KVM switch with audio - recommendations

[ruger]

Can anyone recommend a KVM switch with audio support?

Must work with PS/2 keyboard/mouse and analog video

I am thinking about something like this;
Iogear 8-Port MiniView Ultra+ GCS1758
Aten 8-Port MasterView Max CS1758

..and have one GCS1758 on it's way for testing, but expect the results to be less than great (ghosting) judging from user reviews.

A keyboard/mouse-addon to the Extron Matrix switches would be great, but I have not seen anything like that.

[shmuppyLove]

Iogear 8-Port MiniView Ultra+ GCS1758
Aten 8-Port MasterView Max CS1758

IOGear and ATEN are the same company, actually, hence the remarkably similar part numbers.

I always look to IOGear for KVMs, they definitely have the product category well-covered. Just remember that you need to get their proprietary cables to work with these switches, they use a custom 15-pin connector on the switch and don't have discrete PS/2 inputs, and also that the GCS1758 requires USB keyboard and mouse on the console.

I found this one at Monoprice, which doesn't have audio support, but includes all the cables and has PS/2 connections for the console, and is a lot cheaper.

[ruger]

IOGear and ATEN are the same company, actually, hence the remarkably similar part numbers.

They are indeed the same company

I always look to IOGear for KVMs, they definitely have the product category well-covered. Just remember that you need to get their proprietary cables to work with these switches, they use a custom 15-pin connector on the switch and don't have discrete PS/2 inputs, and also that the GCS1758 requires USB keyboard and mouse on the console.

I have an Aten 1.2 meter cable on it's way (2L-5301P) for use with a IOGear branded GCS1758 I bought for testing.
Need to see how bad ghosting is at lower resolutions, and if the KVM switch wants to play with the PS2 keyboard adapters for my home computers (Atari, Commodore, Sharp, Apple etc.).

I found this one at Monoprice, which doesn't have audio support, but includes all the cables and has PS/2 connections for the console, and is a lot cheaper.

Thanks mate. Looks like a good deal, but this time I am in the market for a switch with audio support.
Best case the GCS1758 is good enought at lower resolutions. Most of my home computer should have low bandwidth requirements.
Worst case I will end up with a broadcast grade AV-switch and a KVM in parallell which just handles the PS/2 keyboard and mouse.

If money was no problem, which KVM switch with audio would you go for?

[ruger]

Got the ATEN/IOGEAR 2L-5301P kvm cable today.

Checked out the cable with a multimeter and the pinout of the 2L-530xP cables seem to be:

kvm 1 (red) - vga 1 (red)
kvm 2 (green) - vga 2 (green)
kvm 3 (blue) - vga 3 (blue)
kvm 4 (key data) - ps2 key 1 (key data)
kvm 5 (key clock) - ps2 key 5 (key clock)
kvm 6 (rgb rtn) - vga 6,7,8 (red rtn, green rtn, blue rtn)
kvm 7 (gnd) - vga 5,10 (gnd), ps2 key 3 (gnd), ps2 mouse 3 (gnd)
kvm 8 (mouse clock) - ps2 mouse 5 (mouse clock)
kvm 9 (+5VDC) - ps2 key 4 (+5VDC)
kvm 10 (gnd) - vga 5,10 (gnd), ps2 key 3 (gnd), ps2 mouse 3 (gnd)
kvm 11 (mouse data) - ps2 mouse 1 (mouse data)
kvm 12 (pc data) - vga 12 (pc data)
kvm 13 (hsync) - vga 13 (hsync)
kvm 14 (vsync) - vga 14 (vsync)
kvm 15 (pc clock) - vga 15 (pc clock)

ps2 mouse 1,4,6 - not connected
ps2 keyboard 1,6 - not connected
vga 9 - not connected (pin removed)

vga pin numbers based on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VGA_connector
ps2 pin numbers based on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PS/2_connector

The cables are not very thick, so I wonder if poor shielding is to blame for the ghosting problems reported in user reviews.

[Dushy Squirt]

Avocent are supposed to be good units

[ruger]

Avocent are supposed to be good units

Thanks mate! Very good advice

Some interesting Avocent KVM switches with audio support include:
Avocent SwitchView 100 series 4-Port PS/2 KVM Switch (4SV110BND1)
Avocent SwitchView MM series 4-Port PS/2 and USB 1.1 KVM Switch (4SVPUA10-001)
Avocent SwitchView MM series 4-Port PS/2 and USB 2.0 KVM Switch (4SVPUA20-001)

I wish they had some 8-Port (or 16-Port ) switches with audio as well....

Any other products I should check out?

[slk486]

I have an older Avocent DVI switch and it's excellent, so I'll concur. Avocent make good KVMs:)

The cables that came with it are thick and not very bendable, so not the thin crap that comes with some.

[ruger]

I have tested the Iogear GCS1758 (Aten CS1758) for a few days now.
Having been warned by user reviews for it's poor signal quality, I still crossed my fingers that this switch would be good enough.
On paper the specs of this thing looks just right...

Sadly - the video quality was indeed very poor - even with short cables and low resolutions.

It would be fine for managing some servers, but it simply is not usable for gaming (or office work of that matter)...

I will order one or two different Avocent's next to test, but still looking for more candidates.

[Fudoh]

can't you just use the KMV for everything EXCEPT video and just get a proper RGBHV or DVI switch for video (whatever you need). Perfectly losless Extron RGBHV switches are dirt cheap these days. Nobody needs analogue video anymore.

[ruger]

can't you just use the KMV for everything EXCEPT video and just get a proper RGBHV or DVI switch for video (whatever you need). Perfectly losless Extron RGBHV switches are dirt cheap these days. Nobody needs analogue video anymore.

Yeah, I have a feeling that is what I will need and will end up with... I am extremely pleased with Extron.

(The Iogear GCS1758 is not the best switch to be used in such a combination since it has a username and password screen that can not be disabled, although one can just press enter twice with the username and password set blank)

Still dreaming about the convenience of an all-in-one KVM solution with a small footprint.....