Using USB Switch for Keyboard

I've found that USB KVMs sometimes have a delay. IOW, after switching, you need to wait several seconds before switching back. I've never used the ShareCentral, but try waiting a bit before switching back. (10+ seconds.)

Me personally, I've not had great success with KVMs and USB keyboard/mouse, even some not-so-cheap ones. (Currently, I have two 16 port Tripplite KVMs which are quite reliable, but I assume you don't want to spend that much. 😉 )

Otherwise, perhaps try a different keyboard & mouse. Or a different USB port on the Mac. (Or even a different Mac.) Maybe swap the PC and Mac sides of the ShareCentral. (To see if the problem is on the side you attached to the Mac.)

Bobbbo wrote:
But what I did find interesting was that the USB switch device has 2 USB devices you can switch. I added the second device which is a USB Hard Drive and it switches just fine. I wonder why it does but not the keyboard?

Keyboards & mice are unique among USB devices. I don't know the exact details, but from my limited understanding, in general a USB device can only be controlled by one computer. So with a KVM, you normally present a virtual keyboard and mouse to the computer so that when you switch, you're not actually disconnecting the keyboard/mouse. This minimizes problems when each computer has the keyboard in a different state. For example, when one computer has the caps lock on and another doesn't.

In your case, I'm wondering if the Kensington isn't really acting as a KVM, but just a USB switch. So the keyboard is not reset properly after the switch. Thus the need to unplug the keyboard, which resets it. Non-HID devices may be fine, but just not HID, which is why I suggested a different keyboard on the chance that a different one may "reset faster" or whatever when being switched. (And preferably a different model of keyboard to ensure that it's not something inherent in the design of that model keyboard.)

Glad to hear it's all working for you. 🙂