KVM for use with AT keyboard?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mustard
  • Start date Start date
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mustard

Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the
power drain of an old AT keyboard?

I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with
an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now
getting old and the image on the monitor has started to
shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged
directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.)
This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find
where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all
4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four
different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made
very well.

So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one
made by DLink
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-107-131&depa=0

Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy
as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible
mess of any document I happen to be working on.

Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more
power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM.
I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem
went away. So I think that someone was right.

The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want
to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM,
but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me
crazy.

Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the
power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does
anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that
won't go bad after a year or so?
 
Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the
power drain of an old AT keyboard?

I'm trying to find a KVM switch which will work properly with
an old AT keyboard. I have an old mechanical KVM which is now
getting old and the image on the monitor has started to
shimmer. (The image doesn't shimmer when the monitor is plugged
directly into any of the 4 computers, so it must be the KVM.)
This is the ONLY mechanical KVM I've ever been able to find
where the mouse and keyboard worked properly for all
4 computers that were attached to it. I've tried four
different ones in the past. They don't seem to be made
very well.

So I tried an electronic KVM. The one I bought is this one
made by DLink
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-107-131&depa=0

Every once in a while the cursor will start to go crazy
as if a keyboard key had gotten stuck. It makes a terrible
mess of any document I happen to be working on.

Someone told me this is because older AT keyboards draw more
power than newer ones and this "confuses" the electronic KVM.
I tried the DLink KVM with a newer keyboard and the problem
went away. So I think that someone was right.

The thing is I like the feel of my old AT keyboard and want
to continue using it. It works fine with the one mechanical KVM,
but the shimmering monitor screen I get with that KVM drives me
crazy.

Does anyone know of an electronic KVM that can handle the
power drain of an old AT keyboard? And failing that, does
anyone know of a really good quality mechanical KVM that
won't go bad after a year or so?
Click to expand...

If you're handy with a soldering iron you might try making a
PS2 "adapter" that taps into USB for 5V (another cable
w/plug, plugs into USB port). You might see if you can get
a 5V reading first though, to see if the power really is a
problem.
 
kony said:
If you're handy with a soldering iron you might try making a
PS2 "adapter" that taps into USB for 5V (another cable
w/plug, plugs into USB port). You might see if you can get
a 5V reading first though, to see if the power really is a
problem.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm not really sure what
you mean. Are you saying I should get a KVM that supports
USB and then make an AT to USB adapter for it? Only two
of the computers in the cluster support USB.
I wonder if something like this would work
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-306&depa=0
It has both USB and PS/2 connectors. Unfortunately that
model seems to have problems.
 
Thanks for your suggestion, but I'm not really sure what
you mean. Are you saying I should get a KVM that supports
USB and then make an AT to USB adapter for it? Only two
of the computers in the cluster support USB.
I wonder if something like this would work
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-306&depa=0
It has both USB and PS/2 connectors. Unfortunately that
model seems to have problems.
Click to expand...

I mean that you'd take a male and female PS2 plug and
socket, wire them together pin-for-pin, and add a tap to the
5V pin from a USB plug, port. This inline power injector
would then supply more 5V current.
 
kony said:
I mean that you'd take a male and female PS2 plug and
socket, wire them together pin-for-pin, and add a tap to the
5V pin from a USB plug, port. This inline power injector
would then supply more 5V current.
Click to expand...

To the OP,

If you're going to buy the first KVM you mentioned, why not just buy a ps2
keyboard also. There were some listed on the newegg site for as low as
$4.00US.

David
 
Bk said:
To the OP,

If you're going to buy the first KVM you mentioned, why not just buy a ps2
keyboard also. There were some listed on the newegg site for as low as
$4.00US.

David
Click to expand...

As I said in my first post, I like the feel of my old keyboard
and would prefer to continue using it. I've tried newer
keyboards and I don't like them as well.
 
kony said:
I mean that you'd take a male and female PS2 plug and
socket, wire them together pin-for-pin, and add a tap to the
5V pin from a USB plug, port. This inline power injector
would then supply more 5V current.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the explanation.
 
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