View basket
Price match
Security
Using KVM switches
A user connects a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the KVM device, then uses special cables (generally USB/PS2 and VGA ) to connect the KVM device to the computers. Control is switched from one computer to another by the use of a switch or buttons on the KVM device, with the KVM passing the signals between the computers and the keyboard, mouse and monitor depending on which computer is currently selected. Most electronic devices also allow control to be switched through keyboard commands, or “HOTKEYS”, such as Scroll Lock rapidly two or three times.
Devices differ in the number of computers that can be connected, with anywhere from two up to 512 computers. Enterprise level devices can also be daisy-chained to allow even greater numbers of computers to be controlled from a single set of a keyboard, visual display unit and mouse.
A KVM switch is useful where there are multiple computers, but no need for a dedicated keyboard, monitor and mouse for each one. They are frequently used in data centers where multiple servers are placed in a single rack with a single keyboard, monitor and mouse. A KVM switch then allows data center personnel to connect to any server in the rack.
A common example of home use is to enable the use of the full-size keyboard, mouse and monitor of the home PC with a portable device such as a laptop, tablet PC or PDA.
back to previous page