Cisco-Linksys PS2KVM4 ProConnect 4-Port Compact KVM Switch (PS/2)

by Cisco

Product Details

Product Manual [35kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 3.9 x 5.1 x 1.4 inches ; 6.1 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004SB98
• Item model number: PS2KVM4
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank:
  • #79 in Electronics > Computers & Add-Ons > External Components > KVM Switches
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 5, 2000

Product Description

Linksyss ProConnect KVM Switches allow you to instantly toggle between four PS/2-equipped desktop or notebook PCs while using a single monitor, PS/2 keyboard, and PS/2 mouse. Switch between four PCs with the press of a button. Plug your note-book PC into the KVM Switch and control it from your desktop PCs monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Built to last and ready to run directly out of the box, Linksyss ProConnect Compact KVM Switches eliminate cable swapping while saving you desktop space and hundreds of dollars of hardware costs. Because they dont use software, the ProConnect Compact KVM Switches are compatible with all major desktop and note-book computers. They are the perfect choice for the home, the office, or anywhere else you manage multiple PCs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

45 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great switch for home/office/hobbyist use, September 3, 2000

By 

Joseph Chiu (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PS2KVM4 ProConnect 4-Port Compact KVM Switch (PS/2) (Personal Computers)

This switch is a terrific value.

I bought this switch for use at home to connect three computers in my home-office. I am very happy with my choice.

The switch supports video resolutions up to 1920x1440. In the past, I found other low-cost KVM switches show noticeable image deterioration above 1024x768.

There is a easy-to-use button on the device to switch among your machines. LED's on top tell you which machine you have selected. You can also switch between machines using the keyboard. There are three KVM switching modes via keyboard:

Switch directly:

... Go to machine N: Alt, Ctrl, Shift, {1 2 3 or 4}, Enter

Auto-Scan (3 second interval):

... Begin Auto-scan: Alt, Ctrl, Shift, 0, Enter.

... Stop auto-scan: Spacebar

Up/down mode (Make it easy to quickly switch between machines):

... Begin Up/down mode: Alt, Ctrl, Shift, 0, Enter

... Go to previous machine: Left-Shift

... Go to next machine: Right-Shift

... Stop up/down mode: Spacebar

Unlike some KVM switches, you hit Alt, Ctrl, and Shift in order, one-at-a-time. You don't "chord" the keys together. (This actually is a benefit in my case -- I use the Emacs editor in Linux, and my previous "cheapie" KVM switch had a Ctrl-Alt-key combination command that conflicted with the editor.)

The ProConnect doesn't have an On-Screen-Display that tells you the name of the selected computer. I use OSD-enabled switches for work in the datacenter; but, given this unit's price, not having OSD is an acceptable limitation for the home-office.

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and effective, July 29, 2000

By 

"nooneliveshereanymore" (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PS2KVM4 ProConnect 4-Port Compact KVM Switch (PS/2) (Personal Computers)

I've looked at a number of KVM devices (Belkin, Apex, Aten, Cybex and many others) before purchasing this one and I couldn't be happier. It's small, light, well designed and doesn't require another brick for power (it draws power from the keyboard port). Of course the fifteen cables I have coming out of three of its sides distract a bit from its elegant design (I solved that by buying high quality matching cables and tying them into neat bundles).

There isn't much to operating the switch. A big button on the front (the side opposite the blue end) manually toggles between CPUs. But using the keyboard is simpler (it also lets you hide the device and the fifteen cables out of sight). Specific keystrokes allow you to switch to a specific CPU, to switch to the last CPU used or to set the device in autoscan mode (whereby the display continuously switches between the attached CPUs).

Higher end switches offer such features as on screen displays, modifiable time interval for the autoscan mode, support for serial mice, support for non-PCs, the ability to mount the switch in a rack and sometimes the ability to place the CPUs really far away from you. On the other hand these higher end switches often require custom cables (this one doesn't) and have limited video bandwidth (this device will go up to 1920x1440). Oh yes, they also cost 10 times as much.

My only wish is for something that no KVM manufacturer seems to have thought of: Be able to share all the other things that I use with my PCs (microphone, speakers, USB ports, phone line, etc.). Maybe their marketing departments found "KVMMSUP switch" too much of a tongue twister.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does its job, May 15, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cisco-Linksys PS2KVM4 ProConnect 4-Port Compact KVM Switch (PS/2) (Personal Computers)

For the money, you can't beat this KVM switch. I use it with a Win98 machine, 2 NT workstations, and a Solaris8 x86 box. The only thing I've had to give up were the extended functions of my Logitech MouseMan plus mouse. On the Win98 machine, I can't use the mouse's wheel or the thumb button (which I had grown very used to using). On the NT boxes I can use the wheel, but still no thumb button. On the Solaris box - well, a mouse is a mouse, so you don't lose anything there.

I especially like the hotkeys - you can hit ctrl+alt+shift [1-4] to choose screens 1 through 4. There's another that allows you to automatically cycle endlessly through all screens, and another mode that lets you switch back and forth between screens screens by hitting the shift key.

Given the fact that there are cables going into all 4 sides of the box when you're using it with 4 PCs, it's nice that there's hotkeys to switch between screens, because there's NO way that hitting the button on the box will be practical.

Bottom line is that if you're a geek like me with a bunch of PCs that you want to access with a KVM switch, this is great. However, if you're a gamer with special mouse functionality being used, or a hardcore thumb-button user, you'll have to pass on this option.