KVM-8 Installer/User Guide SharkRack, Inc. 32910 Alvarado Niles Road, Suite 140 • Union City, CA 94587 • USA Tel: 510-477-7900 Fax: 510-324-1664 • www.sharkrack.
INSTRUCTIONS: This symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of important operating and maintenance (servicing) instructions in the literature accompanying the appliance. DANGEROUS VOLTAGE: The symbol is intended to alert the user to the presence of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within the productʼs enclosure that may be of sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of electric shock to persons.
Thank You! Thank you for selecting the SharkRack KVM Switch. The KVM Switch has been designed for many years of reliable, maintenance free service. SharkRack is dedicated to the development of high-performance electrical power conversion and control products and we hope that you will find this product a valuable, convenient addition to your computing system. Please read this manual! It provides important safety, installation and operating instructions that will help you get the most from your switch.
Rack Mount Safety Considerations Note: The AC inlet is the main disconnect. • Elevated Ambient Temperature: If installed in a closed rack assembly, the operation temperature of the rack environment may be greater than room ambient. Use care not to exceed the rated maximum ambient temperature of the unit. • Reduced Air Flow: Installation of the equipment in a rack should be such that the amount of air flow required for safe operation of the equipment is not compromised.
Table of Contents 1 Product Overview ................................................ 1 Feature Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Compatibility ............................................ 3 ................................................ 5 Attaching Multiple Switch Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2 Basic Installation 3 Basic Operations ................................................
Product Overview 1 Product Overview Feature Overview The KVM Switch allows you to control up to 64 PC, Sun or USB computers with one keyboard, monitor and mouse. The KVM Switch works with most Sun workstations, USB computers, IBM PC/AT, and PS/2 systems and 100% compatible machines with support for VGA, SVGA, XGA and XGA-II video. Sun and PS/2 keyboard and mouse peripherals are supported through the rear of the unit.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Logitech MouseMan Wheel, Logitech Trackman Marble Wheel, Logitech Trackman Marble FX, Kensington 4 Button Mouse, Microsoft Explorer Mouse and the Microsoft IntelliMouse family. Plug and Play The KVM Switch supports Plug and Play video and is compliant with the VESA DDC2B standard. Mouse translation For added compatibility with your current equipment, KVM Switch features mouse translation capability.
Product Overview Built-in scanning capabilities A built-in scanning feature allows you to automatically monitor, or scan, connected computers without intervention. When keyboard activity is detected, scanning is suspended until all activity stops. Scanning then resumes with the next channel in sequence.
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Basic Installation 2 Basic Installation Connecting your Local Peripherals 1. Power down all computers that will be part of your KVM Switch system. 2. Locate your keyboard, video monitor and mouse. 3. Plug your VGA monitor cable into the monitor port on the back of your KVM Switch or plug your 13W3 monitor cable into the included adapter. Either plug your Sun connector into the port labeled “SUN” or plug your PS/2 keyboard cable and your PS/2 mouse cable into the keyboard and mouse ports respectively.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Connecting your remote peripherals 1. 2. Plug a standard Category 5 Unshielded Twisted Pair (up to 500 feet) into the RJ-45 style modular jack on the rear of the KVM Switch. Make sure the Category 5 cable you are using is terminated to the EIA (TIA) 568 B standard, commonly used for 10BaseT Ethernet.
Basic Installation If you are using Remote Sun peripherals 3b. (This will require a VAK-1 adapter kit available from SharkRack.) If your monitor uses a 13W3 plug, plug the 15HDD male adapter into the monitor port of your Remote User Receiver and your monitor cable into your VAK-1 adapter. Otherwise plug your monitor directly into the Remote User Receiver.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Cable Description Length CBVPS-8 CBVPS-15 CBVPS-30 PS/2 VGA cable PS/2 VGA cable PS/2 VGA cable 8 ft. 15 ft. 30 ft. CBVSB-8 CBVSB-12 USB VGA cable USB VGA cable 8 ft. 12 ft. CBWSN-8 CBWSN-15 SUN 13W3 cable SUN 13W3 cable 8 ft. 15 ft. CBVSN-8 CBVSN-15 SUN VGA cable SUN VGA cable 8 ft. 15 ft. Photo Connecting computers to the KVM Switch 1. Locate the input cable appropriate to the computer you are connecting. (KVM Switch cable types are identified on this page.
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KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Attaching Multiple Switch Units Note: Cascading can only be done with CBVPS-8, CBVPS-15, CBVPS-30, CBVSN-8, and CBVSN-15 cables. 1. Follow steps 1-8 of the Basic Installation section for each cascaded unit. 2. Plug the 25-pin “D” connector of your input cable into any available channel port on the rear of your base switch unit. 3. Plug the 15-pin video connector on the other end of the cable into the port labeled on your first cascading Switch unit.
Basic Operations 3 Basic Operations Overview Your KVM Switch may be operated in a non-secure (no password required) or secure (password required) mode. All units ship defaulted to the non-secure mode. For information on implementing password security, see the “Administrator Functions” section of Chapter 4. Computers may be powered-up one at a time or all at once. No operator intervention is required during booting.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Keyboard Control The following notational conventions appear throughout this chapter to illustrate commands for operating the KVM Switch. Whenever you see one of the symbols listed on the left side of the table, substitute the corresponding steps or values listed on the right side of the table. Convention Key Sequence or Value Enter Command Mode: 1. Press and hold down the Num Lock key. 2. Press and release the minus (-) key on the numeric keypad. 3.
Basic Operations Press Enter to accept the new channel. The following command line shows the proper format used to switch your active channel via keyboard. Key Sequence Action Addr Selects an active channel via keyboard Below is a sample of a keyboard switching session, with an accompanying explanation for each step. Key Sequence Action 1. 4 Selects channel 4 on the base unit as the active channel. 2.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide System Control and Maintenance The following commands are used for system control and maintenance. Enter the command sequences to perform the actions described in the table below. Key Sequence Action Kn Sets the keyboard scan set where n is a scan set number 1-3. MR If you hot-plug your mouse cable, you may experience a loss of mouse signal. Use this command to restore the signal if you are using a PC with a standard PS/2 mouse driver.
On-Screen Display Operations 4 On-Screen Display Operations Activating OSD Activate on-screen display (OSD) by pressing either of the keyboard Control keys twice within one second. In non-secure mode, this brings up the main OSD Window, “Administrator Channel List.” In secure mode, activating OSD will bring up the “User Login” window. Type in your user name and press Enter. The system administrator should login as “Admin”, “Root” or “Administrator.” Type your password and press Enter.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide switch. To exit the OSD window without changing channels, press Esc. To manually logout when in secure mode, press F10. The Command Menu Once you have activated the main OSD window, you can open the Command Menu by pressing either of the Control keys twice. The Command Menu options are selected in the same manner as channels in the OSD window. Scroll the Highlight Bar up and down and press Enter when your selection is highlighted.
On-Screen Display Operations Basic Channel Maintenance Basic Channel Maintenance is performed from the Administrator Command Menu, and is available if you are operating in non-secure mode or if you are the system administrator. Here you can add, delete or edit individual channels. KVM Switch Add Channel Name Address ID Dwell Time 5 Scan Dwell Time 5 Save Changes Enter = activate ESC = exit The Add Channel Window Adding channels 1.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide 5. After selecting “ID Setup”, use the arrow keys, position the ID window to where you would like it to appear when this channel is selected. Then press Enter. (For further information see “The ID Window” later in this chapter.) 6. Select “Save Changes” and press Enter to accept. Press Esc at any point to exit this operation without saving the changes. Deleting an existing channel 1. Highlight the channel you wish to delete in the main OSD window. 2.
On-Screen Display Operations Follow the procedures outlined in the table below to change the size, color or position of your ID Window. Operation Procedure Move the ID Window Use the arrow keys or mouse to move the ID Window’s position on the monitor. (Hold down the Shift key to move faster.) If the window flickers but does not move, continue tapping the arrow keys until it moves back into range.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Administrator Functions The Administrator Functions Menu is accessed from the Administrator Commands Menu. Here, you can setup the administrator and user accounts, enable and disable the setup port and utilize the KVM Switchʼs FLASH upgrade feature. Differences between secure and non-secure operating modes Administrator Account Setting up an administrator account with a password places your system in secure mode. Non-secure systems do not use passwords.
On-Screen Display Operations Creating the administrator account 1. Press the Control key twice to access the Command Menu. 2. Select “Administrator Functions” from the Command Menu. 3. Select “Setup Administrator” from the Administrator Menu. 4. Type your password and press Enter. (The password is not case sensitive.) 5. Repeat entry of the password for confirmation. 6.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Remote user The KVM Switch supports both PS/2 peripherals (with available adapter) at the remote user location. Use this menu option to select the peripherals that are appropriate to your remote setup.
Advanced Operation 5 Advanced Operation Multiuser Operation The KVM Switch provides advanced features. Primarily, it offers the benefit of adding a Remote User Receiver to provide for a remote user that may be located up to 500 feet away from the KVM Switch. The remote user has all the capabilities of the local user and can access any computer attached to the KVM Switch system just as if he were sitting in front of it.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Multi Chassis Operation Multi chassis operation involves independent access only. Both users can simultaneously and independently access any computer attached to the base KVM Switch unit. Similarly, independent access is possible across expansion units as long as each user is accessing a different expansion unit. For example, in the configuration below, two users can access nine computers through three KVM Switch units. Independent access options 1.
Advanced Operation Keyboard Translation The KVM Switch allows you to use PS/2 or Sun keyboards to operate any type of attached computer. However, when crossing platforms, certain keys will need to be “remapped” in order to provide all of the functions available on the keyboard native to that platform. For example, if you access a Sun workstation with a PS/2 keyboard, you will notice that the PS/2 keyboard does not have the STOP and AGAIN keys that are on a true Sun keyboard.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Power/Sleep for USB Computers Peripheral Keyboard PS/2 Scroll Lock Shift-F11 On Win 98/2000 F11 On Win 98/Mac On Win 98/Mac Off Win 98/2000 On Win 98/2000 Off Win 98/Mac Sleep Sun Computer Key Power To issue the Power/Sleep command to a PS/2 computer, type Scroll Lock, F11 (or Sleep key) on a PS/2 keyboard. For a Sun computer, use the Power key.
Channel Scanning 6 Channel Scanning Choosing a Scan Method KVM Switchʼs scanning feature allows you to automatically monitor, or scan, your computer channels without intervention. When keyboard activity is detected, scanning is suspended until all keyboard activity stops. Scanning then resumes with the next channel in sequence. The length of time each channel remains on the screen, or dwell time, is configurable and can be changed at any time.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide With the Scan button 1. You may initiate scanning by address by pressing and holding the Scan push-button until the SCAN LED lights green. 2. Scanning may be halted if a channel is selected, or if the Scan push-button is pressed again. By keyboard hot-key sequence The following key sequences control scanning. Key Sequence Action SG Enables the scan Go command (By Address Only). SH Enables the scan Halt command.
Channel Scanning To add a channel to the Scan list 1. Press the F2 key to open a new selection. 2. Type the address of the channel to add to the list. The dwell time and channel name are updated automatically by the channel configuration menu. 3. Press Enter to save the new entry or Esc to cancel. To delete a channel from the Scan List 1. Use the arrow keys to highlight the channel that you wish to delete. 2. Press the F3 key. 3. Press Enter to confirm the deletion.
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Appendices 7 Appendices KVM-8 Specifications Mechanical Height: 1.7” (4.5 cm) Width: 17.2” (43.7 cm) Depth: 6.5” (16.51 cm) Weight: 4.8 lbs (2.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide FLASH Upgrading To upgrade the FLASH code on your KVM Switch, you will first need to obtain the latest FLASH firmware revision. It is available online at www.sharkrack.com/kvm. Next you will need a serial cable (available at most electronics stores) to connect a computer to your KVM Switch. Simply connect the serial cable between the SETUP port on your KVM Switch to the serial port on the computer.
Appendices Troubleshooting SharkRack Technical Support staff is ready to assist you with any installation or hardware problems you encounter with your SharkRack product. If a problem should develop, follow the steps below for the fastest possible service: 1. Check the troubleshooting tables below to see if the problem can be resolved by following the procedures outlined. 2. Call SharkRack Technical Support for assistance at (877) 427-5722.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Symptom Action No video Verify that the video cable between the computer and the KVM Switch is correctly connected. Verify that the monitor cable is correctly connected to the KVM Switch. Power down the computer. Connect the monitor directly to the computer and power-up again. If the monitor operates correctly direct to the computer, contact SharkRack Technical Support. If it does not, try another monitor.
Appendices Symptom Action Mouse is inoperable on all computer channels Verify that the mouse is plugged into the correct PS/2 port on the back of the KVM Switch. Try the mouse reset command or try the “Reset PS/2 Standard Mse/Kbd” command from the OSD Command Menu for computers using PS/2 mice. Use or “Reset PS/2 wheel Mse/Kbd” for computers using the Microsoft IntelliMouse. (For instructions on command mode, see the “Basic Operations” chapter.
KVM-8 Installer/User Guide Symptom Action Characters on screen do not match keyboard input Try changing the keyboard scan set for that channel by using the keyboard command sequence . (For more information, see the “Basic Operations” chapter.) If the problem persists, call SharkRack Technical Support. No keyboard, video or mouse on the expansion unit; the base unit is functioning properly Verify that the cable connecting the two units together is correctly connected on both ends.
Warranty SharkRack warrants to the original retail purchaser that this product is and will be free from defects in materials and workmanship for a period of 24 months from the date of purchase. Additionally, all SharkRack products carry an unconditional 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If, for any reason, you are dissatisfied with the performance of this product, you may return it to the point of purchase for a refund of the purchase price (excluding shipping charges).
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