banging had evidently been paid up front.
I got the box, hooked it up to two computers (a third is on the way, and if that changes anything, I'll try to repost), and turned the computers on. Nobody was happy with anything. The first computer didn't seem to like the display and the second didn't seem to like the keyboard or mouse. (Obviously, I couldn't tell whether the first liked the keyboard or mouse.) The three keyboard lights were stuck on Num, Caps, and Scroll Lock, no matter which system had the KVM's focus. Note that both systems had been verified as working alone with the monitor, keyboard, and mouse, prior to my receiving the KVM switch.
I tried disconnecting the mouse and keyboard individually from the switch and plugging them back in. No effect. I power cycled the "visible" computer, no effect. I powered both down, powered both back up, and now everything seems fine. Don't ask me -- I'm trying not to believe in gremlins or voodoo.
Possibly (ir)relevant detail: When things started working, I realized that I had powered up the first, let it complete the boot cycle, and then powered up the second. It may be that the KVM switch is unable to convince two machines that are simultaneously booting that everything is connected, although this is pure speculation on my part. I'll probably stick to this sequence in the future (no, voodoo, no!) because I like to watch boot sequences. Yeah, I'm a nerd.
System specifics:
o System 1: (The originally non-displaying system) Gateway G6-350, running Windows 98
o System 2: Dell Precision 330, running Windows 2000 Pro
o Monitor: Gateway EV700. Curiously, this is the monitor that shipped with system 1, which made the initial display problem even more puzzling.
o Keyboard: The standard PS/2 keyboard that shipped with the Gateway
o Mouse: Microsoft Wheelmouse Optical (2-button). This is a USB mouse that came with an adaptor for insertion into a PS/2 port. I bought it last week because the Dell didn't recognize the wheel behavior of the original Gateway mouse. The software that came with the mouse was installed on the Gateway, but not on the Dell, by oversight. No biggie -- everything that I need the mouse to do, it does.
Minor Feature Complaints:
o As has been noted here and on other sites, the layout of the switch, with outputs on the two long sides, makes for a bit of an octopus. If you want to have access to the switch, to change between systems without using hot keys, this might annoy you.
o There is only one button on the switch, so you have to cycle among all ports every time you want to change active systems. Not only will this be even more annoying when I hook up my third system, it's just plain annoying that the switch isn't smart enough to only switch between connected ports. However, the hot key functionality makes up for this to some degree.
o The ports are "numbered" internally such that 1 and 3 are on one side, and 2 and 4 on the other. This seems a bit bone-headed.
o The ports are not visibly numbered on the box (at least that I noticed, and if they are labeled, then the labels should be more obvious)
Conclusion:
I bought this switch because it seemed to be a good combination of price and features. The Amazon markdown was almost scarily good; I hoped that it meant that Iogear had come out with something new, and everybody just wanted to clear inventory.
My research indicated that Iogear, D-Link, and Linksys were usually rated mostly okay by users, with Belkin somewhat below, and other, cheaper models not often discussed. The Aten and Avocent lines seemed positively reviewed, especially by online magazines and the like, but you're talking a big price bump (they are usually eight-port switches).
I would have liked better switching, better cable routing, and an on-screen display, but these weren't deal breakers -- I knew what I was trading off to save money. The hot key sequence to change systems is not annoying to me -- as a regular Emacs user, I'm used to "chording" -- but it may be, to others.
So . . . so far, so good. Knocking wood, not because I believe in voodoo or gremlins, but because I'm Irish, and that's what we do.
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