IOGEAR GCS14 4-Port MiniView PC PS/2 KVM Switch Kit with Cables (PS/2)

by Iogear

Product Details

Product Manual [95kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 3.5 x 1.2 inches ; 8.8 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0000512QS
• Item model number: GCS14
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: October 2, 2001

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Introducing the four-port MiniView KVM switches from IOGEAR--simple solutions for those with more PCs than hands. Use one keyboard, one mouse and one monitor to control up to four PCs or Macintosh systems.* These self-powered KVM switches feature mouse & keyboard emulation to ensure smooth operation, as well as support for Plug-n-Play monitors and most wheel mice. Our patented VSE Video Signal Enhancement technology provides rich, 32-bit color at resolutions up to 1920 x 1440. Throw in all the necessary cables and adapters to get you up and running, and you’ve got two more complete KVM solutions from IOGEAR.

* Macintosh support requires IOGEAR’s Mac Adapter.

Features and Benefits

• Use one keyboard, monitor and mouse to control 4 computers
• Microsoft Intellimouse, Logitech FirstMouse+, MouseMan+ are supported
• Port selection through push button and Hotkeys
• PS/2 Mouse emulation for error-free boot-up
• Connected PC’s can be added or removed from the setup without powering off the KVM switch
• Plug-n-Play monitor support

Product Description

Introducing the four-port MiniView KVM switches from IOGEAR - simple solutions for those with more PCs than hands. Use one keyboard, one mouse and one monitor to control up to four PCs or Macintosh systems. These self-powered KVM switches feature mouse keyboard emulation to ensure smooth operation, as well as support for Plug-n-Play monitors and most wheel mice. Our patented VSE Video Signal Enhancement technology provides rich, 32-bit color at resolutions up to 1920 x 1440. Throw in all the necessary cables and adapters to get you up and running, and youve got two more complete KVM solutions from IOGEAR.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Value with some Compatibility Issues, September 11, 2003

By 

David Seah "Investigative Designer" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IOGEAR GCS14 4-Port MiniView PC PS/2 KVM Switch Kit with Cables (PS/2) (Personal Computers)

The IOGear GCS14's price is quite reasonable: IOGear includes 4 sets of cables that would cost you extra with the equivalent Belkin SOHO unit. If you were to buy 4 cable sets, the price quickly adds up.

Functionally, the GCS14 is a molded plastic box that's slightly longer than a 3.5" hard drive. It requires no external power. There are 5 color coded PS2 and VGA connectors arrayed on three sides of the box. The "front" of the box has a single button for manually selecting which of the four computers you'd like to see in sequence. In addition to this button, you can use keyboard hotkeys: press CTRL-ALT-SHIFT then the number, and the unit will switch.

Now, the down side:

(1) I have an old-school buckling spring 84-key IBM short keyboard (it has no numeric keypad). It's PS/2, but it apparently works differently than the standard 102 or 104 keyboards that most people have. I was unable to use the CTRL-ALT-SHIFT sequence with this unit, so I had to press the button on the box to switch. This makes the unit unusable for me, but most people probably have standard keyboards and wouldn't experience this problem.

(2) The GCS14 (and all current IOGear KVMs, according to their web site's technical support) does NOT support USB-to-PS/2 adapters. If you're not sure what this adapter is, it's the (usually) green-colored plug that is attached to your USB mouse when you plug it into the PS/2 mouse port. Because the GCS14 doesn't work with this, a lot of modern mice (such as my Logitech MX300) are incompatible. You will need to use a "pure" PS/2 mouse that requires no adapter. On a side note, the Belkin 2-port KVM Switch with Built-In Cabling (F1DK102P) DOES work with USB-to-PS/2 mouse adapters.

(3) The build quality and ergonomics of the unit are a bit on the cheap side. The cables splay out from three sides, with no built-in provision to mount the unit on a wall. The plastic, while solid, feels a bit cheap. I peeled a piece of rubber away from the unit with little effort, held on as it was with gummy adhesive.

Aside from those three gotchyas, the GCS14 will probably work for most people using standard PS/2 keyboards and mice. It's a moderately good deal.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very inexpensive and quite decent., July 13, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: IOGEAR GCS14 4-Port MiniView PC PS/2 KVM Switch Kit with Cables (PS/2) (Personal Computers)

I have three machines hooked up to this box and, so far, it's performing no worse than the Belkin and other boxes I've used in the past. Since those vendors charge about as much for one set of cables as this entire unit costs, that makes it fairly impressive.

The only complaint I might have so far is that the fit and finish of the box feels a bit sub-par. The case is a bit flimsy looking but, I suspect, as long as it's not abused, this won't impact functionality.

Video shows absolutely NO noticeable degradation, which I couldn't say about the Belkins I've used. Switching works fine. My vanilla PS/2 keyboard and mouse work without incident.

I'm going to try a USB mouse with a PS/2 adaptor just for grins. If it doesn't work, no big deal since the manufacturer made no promises. But I've heard stories of them working fine.

I don't regret the purchase and I'd buy it again. It's a great deal.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Works Perfectly, December 6, 2003

By 

Mr. Raymond Ovanessian "gen2k" (Westlake Village, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: IOGEAR GCS14 4-Port MiniView PC PS/2 KVM Switch Kit with Cables (PS/2) (Personal Computers)

I recently bought this switch, in a package which includes 4 6-foot kvm cables, from another vendor, and I'm very happy with it. It works perfectly.

Unlike one of the reviewers below, my USB Logitech mouse, connected via a PS/2 adapter, has absolutely no problems, neither with the buttons, nor wheel, nor scrolling. I suspect his mouse problem is due to the driver. I use the standard Microsoft PS/2 mouse driver. You don't necessarily need a "pure" PS/2 mouse, though the instructions indicate that serial to PS/2 will not work.

The video quality is also great, no loss or distortion whatsoever. I was actually prepared to see some loss in video, so I was very pleasantly surprised.

The keyboard works great too, as do the hot keys for switching ports. I even connected the mouse and monitor to a DOS machine that uses an older keyboard connection. So for that I have to swap keyboards. Nevertheless, the video and mouse still work fine.

I chose this switch after much review. The decision came down to Belkin vs IOGear. Given the overall consensus and price, I chose IOGear. Also, I found that the cables are very important. So I think it makes sense to buy a package which includes cables; unless you need much longer ones, in which case be prepared to pay extra for quality. Video quality though is dependant on cable length, so shorter is better.