A total of 16 reviews of this product on Reddit.
·
This sounds a lot like my setup, and I think my solution will work for your setup, plus it’s pretty cheap! I use this IOGear KVM Switch ($20) to switch my keyboard between work laptop and my PC. I have two mice, but it would work the exact same if I only had 1.
Caveat though, how many input ports do your monitors have? that setup only works for my situation because I have my laptop and PC both plugged into my monitors, and they just auto-detect when the source changes.
All I have to do to switch between work and PC is put my work laptop to sleep, wake up my PC, press the KVM switch, and grab the other mouse and I’m good to go. If you have one mouse, you would just have to press the KVM switch and you’re set.
·
KVM:
>A KVM switch (with KVM being an abbreviation for “keyboard, video and mouse”) is a hardware device that allows a user to control multiple computers from one or more[1] sets of keyboards, video monitors, and mice
·
Two of these:
https://www.amazon.com/IOGEAR-2-Port-Switch-Cables-GCS22U/dp/B001D1UTC4/
Plus a wireless mouse, wireless keyboard, and some generic usb bluetooth receiver, as well as some displayport to vga adapter dongles.
They make them in HDMI as well but my crappy monitors only have DVI and VGA inputs.
·
Have you tried a KVM? I have this cheap one for just my mouse and keyboard between my desktop and my work laptop. Let’s me switch back and forth at the click of a button.
Even the virtual (and often free) KVMs are supposed to be pretty decent these days as well.
·
What is a virt and why do I need it?
What is an ‘old school VGA slot’?
Also all my drivers are fine they have to be or the tablet stops working.
Do you mean this? Should I buy this to make it work? https://www.amazon.com/IOGEAR-2-Port-Switch-Cables-GCS22U/dp/B001D1UTC4
Would that make me be able to work on my tablet’s screen and then look up and see a second image on the tv? Is that how that works?
·
If you can switch the tower to SVGA, you can get a KVM for a fraction of that price.
I’ve got the 4 port version on my rack. the button is a little awkward, but it’s worked without issue.
Whoops.. missed the “audio”… that adds a bit to the price… depending on their proximity, might be simpler to just use the laptop speakers for that machine.. that’s what I did with my desk setup for working at home… that way if my laptop makes a noise, I know regardless.
·
Thank you for the quick answers…
The reason I asked about the NAS being “headless” is because this dictates the motherboard to some degree. For general setup, you basically have two convenient options and one potentially inconvenient option. These are…
Convenient Option #1 – NAS sits off by itself somewhere and is managed through an Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI).
Convenient Option #2 – NAS sits where it can have a keyboard/display/mouse attached directly, or shares these with another computer using a USB KVM switch like IOGear 2-Port USB KVM Switch (GCS22U).
Inconvenient Option – NAS sits by itself without a keyboard/display/mouse attached and these have to be connected when access to the console is needed.
Let’s explore Convenient Option #1. Server-class motherboards can (but don’t always) support an IPMI. The IPMI is powered by an embedded chip+firmware called a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC). The BMC is basically a computer within a computer. It has its own wired network interface and IP address on your network. You can connect to the IPMI interface through a web browser and do things like power on and off your NAS, or access the console like you were connected with a keyboard and monitor. This capability will cost more because it typically is only available on server-class boards, which are generally more-capable than consumer-class, or gaming-focused, motherboards.
A good example of a server-class motherboard is the… SUPERMICRO MBD-X11SSL-F-O Micro ATX Server Motherboard LGA 1151 Intel C232 for US $199.99 with free shipping. The eBay seller actually is Newegg. The board is new, but may be old stock. I’m not sure it is being manufactured now. It is a great price. The board was probably $500 or more when introduced a few years ago.
Specs and support material for the board are available at Supermicro X11SSL-F. The board has IPMI and can take a range of inexpensive CPUs including 6th/7th generation Intel Core I3, Pentium, and Celeron along with E3-1200 series Xeon CPUs.
I have this board running my NAS. It can be paired with…
Two 16GB DDR4 2400MHz ECC UDIMM Memory Supermicro X11SSM-F X11SSM X11SSL-nF X11SSL-F new for US $79 each.
An Intel Core i3-6100 – 3.7 GHz Dual-Core (SR2HG) Processor used for US $59
A SilverStone Technology SST-NT07-115X-USA LGA1150/1151/1155/1156/1200 CPU Cooler Low Profile 23mm Tall for 65W TDP Support with 80mm PWM Fan SST-NT07-115X new for $24.99
A DELL H310 6Gbps SAS HBA FW:P20 9211-8i IT Mode ZFS FreeNAS unRAID 2* SFF SATA US open box(?) for US $79.88. The X11SSM-F has 6 SATA ports and this card will provide another 8 SATA ports.
I have this same CPU cooler and a Dell H310 installed in my X11SSL-F, along with a 7th generation Core i3.
Can’t go wrong with a Fractal Design Node 804 or Define R5.
·
So this sounds almost exactly like my current WFH setup, and I found a great solution that works perfectly for me.
I have 2 monitors (each with 2 available inputs) that are hooked up to both my desktop PC and my work laptop via a Dell USB Dock. My laptop sits underneath my riser and is closed all the time, with only the USB-C plug from the dock. The PC video output is using 1 DP and 1 HDMI, while the laptop is using 1 HDMI and 1 VGA
I use 2 separate mice, but your setup would work the same with just 1 mouse. I have my keyboard plugged into this KVM switch (which is a fraction of the cost of a typical KVM switch) that I found at Microcenter, but is also available from Amazon: $30). So really, this is just a keyboard switch since I’m not using the VGA plugs, and my wireless mouse receiver is plugged into my work laptop dock. (I actually cut the VGA plugs since they’re not being used and they were annoying because of how thick the cable is and how big the VGA plugs are)
I have my Desktop video output going through 1 HDMI and 1 Display Port, then I have my work laptop video output from the dock to the same monitors to their other available ports (in this case 1 is HDMI and 1 is VGA).
When I get done with work for the day, I just put my laptop to sleep and turn on the PC. The video input on my monitors automatically switches from laptop to PC, and then I just press the button on the KVM switch and my keyboard switches to my PC also. I have the remote undermounted to my riser with a 3M sticky pad, so it’s barely visible.
This setup kind of depends on what available video inputs you have on your monitors/the dock you’re using. You can PM me if you want more details and I’m glad to help. This setup is working perfectly for me and doesn’t require any moving of USB cables for the keyboard or mouse or video cables. Before I used this I had to move the plugs for both my speakers and keyboard every time I switched, but now there’s none of that.
Good luck!
·
The best part is honor lock is easy to get around.
To do this you will need a couple things:
-KVM switch (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001D1UTC4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 under 30 dollars)
-2 monitors
-2 computers
-external webcam
-external keyboard and mouse
-either a vpn or a network hotspot
When you take the test you have computer A hooked up to the monitor that is on and the webcam. You have computer B hooked up to the second monitor that is off. You will also need to connect this machine to your vpn or hotspot to avoid Honorlock scanning your network. You use the KVM switch to swap which computer your keyboard and mouse are connected to. When you do your room scan and are putting the webcam back on top of the machine you use your other hand to turn on the 2nd monitor. You now have a 2nd machine on which you can google answers to your hearts content.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
·
Something like this will work, just don’t connect video to it.
·
Just for additional clarity this is what a KVM is …
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001D1UTC4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_z7FCzb9W5KXCD
·
This. KVM is exactly what you need.
I’m assuming that you already have an adaptor for your Mac, but you may need another one if your laptop has HDMI, or you could use this KVM that has HDMI.
·
https://www.amazon.com/IOGEAR-2-Port-Switch-Cables-GCS22U/dp/B001D1UTC4/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465833952&sr=1-1&keywords=kvm&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_two_browse-bin%3A5060496011
+
https://www.amazon.com/C2G-Cables-26957-Female-Adapter/dp/B00006HSM2/ref=sr_1_7?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465834108&sr=1-7&keywords=dvi+to+vga
+
https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-4-Port-USB-2-0-Ultra-Mini/dp/B003M0NURK/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1465834146&sr=1-1&keywords=usb+hum
=KVM switch with 5 switched USB ports by pressing 1 button that works with DVI monitor output.
The best arduino solution I can come up with will require you to wire up like 30 fets, and will probably not be more elegant than a commercial solution.
·
Are these two devices in close proximity when you’re intending to use them? Why not just use a KVM? Your devices can connect to whatever network you like, only keyboard/mouse/video are shared, and usually toggled via a physical button. You could leave out the video cable and just switch the mouse/keyboard.
If you DO want to use the video, there are options available for most standards, such as VGA, DVI, HDMI. I’ve not seen one with multiple video cable types on the same switch, but I’m certain some god-awful expensive option is available.
·
I use one of these and it works fine for me. I switch between my W7 and Debian boxes with it.
·
I like to buy these.
