Working KVM switch & wireless keyboard combination?

Question

Is there a KVM switch that works with a full-size wireless keyboard?

The switch must support a DVI monitor with 1920x1200 resolution. Wireless mouse support would be nice, but a wireless keyboard is more important for this setup.

There is no reason why this can't be done. My old IOGear KVM switch actually happens to work with a tiny remote keyboard. I just plugged the dongle into one of the switch's USB ports, and it worked perfectly with both computers that were connected to the switch.

However, when I tried it with a couple of full-size wireless keyboards, one by Logitech and another by HP, they didn't work.

IOGear support did not have a list of compatible wireless devices, all they could suggest was trial and error. Logitech says KVM switches are not supported (which is too bad, I kind of wanted to get their glass-surface touchpad, which is wireless).

Thanks!

Answer 1

Unfortunately many KVM Switches do not support full USB. There are basically three types of KVM switch available:

• Enumerated USB KVM switches;
• Emulated USB KVM switches; and
• Dynamic Device Mapping (DDM) USB KVM switches, available in semi-DDM and full DDM versions.

Enumerated USB switches are in many ways the simpler type which will essentially enable the usb connection to the selected machine and unplug it from all other machines. This is like physically moving the cable between machines. This means that the new machine must detect the usb devices again (enumeration). Such switches may support full USB passthrough in which case your wireless devices will work correctly. The downside is that there will be a short delay while the new devices are detected after each switch.

Emulated USB KVM switches and full DDM USB KVM switches attempt to emulate the keyboard and mouse input to all machines (to enable correct boot and fast switching) but in order to do this they need to be able to understand the connected devices correctly. The difference between emulated USB KVM switches and full DDM KVM switches is that emulated switches will only support very basic keyboards and mice connected while the full DDM KVM switch will support any USB HID devices.

Semi-DDM USB KVM switches are somewhere between the two and will not maintain the keyboard and mouse presence to each machine but will still only work with USB HID devices.

Emulated USB or full DDM USB KVM switches are actually the most reliable and recommended for use in commercial / industrial settings.

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So it sounds like either you have an emulated USB KVM switch or a non-HID compliant wireless devices (EDIT: or at least not compatible with the KVM switch). I suspect that if you have Logitech devices with a Unifying receiver then these may cause problems even with some DDM KVM switches. The ATEN range of USB KVM switches look like they might work for you.

Answer 2

I've never had a problem with USB keyboards or mice. My switch has a button, I click it and my logitech mouse and keyboard combo, and monitor switches. I've also used other switches and keyboards with no problem. It should simply pass the devices through.

Issue might arise with plugging and unplugging IO devices to your computer in the sense it might stop picking them up. The constraints should be with the operating systems and not the switch. Windows has failed to pick up my devices in the past. It's rare though and always was fixable by a system restart. This might of been an issue twice in two years. Unix has never been an issue.

I now use multiple monitors and computers with synergy rather than a kvm. Might not help but figured it was worth adding.

Answer 3

As far as I know, bot Aten and IOgear are under same company. They are all using same type of technologies but looks and part numbers. There are no DDM class KVM switches under Aten or IOgear. Their emulated KVM switches can not fully support Logitech Unifying Receiver Wireless product lines, neither the MS wireless desktop keyboard and mouse lines.

Those emulated class KVM switches, once meet uncompilable devices (HID), they will suggest users to turn off the emulation functions. However, when you switch off the emulation of those emulated class KVM switches, they actuary turn emulated KVM switches into regular HUB based (class) KVM switches which are no different from users add an USB HUB to each connected systems and hard plug the USB HUB when user make a "switch"/"selection" among different connected systems.

I still suggest to use DDM class KVM switches to solve the wireless keyboard /mouse issues.