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                 Sys Admin Magazine -- News and Reviews
                          November 24, 2003

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In this feature article, Brian Gollsneider reviews the SwitchView 
4-port USB KVM (keyboard-video-mouse) switch and the SwitchView IP 
(KVM over IP) products 

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Review: Avocent SwitchView USB and IP 
by Brian Gollsneider  

Avocent has a history of making products that get the job done 
with no fuss. The SwitchView 4-port USB KVM (keyboard-video-mouse) 
switch and the SwitchView IP (KVM over IP) products reviewed in 
this article certainly continue this tradition. They get the job 
done right -- combining straightforward setup with all the features 
that you would expect at a very reasonable price. 

SwitchView USB KVM Switch 

To begin, I will explain the basic operation of a KVM switch. 
(If you are already familiar with KVMs, skip down to the details on the 
product.) A KVM switch is typically about the size of a 4- to 8-port 
network hub. It allows you to use one keyboard and mouse to control 
several computers and to display the data on only one monitor. You plug 
the keyboard, monitor, and mouse into the switch, then use the special 
connector cables to go from the switch to each computer. You can then 
push a button to specify which computer gets the keyboard, monitor, 
and mouse. 

Once you've pushed the button, the switch connects you to that computer 
and you work just as if the KVM switch weren't there. You can then 
switch 
back and forth to the appropriate computer as necessary. The switch 
fools 
each of the non-connected computers into thinking they still have the 
keyboard and mouse. 

KVM switches are commonly used in places where space is tight, for 
example server farms. Instead of each computer having its own keyboard, 
mouse, and monitor, you just have one set. This saves a large amount of 
space, especially because of the monitor. Some KVM switches also 
provide 
support for USB devices, allowing you to share these devices between 
the 
computers. The USB devices get presented to the computer that you 
switch 
to and appear as if you've just plugged in the device. 

To read the complete article, visit:
http://click.sysadmin.email-publisher.com/maabHlYaa2pkha2sokSb/

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