Cannot use KVM switch with Mac Mini

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Level 1

8 points

Cannot use KVM switch with Mac Mini

I bought a KVM monitor switch box, some KVM cables, and a USB to PS/2 ports so that I could connect the Mac Mini I bought and my old PC to the same monitor. Unfortunately I have been running into problems.

I can verify that the monitor is working - I turned off the PC and directly connected my monitor to the Mac Mini. I connected my keyboard and mouse to the USB to PS/2 port converter thing, so it works too.

I am beginning to think that there is something wrong with the KVM switch, or that my monitor does not support the use of switch boxes. I am using a Mitsubishi/NEC DiamondPoint SB70, and the model number of the KVM switch is MT-270S.

I have also tried following the instructions with the little booklet that came with the switch box - to power up one PC, let it fully boot up, switch to the second PC and boot it up.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Intel-based Mac Mini, Mac OS X (10.4.9), I also have a PC running Win XP

Posted on May 5, 2007 7:01 PM

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Answer 1

Boece

Level 5

6,264 points

May 8, 2007 4:58 AM in response to ElaineArias

My experience has been that I needed to try several brands and models of consumer-grade KVM switches before I found one that I was happy with.

Hopefully you bought from a vendor with a good return policy and you can try another model.

There are some fine points that need to be observed with USB + PS/2 switches: sometimes you have to have more cables attached to a turned-on computer than you might suppose, because the switch needs to draw power from a live computer -- and it does so through the usb and/or ps/2 cables. Sometimes it is hard to know which is the most critical cable to have connected to power the switch.

Additionally, if ps/2 to usb conversion is being done by an additional device other than the switch, this will often prevent a switch from working properly.

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Answer 2

ElaineArias Author

Level 1

8 points

May 9, 2007 5:27 PM in response to Boece

Thanks for the response. It probably is the USB to PS/2 connector that I bought to convert one USB port to a pair of PS/2 ports for the keyboard and mouse. Once I used that, I could not use the switch box at all.

I am going to give it another shot this weekend, trying it without the USB to PS/2 switch and following the instructions more carefully.

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Answer 3

May 9, 2007 8:07 PM in response to ElaineArias

You might be better off with a KVM that uses USB instead of PS2, and then using a USB mouse and a USB keyboard. There's no need to use PS2 at all. This is what I do with my Mac mini and Windows computer.

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Answer 4

May 10, 2007 2:26 AM in response to Matthew Smith

Totally agree ; I use a Belkin usb kvm between my mini and my pc and it works great with my apple usb keyboard, and even my wacom tablet. I'd highly suspect the culprit is the use of ps2 devices...

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Answer 5

Boece

Level 5

6,264 points

May 10, 2007 3:39 AM in response to ElaineArias

If you go to a site like amazon.com or newegg.com you can find a wide variety of KVM switches -- and hopefully one that will match the connections of all the devices you have without having to resort to a separate Y-converter.

As others have suggested, you will have the simplest and most reliable setup if you can run a pure USB configuration, though that is not strictly necessary.

I'm far from pure USB (I use a vintage 1986 IBM AT keyboard going into a PS/2 converter into a KVM switch that outputs USB and PS/2! -- though I do use a USB mouse). I don't use any Y-converters because they would not work with my Trendnet TK-210K switch.

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