IOGEAR GCS42UW6 2 Port USB KVM Switch

Comment:
I purchase the KVM switch because I was tired of unhooking my Monitor ,Key board and mouse every time I need to work on a pc . I like the device and must admit that it does work and for the money I think its a good deal . If I could change only one thing it would be the front and rear component hookups. I would have liked the component hookups to be on the rear of the unit because I wanted to leave the switcher laying on my desk but cant because of the double cords running out from both sides. No on the other hand if thats the only problem that I have then thats ok to. I recommend this product if you need a cheap switcher .

Comment:
This thing did exactly what I expected it to do and it does it remarkably well. Yes there is a delay when switching backi and forth but try plugging in a mouse keyboard and monitor faster than the less than a second it takes your system to load the "new" usb device. If you are not thrilled with this product your expectations were simply too high. As for me it made my life just a little easier not bad for the price I paid.

Comment:
I bought an XBox 360 secondhand about seven months ago, and I don't own a television. So my only choice was to buy a VGA cable and run the sound of the system through my computer's sound card. This worked, but manually switching my monitor from XBox to computer is a pain. This switch makes it easier to get from my computer to my games and back, and the USB cables allow my XBox to share my keyboard as well, making text messaging over XBox Live a breeze. I also like the fact that it is self-powered from the devices it connects, because my room is crowded enough with cords and plugs. Very handy item.

Comment:
This product does exactly what it states, the only thing that I found to be lacking was dvi. Also, the two usb ports on the kvm switch funnel into one usb port on each end, however it does not act as a hub. It acts to combine a usb mouse and keyboard into one mouse/kb combo via usb. This I did not really like. Other than that, it definitly gets the job done and you can't beat the price.

Comment:
A low-cost KVM switch. Worked out of the box, easy to hook up. Cables are short, need to have everything close together. Works with wireless Logitech left-handed mouse. My need is for a sometime-used XP machine to run old peripherials not supported under Vista.

Comment:
This KVM switch installs in a snap and runs with most combinations of mouse/keyboard I have tested. However, for some unexpected reason (maybe it uses USB 1.0?) it causes serious lags of mouse and keyboard when browsing with Firefox or using programs that make use of the Java Virtual Machine. I ended up plugging it only when I know I am going to work the whole day between my PC and my server, otherwise the lags become very annoying after a while

Comment:
Overall this is a good 2 port KVM switch. I like the integrated cables, makes the unit compact and sturdy. My only issue with the product, and to me it's a big issue, is that it cannot be controlled by a keystroke. To switch between PCs you must press the button on the KVM itself. This means I can't just throw it in the back, rather must have this on my desk. Argh.

Comment:
Most of the time it works great switching between my Mac Mini and a Dell laptop on a docking station. I'm using a Dell 17'' LCD display and the Dell keyboard and Dell mouse. The KVM box sits nicely under the monitor where I can easily reach it, and cables are nicely out of the way. Occasionally when I switch to the Dell, the keyboard and mouse do not work. I switch back to the Mac and then back to the Dell, and it works fine. I recently swapped the cables going to each computer (1 is the Dell, and 2 is the Mac), and have not had those problems since then.

Comment:
Pros: Inexpensive, built-in cables. Cons: Cables are too short, no hotkey switching. Overall, for $20 this was an excellent buy. As stated above, my only real issues with it are the short cables and the lack of hotkey switching. I have one tower under my desk in a 'cupboard' on the left of the leg area, and the other tower sitting on the desktop above it. The cables are plenty to reach the top tower, but after snaking the cables through the back and down to the bottom tower, the box is pulled halfway to the back of my desk. An extra foot or two of cable would have made this nearly perfect. Coupled with the lack of a hotkey combination to switch computers, this is highly irritating. Last thing, if you switch a lot, you'll quickly get tired of hearing Window's USB plug/unplug sounds. They can be disabled, though. No flickering or interference on a 1680x1050 LCD.

Comment:
This contains a USB hub (to combine the mouse and keyboard inputs). If your system already features a number of hubs, this may be one hub too many. Such was the case with my HP Pavilion. I'm using it to switch the display only. This is a cheapo KVM switch, so if your system can't tolerate having the keyboard and mouse disconnected (when its switched to the other system), don't buy this one. Spend some money, get a good KVM switch or a second display, and avoid the aggravation.

Comment:
Hey just a note to let you know that I recieved my IOGEAR 2-port USB KVM switch today and within about 20 minutes had 2 PC running and it accepted my Logitech wireless mouse and keyboard using one USB port. Couldn't be more happy and it was a snap, just plug it in and set back and have fun.

Comment:
I've owned PS/2 versions of IOGear kvm's, but I needed a USB one for my wireless mouse and keyboard. Other than the monitor is not 100% (a little bit of interference from the kvm) this unit does exactly what I wanted it to do. Rather than tapping the Scroll Lock key like on previous versions, you hit a button on the box, which is a little more inconvenient as you need to have the kvm near you, it can't be hidden somewhere... but that's okay. Overall I am very pleased with this kvm.

Comment:
TigerDirect is great, IOGear support/RMA is horrible. I recently purchased one of these devices and it would not work with my wireless keyboard, mouse, computers. I am a tech person so I am confident that I can validate these devices. I had to purchase the more expensive GCS632U for my equipment to work properly. I spent the money to ship the device back to IOGear and requested a replacement. They rudely sent it back to me telling me that there was nothing wrong with the device and they could not test my scenario. I have never dealt with such unprofessional support personnel.