Computer newbies forum: Two Computers - One Keyboard and mouse - Single USB

I think you are saying you have two devices (a mouse and a keyboard) that communicate to the USB wireless transceiver, but you have a KVM that has just does not switch a USB port. Instead your KVM has mouse & keyboard PS/2 ports.

Don't fool around with USB to PS/2 converters, that is just needlessly complicating a fairly simple connection. Connecting to PS/2 ports usually are not too happy with devices plugging in when your computer is up and running. USB devices don't have that problem, USB devices are "hot swappable" and PS/2 devices are not.

I have had a keyboard combo "Microsoft Wireless Desktop 1000" and it does not require two USB ports at all. There is one transmitter that plugs into a single USB port of your computer. That one transceiver communicates to the mouse and keyboard.

You only need to have a single USB, from each computer, plugged into the KVM, and have that one transceiver plugged into the switched USB connection of the KVM. I am doing that now with my "Microsoft Wireless Desktop 8000" and I did it that way several keyboards ago.

You need to replace your PS/2 KVM with a USB KVM. They are pretty cheap. So do yourself a favor and scrap the older KVM and get one that can also switch USB ports.

You're not WAY off base, it is just that your problem is with not having the correct KVM switcher. There are plenty of KVMs with USB ports. Just do a Google shopping search for "kvm usb" I have seen many in the $20 to $40 range (15 to 30 Euros), some even cheaper, and a few as much as $100. It really all depends upon what features and size you want.

Here is a doc from IOGear that has a large selection of many different types of KVMs:
http://www.iogear.com/guide/KVM_Guide.pdf

I haven't seen KVMs with PS/2 support and USB together. I am not saying they don't exist, it is just I haven't seen any. The idea of PS/2 ports are rapidly going away. My two newest computers don't even have mouse/keyboard PS/2 ports on them. They use USB exclusively.

If you are using that Microsoft Wireless 1000 keyboard, that has a single USB connection which needs to be plugged into your computer. The receiver has 2 wireless channels in it, one for the mouse one for the keyboard. You only need one USB connection! If you are using a KVM with USB support, then you only need to switch that one USB connected receiver from computer 1 to computer 2.

Here is a video that will show you an example of a KVM with USB.
http://www.buy.com/videoclip/TRENDnet-TK-209K-2-Port-USB-KVM-Switch/74324.html
In this video notice that the device shown has two USB ports to connect your mouse and keyboard. Since you only need one (for your receiver) just use one, and the other one doesn't need to be connected to anything.

What is not shown in the video is the two sets of cable that come with the using to connect to "PC1" and "PC2" The cable sets for the computer side are all connected to a sort of "octopus" cable through the multi-pin connectors. My current KVM with USB is made by "AirLink 101" and it has the same sort of multi-connect plug. Some KVMs might have all the cables hard-wired to the switch.

Anthoni does not have a Belkin receiver for his Microsoft Wireless 1000 keyboard. That would not work anyway. Microsoft has their own receiver for their own keyboards. It is not going to work with other brand of receiver. In fact, even Microsoft has changed their receivers, from the old v1 type to the more recent v2 type (you can see the version number on the bottom). I have a half dozen Microsoft wireless mice (I buy them when I see them for like 50 cents at someone's garage sale) and some use my v1 receiver, and the other use the v2 receivers. For some reason people seem to not have the receivers for sale as often. (??)

As for needing, or even recommending, the same operating system on both computers. Not needed. I have used KVMs that switch between not only operating systems (different versions of Windows, Mac, Unix, Novell servers, etc) but also as many different screen frequency rates, as well.

It is required that the one monitor you use has a multi-sync capability. Because as you switch between these different computers the monitor is going to have to adapt to the new rate.

There are as many VGA (the "V" of the KVM abbreviation) video type of KVMs as there are DVI. And I suspect there will be soon HDMI KVM switches, if there aren't already.

Hey,

Thanks for all the suggestions so far. Just so we are clear, this is my new keyboard and mouse http://www.dixons.co.uk/product.php?sku=369589&camp_id=froogle, unfortunately it doesn't show the reciever. However it is just the basic Microsoft Reciever, except now both run off a single USB cable.

I think it is the single point of control that was confusing me, because I've seen USB KVM switches on Amazon BUT they always say 2 port, so I presumed (obviously incorrectly) that I needed a seperate USB connection for each item, thus one for mouse and one for Keyboard.

However, from what I can gather, I just plug my MS USB Reciever into one of the KVM ports and then I plug the cables from the KVM dongle into both my computers USB ports. Is that correct ?

If I am right, then I will purchase one of these from Amazon immediately.

The Dixons website also has one, if you prefer that company. It is the same company where you mentioned you got your keyboard.

BELKIN F1DF102UUK

They also have one that switches the audio. Just look for Belkin model F1DG102UUK

Thank you so much for your help. I have ordered the IOGear one and it will arrive Tuesday / Wednesday. Looking forward to it.

Will post here when get it and using new Keyboard and Mouse

Once again, thanks.

Regards
Anthoni

and thanks for reporting back.

Mark