Customer Reviews

IOGEAR MiniView Ultra 8-Port KVM Switch with Cables, PS2, and USB GCS138KITUP

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Easy to set up. Just plug your ps2 beyboard and mouse as well as your VGA monitor into the white area in the back of the IOGEAR device, then connect the included cables to your other devices and to the ports in the back of the IOGEAR device and you are ready to go.

For my installation, there were no problems with either the mouse or keyboard that are common with KVMs and the emulation they use. Everything works as though the computers are connected directly to the Keyboard, Mouse and Monitor. There is a slight delay (.5 second) when switching between computers but this is minimal. The OSD (on screen display) allows you to switch between computers by simply hitting the Control Key twice and then using the arrows to select the appropriate computer and then hitting enter.

Since cables usually cost as much as the kvm, it was nice they were included. I see people spending 250 dollars on ebay for KVM's that are older and without the cables. It seems newer technology is better since they seemed to have worked out the emulation bugs.

The included cables are heavy-duty and molded. The unit also fits into a rack and includeds the hardware to mount it there. Otherwise, it seems sturdy enough to place the monitor on top of.

I highly recommend this unit.

I have had this KVM for 1.5 years now, and it is a good product. I found that it does have some issues, although I am anticipating that I will keep this KVM for some time to come. Let me get in to the pros and cons.

Pro

===

* Comes with cables. It's pricey, but add $100 bucks or so for cables, and this becomes a very good deal. I like these cables. The keyboard/mouse cables are longer than the monitor cable, which prevents them from coming loose. My previous KVM had cables where this was not the case, and I would loose keyboard or mouse at any point. Really LOVE these cables

* Set up. You plug in the machines, click CTRL twice and you have access to the menu where you can name your machines, choose the machine you want to use etc. I really like this feature

Cons

====

* Problems with machine without PS/2. I have a few computers where the usb-to-PS/2 connections don't work well. I have a couple of Dell Optiplex GX520 and a Lenovo T60 that don't have PS/2, and whatever I tried, I couldn't get them to be recognised. As it happens, I have used all the ports for other computers, but it's a bit annoying to have to have several keyboards and mice for those computers.

* Problem with corded USB keyboard. I got a Logitech wave corded keyboard as I sometimes have issues with my cordless keyboard. I really don't understand why it is not working, since my cordless keyboard has a USB connection too.

All in all, I am happy with this KVM, but I have been looking for a new one due to the cons above. Then again I am planning on daisy-chaining the KVMs whenever I find a good 8-port USB KVM, as this one is a good for PS/2 computers.

Works better than some $800 switches. Supports both USB and ps/2 style KB and mouse, though the USB cables are optional. Works like a charm, plug-n-play. Supports very hight resolution too.

I've had this unit for several months in my home office to control 8 servers/PC's. Overall, it works great and is easy to install and setup. It functions just fine for office or server environments. The unit itself is very heavy weight and seems built quite rugged. I'd have no reservations purchasing these units for my company to control servers.

But, at my home office I'm connecting to a high-end multimedia PC for movie and music viewing/editing and also a high-end gaming rig. I have a superb quality flat panel LCD monitor that requires 1280x1024 60Hz and my high end PC's have the latest and top-o-the-line graphics cards. Still, the IOGear KVM is pretty shaky as it passes the video signal. All PC's/servers have faint horizontal scan lines that constantly go vertically up the screen and the fine details are, well, the best I can describe it is static like interference looking. Fine edges of certain aspects of the OS or applications are just fuzzy. Even trying to read text can be a bit bothersome as they are not sharp. It is really annoying in gaming, but you can learn to live with it if a lack of perfection does not bother you too much. No adjustments that I can make have made any improvement on the quality. My previous KVM from APEX (Outlook) passed the video near perfectly (until a lightning strike took it out), but of course the cost is much higher.

All in all, a good buy for a server room/farm but for gaming/multimedia enthusiasts, you may be annoyed and disappointed with the video quality.

Bought this because our server room was getting more computers than our old switch could support. This performs exactly as it should with no hiccups at all. I did have an issue with the keyboard and mouse not responding on one of the servers, but I finally narrowed it down to bad ports on the server, and not a problem with the switch.

I have nothing to complain about with this switch. It works perfectly 100% of the time and does exactly what it's supposed to do.

Update: 02-26-2010 Still the best KVM for the price! Tip if you want to turn it into an IP KVM you can hookup an adapter like the one made by BlackBox which will take the master input and redirect it to an ethernet cable which can be viewed over the internet. You will this KVM is a LOT of IT shops for a reason - it works! We just installed some Advocent IP KVM's at work but they cost $500? Then all the cables are proprietary at a cost of $75 each!

I work in the computer industry. I have a cybex (now Advocent) personal 4 port KVM at home. I was ordering parts at newegg and the ratings on this KVM were off the charts, and they sell probably 20 different brands. My old cybex kvm set the bar very very high - not having one problem - lost mouse, frozen or blank screen in the 10 years that I owned it. I looked at cybex/advocent but the price was off the carts for an 8 port ~ $600! At new egg IT pros said it was the best kvm they ever used.

I have been using it where I work in R&D 8 hours a day. I bought it becasue my existing 4 port kvm constantly did weird things, mouse stops working, certain computers the keyboard would not work on certain ports, etc. Since I installed the new IOGEAR 8 port 5 weeks ago I have had zero problems.

Also, newegg wanted $50 just for shipping so I went to amazon and bought it.

*** BEST KVM I HAVE EVER USED AND REPRESENTS AN UNBELIVABLY LOW PRICE. ***

Also, the vendor did a great job with packing and the item was new - not someone else's return.

MOLDED CABLES:

comes with ~ 4 10 foot cables

2 - 6' and 2 - 4'

Also, the video quality is perfect on all cables even the 10' - some 10' cables like on my old setup the screen is a little blurred and the colors are faded.

Don't take my word for it go to newegg's site and read the reviews - but order it on amazon to save on shipping and get the 10' cables at no extra charge.

CONS:

1. The beep is very annoying and cannot be turned off. I will take it apart and put electrical tape over it to hush it up.

2. blinding led blue light on front to show it is on (I put white tape over it to dim it.)

PROS:

can be controlled by keyboard by pressing ctrl twice to bring up the On Screen Display (OSD) and then press F5 and type a name for the computer at that port. Or press the button manually - there is one button for each port with two lights. You don't need to read the manual and it comes with a reset button on the front panel - very valuable if you have ever had a problem pc lock up the kvm.

Includes a standard 9v? external power adapter - which so far I have not needed!

10' cables let you put it under your monitor where you can easily push the buttons - if you buy velcro cable straps you can tidy things up a bit.

Heavy - weights ~ 20 pounds and the case is made of metal! Very solid quality construction and CAN BE RACK MOUNTED IN A SERVER RACK - comes with all necessary hardware.

I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER COMPANY THAT EVEN COMES CLOSE THE THE QUALITY AND RELIABLITY OF THIS KVM. I have NEVER been so satisified with a product which for me is a tool I rely on to get my job done.

The product came with two defective KVM cables (mouse terminations were bad). I notified IOGEAR regarding this but they have ignored me...no replacements have arrived nor has IOGEAR indicated that they would replace the defective cables. On-line support leaves much to be desired....I found it difficult to get them off script to actually think about what I was reporting (had to do with hot key selection of ports). Outside of these issues, the product works great. The on-screen port selection makes it easy to switch from one computer to another with a couple of key strokes. Setup was trivial. I currently have 5 machines running from this switch (4 workstations and a laptop) and have 3 remaining ports for future expansion.

Bottom-Line: If you need a KVM solution that is a breeze to set up and easy to use, look no further then the IOGEAR "MiniView Ultra G-CS138."

When dealing with rack mounted (or free-standing) servers, sometimes upwards of twenty to a rack, there is no better friend to the network administration then the multi-port Keyboard Video, Mouse (KVM) switch, or console. The KVM console which can routinely be rack mounted can also be purchased free standing. KVM consoles allow for multiple (2, 4, 8, or 16) computers to be controlled from one keyboard, monitor, or mouse thereby simplifying server administration.

At work I have three very large freestanding racks that house an ever expanding server farm. Up until recently some of the servers I administer were in the same space I use to build them before rolling them out to production. I kept them there because I lacked the space to place then with the rest of the server in the dedicated server room. The problem: most of the servers in the inventory are free standing units, each with its own dedicated monitor, keyboard, and mouse; this created space constraints, and greatly hindered the placement of new servers in the server room where they belonged.

With the end of the fiscal year, I was finally able to free up sufficient funds to purchase three 8-port KVM switches to alleviate multiple monitors, keyboards, and mice, freeing up space thus allowing me to place more then four servers in a rack. The KVM I chose: the IOGEAR "MiniView Ultra G-CS138 KVM."

The IOGEAR "MiniView Ultra G-CS138 KVM Switch" is a control unit that affords access to multiple computers from a single console. A single MiniView Ultra G-CS138 unit can control up to 8 PCs. Further, individual units can be cascaded to three levels, connected in series; up to 73 MiniView units can control up to 512 PCs from a single console. The units I purchased are free standing, but can easily be converted for rack mount.

The "MiniView Ultra GCS138" provides three convenient methods to access any PC and or server connected to the system; keyboard hotkeys, keyboard shortcut keys, and console controls. In addition, a powerful Quick View Scan feature allows you to auto scan and monitor the activities of all operating PCs on the installation one by one.

Setup & Installation

Setup of the "MiniView Ultra GCS138" is a fast and easy process; attach the power connector and then plug the proprietary KVM cables into their appropriate ports is all that is needed. There is no software to install or configure. Since the "MiniView Ultra GCS138" intercepts keyboard input directly, it works on virtually any hardware platform (PC or MAC) and with all operating systems; E.G. Windows/UNIX/MAC/Linux. Once turned on a very bright blue light shines from the right hand side of the console.

Usage

Once I set the "MiniView Ultra GCS138" up I was ready to start using the console. Eight toggle switches across the front of the console are provided with LED's which illuminate yellow at the top of the switch when a machine is attached to it and turned on. When you chose the machine via one of the methods (keyboard, or switch), a red LED illuminates on the bottom of the switch when you are actually working with a set computer.

The "MiniView Ultra GCS138" features an On-Screen Menu (OSM) system can be accessed by hitting the "Ctrl" key twice in rapid secession, can be set up to quickly choose a computer by using the cursor keys to move up and down the list. Servers can be labeled making it easy to chose the sever I want to work with. This label in turn is displayed upon the monitor screen when that server is chosen; the "MiniView Ultra GCS138" allows you to chose how long you want the label to remain on the screen, and where to place the label. A + sign is placed to the left of the label on the OSM to denote an active (on) system, while a minus sign indicates the system is powered off. With the Auto-Scan feature the "MiniView Ultra GCS138"will quickly scan all active ports in secession.

KVM Cabling

The one complaint I have about "MiniView Ultra GCS138" is the proprietary cables one must purchase with the unit. On most KVM consoles, all of the ports (monitor, keyboard, and mouse) are female allowing one to purchase third party KVM cables (KVM cables attach the server to the console). Not so with the "MiniView Ultra GCS138", its eight monitor ports are male, necessitating the purchase of IOGEAR KVM cables which tend to cost slightly more then third party brands.

I of course found this out the hard way, when I ordered the MiniView Ultra G-CS138 and cables separate. It was only after the consoles arrived that I discovered the port difference. Needless to say I was not happy, because it set my server move back a week while I awaited the arrival of new cables. To their credit IOGEAR does offer a version of the "MiniView Ultra GCS138" bundled with cables.

Conclusion

The cable incident aside, I am very happy with the "MiniView Ultra G-CS138's" I have put into place. Two are installed and running fine, while a third is awaiting the build-out of two more servers before I put it in place.

Our units cost approximately $200.00 each for the consoles and another $150.00 for eight 6' KVM cables each. Not inexpensive but the consoles pay for themselves in no time, considering how much we save by not having to attach a separate monitor to each server. If you need a KVM solution that is a breeze to set up and easy to use, look no further then the IOGEAR "MiniView Ultra GCS138".