Customer Reviews

Belkin 2-PORT KVM Switch With Cables Keyboard/ Video/ MOUSEPS/2

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I use two computers - one is a laptop with a docking station (I do not like laptop mouse pad and display)and the other one is a desktop. The desktop is mainly used for easy backups and running outdated software that I still use. To save space that would be taken by an extra monitor, keyboard and mouse; I use the KVM switch.

The installation was a breeze, and the cable length is generous for most users. Pressing keys - Scroll lock; Scroll lock followed with 1 or 2 switches me from one computer to the other. It is that easy.

I have not had any problems such as display distortion or low response time. It is a great product.

This product has undocumented problems with Microsoft and Logitech WireLess MultiMedia keyboards (most likely all wireless keyboards), namely the port switching doesn't work (rending it useless).

Shame on Belkin for not reporting this, and shame on them for not providing support for highend keyboards and mice.

The Belkin KVM switcher is probably the most annoying piece of electronics I've ever used in my life. Belkin didn't see fit to make a simple switch to toggle between computers. Instead, they made a device that "thinks." You press the switch button and sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Many times, I have to hold the switch down for several seconds, then it will switch, but switch back after a few seconds. There have even been times where I had to disconnect the switcher all together, just to get to the other computer, so I could shut it down, rehook up the KVM switch, and restart, so that the KVM switch would recongnize the fact that there is another computer hooked up to it.


This product is worthless to me. I'll be sure to never by another Belkin product again.

I've used this for about 2 years now. Before the first year was out, one half of it stopped working. It just stopped sending the signals from one machine. There was a warranty so I called to have it replaced and it cost me about 1/3 of the entire original to ship the bad one to them. Still, I figured it was cheaper than a new one so no big deal...hardware goes bad sometimes. Today, just now, the new one went bad (it has been another year give or take a month). That is enough for me. It's not so much the cost, which is cheap as far as KVMs go, as the hassle.

In addition, with this KVM, to switch between machine you press the scroll lock key twice and then either an up or down arrow. Not a big deal unless you switch a lot. Doing computer support in a consulting role for a living I've come across many KVM switches. Most of them are just too expensive for the normal home user but one I've used quite a bit is the IOGEAR GCS62 MiniView Micro KVM Switch. It has never failed and you scroll lock twice and it switches machines. It is about the same price...My recommendation is to buy that instead. I just did. =)

P.S. A couple people mentioned that they'd have to unplug and replug everything because it loses it's signal. That has also happened to me many times and a few times unplugging didn't do it. I had to shut down both machines and then restart them both so the KVM could "figure itself out".

First it seemed to work fine, and I have been using it professionally with two Compaq systems (win2k3 and winxp pro). Then occasionally after a month of usage, I was not able to get control, forcing me to unplug the KVM, and plug in the keyboard/mouse to gain control of the computer. I tried it with an older Dell box (Pentium III era, and I couldn't get it to function at all.

Now, this loss of functionality seems to be the norm. I tried using this on two shuttles (winxp 64-bit ed. and win2k3) at home, and I cannot wake up the computers after they go into sleep mode. I tried the IO Gear KVM solution, and I do not have the same problem.

Essentially, I left with not only an ugly looking two-port KVM, but a dysfunctional KVM. Given this and other horror stories with other KVMs, I am really disappointed with Belkin, a company that I thought made quality products. I guess this is no longer the case...

The switch will work rather flawlessly for a week then fail miserably. The hot switch refuses to work for no reason. Since the switch does not have a power switch or reset button (significant design flaws) you have to crawl behind your PCs and disconnect all of the plugs. Sometimes I've had to power off a PC without a proper shutdown in order for the switch to recover. Given the hot switches inability to work, Belkin should have at least put a manual switch on the box.

This Belkin KVM switch is crap. They've set it up so that you have to press:

SCROLL LOCK then SCROLL LOCK then ARROW

That's 3 buttons, and it's just plain stupid. Up arrow goes to the previous port, and down arrow to goes to the next port. Guess what -- on a 2 port switch, the next port IS the previous! It's a very poor design. Now we know why they're giving these things away at pc connection.

The Linksys version of this 2-port molded switch is a better design, in that simply pressing scroll lock twice switches to the other port and that's it.

Furthermore, the Belkin F1DK102P periodically causes Windows machines to change resolution, and the only rememedy is to switch back and forth a couple times. It also jams sometimes, sending repeated arrows to the linux box.

The only thing Belkin has over Linksys is a three year warranty (vs Linksys' one year warranty). But I consider fast convenient switching more important. Also, the Linksys one year warranty becomes two years if you buy it with a credit card.

I just purchased this switch for use with a desktop and laptop in my office. The shielding on the cables or the internal components is completely inadequate and the two signals obviously interfere with each other. Unless I set the refresh rate from the video out of the laptop to 60Hz and the desktop to 75Hz I get waves of distortion tracking horizontally accross the screen (I have no idea what is magic about these rates). My advice: get a product with much better shielding than this one or plan to spend a lot of time fooling with refresh rates to hopefully squelch the groovy distortions from the video cross talk.

It doesn't reliably switch between computers. I use a Dell & a Compaq. This thing decides to stay at the Compaq and will not let me switch back to the Dell until I unplug cables on the Compaq. Add to that, there are times that I am at the Compaq and my keyboard no longer works, even when I unplug/plug in the KVM. I have to cycle the PC!

had this working fine with a microsoft wireless mouse/keyboard and switching between an XP box and a Linux box. then 1 day it just quit. i crawled behind and unplugged and replugged and powered off and on both machines and nothing. there's nothing to troubleshoot either. no software, no manual switch nothing. reading the manual is useless - it's either gonna work - or not. i'll get a switch with a manual switch next time and probably not one by belkin.