Product specifications

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How to Buy

What are the most common options available, and how do you decide

which option is best?

Desktop KVM switches have the most common options. The market supports many systems

from numerous manufacturers; however, the switches do not all operate the same way. The

most difficult thing to understand when looking at these types of switches is the difference in price

between various four-port desktop switches. Prices can range from $60 all the way up to $450. When

looking at these types of options and trying to compare the price difference, you will begin to notice major items that

may not be immediately identified. Some of the major differences between these types of switches are the way the

video is supported, having a built-in EDID channel, or the ability to program your own channels. Programming your

own EDID channel enables an end user to resolve any video issue they may have later when using different monitors.

With a fixed EDID channel in a lower-end switch, you can easily encounter KVM switches that will not render the video

correctly (e.g. shifted video, horizontal/vertical bars, no video/no signal, etc.). Between these two types of switches, you

will also need to identify the type of USB operation the application requires. The $60 KVM switch may only support USB

HID keyboards and mice, and if you attempt to plug in a USB flash drive, external storage device, or any other type of USB

2.0 device, it won’t function. On the other hand, the $450 KVM switch should offer the full USB spectrum functionality,

and may even support true USB emulation.

What are the key terms and technologies buyers need to be aware of?

DVI, DVI-D, DVI-I, VGA, 1920 x 1080, single-head, dual-head, triple-head, quad-head, single-link

DVI, dual-link DVI, 2560 x 1600, USB 2.0, USB HID, USB enumeration, USB emulation, digital

distance limitations (5 m), single-access extension, dual-access extension, desktop, enterprise,

multiplatform, multi-layer switching, instantaneous switching, virtual media.

Additional information is available at http://www.blackbox.fi/KVM