The Peculiarly Quiet Decline and Fall of the KVM • Hacker News Board

Re: The Peculiarly Quiet Decline and Fall of the KVM

#141

Post by Jaruzel » Fri, Dec 01, 2017, 11:05 AM UTC

gvb wrote: post #67

Jaruzel wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cut a HDMI cable in half and splay it out, then try switching that to another display. See what happens. If you took an ancient (but still available to buy) 25-pin 'parallel port' 4-port switch box with a rotary dial: https://photography-909a.kxcdn.com/product-images/03292/600/... And wired up the HDMI of two machines to output ports 1 & 3[1]. Then wired up the HDMI to the display to the input port (so effectively…

Not likely. If the cables are short you might get away with it but not likely. The problem you will have is that the signals require high bandwidth and the cables are carefully designed to have low crosstalk, high immunity to noise (both via twisted pairs) and a 100 ohm characteristic (dynamic) impedance (how the cables are constructed, insulation thicknesses, how they are twisted). DB-25 switches work for simple sin…

Thank you for the clarification! :)

Re: The Peculiarly Quiet Decline and Fall of the KVM

#142

Post by Fnoord » Fri, Dec 01, 2017, 11:10 AM UTC

copperx wrote: post #131

Fnoord wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I use that term because its gender neutral and relationship neutral. I find it irrelevant to a discussion whether we are married or not, or a member of the LGBT community or not. However I don't hide my gender or my partner's gender (ie. I use he and she forms due to practical reasons).

I have always assumed "partner" either means "business partner" or that the person is signaling both (1) "I'm gay" without being overt and (2) "I'm resent society's prevailing idea of marriage." at the same time. One can use "spouse" or "significant other" to avoid the perception of being passive-aggressive.

Those terms work as well, but the term "partner" translates 1:1 in my native language so I can use the term in my 2 main languages. YMMV.

Re: The Peculiarly Quiet Decline and Fall of the KVM

#143

Post by Fnoord » Fri, Dec 01, 2017, 3:03 PM UTC

Nursie wrote: post #72

Fnoord wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anecdotal, I still use a KVM, for a specific use case. My PC has 2 monitors. My 1st monitor is standard usage, but my 2nd monitor is also used by my partner's PC. If she wants to use her computer, she gets the 2nd monitor (and the speakers) but otherwise I got a 2nd monitor to use. Practically, it saves me from having to use another set of speakers (you would not use 2 sets of speakers at the same time and I usually…

Don't your monitors have multiple inputs? Mine do and have for some years. I think both of my current ones have built in (crappy) sound and both HDMI and Display-Port inputs.

Fair point, but I had this KVM lying around as I bought this back in ~2007 when I was using a Linux server as 24/7 desktop (including even some Windows apps via WINE) as well whereas I put my Windows desktop off. I was using one keyboard/mouse/speakerset. While I'm not using the keyboard/mouse function anymore, we are using the speaker function.

Also, that feature you mentioned, while it works with some RCs (generally "source" or "input" key), doesn't take into account all the inputs which I am not using. So I need to go through a list of 4 or 5 devices including DVB-C cause yeah my monitor has that support even though I've never used that input. That's annoying.

It gets annoying the more often you gotta switch. For employees of government (like the mentioned example of the Pentagon) that's gonna be more often than not. Any downtime is then a waste because even if its merely 20 seconds back and forth it quickly adds up.

It could even make sense to have KVMs in businesses where they want to keep certain data strictly internal. But as long as companies aren't being punished for data leaks that doesn't have priority. Perhaps we'll eventually see a rise again of KVMs.

Re: The Peculiarly Quiet Decline and Fall of the KVM

#144

Post by Nursie » Fri, Dec 01, 2017, 6:04 PM UTC

Fnoord wrote: post #143

Nursie wrote: post #72

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't your monitors have multiple inputs? Mine do and have for some years. I think both of my current ones have built in (crappy) sound and both HDMI and Display-Port inputs.

Fair point, but I had this KVM lying around as I bought this back in ~2007 when I was using a Linux server as 24/7 desktop (including even some Windows apps via WINE) as well whereas I put my Windows desktop off. I was using one keyboard/mouse/speakerset. While I'm not using the keyboard/mouse function anymore, we are using the speaker function. Also, that feature you mentioned, while it works with some RCs (generall…

Yeah, got to agree it's far from perfect - I use it for infrequent direct access to the server under my desk, and it does mean messing around with having extra input devices etc.

Re: The Peculiarly Quiet Decline and Fall of the KVM

#145

Post by dekhn » Sun, Dec 03, 2017, 4:39 PM UTC

topspin wrote: post #95

dekhn wrote: post #77

I am so happy I don't use KVMs any more. Instead, monitors with multiple inputs, and a simple USB switch for the keyboard.Then I don't have to spend $200 when I upgrade monitors, just so I can switch whatever new resolution I moved to.

I've looked into doing this as well. Have you found monitors that a.) switch inputs without many seconds of delay b.) switch using keyboard input as opposed to banging on balky switches on two displays? My expectation is one button and no delay, not switching the input devices and then switch two monitors one after the other, because I expect to switch frequently. Also, the buttons on a lot of monitors aren't really…

no, unfortunately all the monitors I use are slow (3-5 seconds) and the keyboard switch takes 2-3 seconds.