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November 14th, 2006 02:00

Can't use keyboard and mouse via kvm switch

I'm trying to share a monitor, keyboard and mouse across a new dimension 9200 desktop and an old latitude laptop + port replicator. I've a kvm switch that I've been using with a home-built desktop and the latitude, so the switch is fine.

The display from the dimension comes across correctly to the monitor, but the mouse and keyboard don't function at all. The latitude has no problems with any of this rig. Swapping the kvm cables between the dimension and the latitude didn't change anything, so the cables, keyboard and mouse are all fine.

The problem seems to be that the kvm wants a ps2 keyboard and mouse, but the dimension wants them to be usb. I've added ps2 to usb adapters to the kvm cables coming to the dimension, but the dimension does not see the keyboard and mouse through the switch. When I plug the keyboard and mouse directly to the dimension using the adapters, the mouse worked, but the keyboard did not. I then plugged the kvm cable just for the mouse and plugged the mouse back to the switch, the dimension promptly lost the mouse.

The kvm switch is a two-port belkin omni-cube, and is powered through a power adapter.

Any hints on how I can stop this nonsense of having two keyboards, two mice and one monitor?

2.2K Posts

November 14th, 2006 03:00

I have struggled with this before also. But I have the same sort of setup that works just fine. My problem was that one of the pins on the mouse or keyboard, cannot remember was bent to the side so look closely at the pins on the keyboard and mouse. Another time I saw this problem I found that the kvm switch was actually bad. But using the adapters from usb to ps/2 should work fine if they work connected directly to the computer. You may have said so but have you tried them on both systems if possible? I am leaning toward a bad kvm switch at this point if you have no bent pins and it is connected correctly.

10 Posts

November 15th, 2006 00:00

Thanks dbramlet.

>I have struggled with this before also. But I have the same
>sort of setup that works just fine. My problem was that one
>of the pins on the mouse or keyboard, cannot remember was bent
>to the side so look closely at the pins on the keyboard and mouse.
I just looked and the pins on the keyboard, the mouse and all the kvm cables are okay. As I had said before, the latitude has no problems with the keyboard and mouse connected through the kvm switch. This would not be possible if either of those two had a bent pin.

>Another time I saw this problem I found that the kvm switch was actually bad.
As above.

>But using the adapters from usb to ps/2 should work fine if they
>work connected directly to the computer.
As I had mentioned earlier, the keyboard did not work even when connected directly to the dimension with the ps2 to usb adapter. The mouse worked when connected (with an adapter) directly to the box, but it did not work when connected through the kvm switch.

>You may have said so but have you tried them on both systems if possible?
Yes, I have. The latitude is perfectly happy with or without the kvm switch, but the dimension is not.

>I am leaning toward a bad kvm switch at this point if you have
>no bent pins and it is connected correctly.
Even this is mystifying because the latitude works fine with the switch. I'd think therefore that the switch isn't faulty...

Any other hints?

2.2K Posts

November 15th, 2006 02:00

Actually I did see this exact thing happen with a bent pin. It worked connected directly or to one computer and not the other. Now I admit don't see how that was possible. I couldn't believe it. So wanted to pass that alone so you could at least check it.
 
But from what you said it sounds as if the usb adapter may be faulty? I honestly have run out of ideas. If you could test this switch with another computer other than the Demension it could tell you a lot if it worked that way. Otherwise you need more help than I can offer.

2.2K Posts

November 15th, 2006 19:00

You really have me thinking on this one and have not forgotten by all means. Let me see if I am with you on this. You are using an adapter that will convert a usb keyboard and mouse to PS/2, correct? Bothe these work when using the laptop. The mouse works with the Dimension when connected directly, but the keyboard will not work on the Demension even when connected directly, correct?
 
Now, I have to ask if you have any other keyboard like a standard PS/s keyboard that you can try with the Demension to see that the PS/2 port is working? Seems to me that would be something we need to know. If you find that a standard PS/2 keyboard works with the Demension then try it through the KVM switch also. I have seen some computers that just will not work with those adapters and more and more it is looking like that is what's going on here. But need to also know that either in bios or under hardware or somewhere that the PS/2 ports on the Demension are enabled also. Believe you have already founf that at least the mouse port is.

10 Posts

November 15th, 2006 21:00

dbramlet - much thanks for continuing to follow up.

>You are using an adapter that will convert a usb keyboard and mouse to PS/2, correct?
The dimension has zero ps2 ports, it however has a boatload of usb ports. My kvm switch cables are ps2.

When I connect my ps2 keyboard and mouse to the kvm switch and connect the kvm cables via two ps2-to-usb adapters to the dimension, the computer does not sense either input device. The latitude, which is also connected to the same kvm switch, senses both without problems.

When I connect the (ps2) keyboard and (ps2) mouse directly to the dimension using the ps2-to-usb adapters, the keyboard is sensed through the adapter, but not the mouse. I have tried a variety of usb ports on the dimension, and I have switched the two adapters - the results have not changed. And a usb mouse in any of those usb ports works fine.

2 Posts

April 28th, 2007 02:00

Have you found a solution?
 
I am having the exact same issue with a Dimension 9200 and a Raritan Switchman USB Combo KVM
 
 

7 Posts

May 18th, 2007 16:00

All, There is a driver issue with Dell and USB KVM's (DELL knows this yet has not fixed it yet) please keep in mind that this is a thread from about a year ago that I resolved, and I believe it will fix your issue too!

I have found a solution to make my DELL keyboard work with the Belkin USB / KVM, hope my solution will work for others too!

First a little detail about my setup, problem, and solution.

I have a Belkin 2 port USB / Sound / Microphone KVM connected to a Toshiba M200 and a DELL GX620 system, using the keyboard and mouse provided by DELL, all worked well with my M200 laptop, but only the mouse worked with the GX620, I tried several configurations and found it was detecting the keyboard fine but at some point one of the HID’s (extra control items like volume knob) kills keyboard when connected through the KVM, but I found if I first plug-in a small USB-Hub into the KVM keyboard slot and let it detect the hub FIRST and then connect the DELL keyboard to the hub, the keyboard get detected fine and all extra control functions work also.
Please post a msg back if it works for you or not so we can pass this around if it works.
Best regards.

Also;

Self powered from usb from computer, so you MUST use full power slot (Use a USB on the back of computer off of motherboard, not all remote USB connections support full current draw of 2.0 USB) and I found that the hub used needs to be a high current type (2.0) tried to use a cheaper 1.1 and got a over current notification from PnP. The USB hub I am currently using is from Sam's club at a cost of $7 by Stratitec. Have had NO problems after 3 days and # of reboots.

Also;

I have also tried a Micro Mobile Hub 1.0 from Walmart (about $8) and it works just as well, but now I don't get the "your device doesn't support 2.0 msg" with the keyboard. One less pop-up to click!

Message Edited by pgeneste on 05-18-2007 12:23 PM

2 Posts

May 24th, 2007 05:00

Thank you for your response.
 
We are replacing this desktop with a Optiplex 745
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