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Belkin KVMs

Author	Andrew 'Spode' Miller
Published	10th Aug 2006
Manufacturer	Belkin
Price	£100.50 (Exc VAT)
as reviewed	£118.09 (Inc VAT)
Latest Price	Click here

Overall

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I managed to solve the intermittent keyboard issue and the missing keys by plugging the keyboard in to the standard USB port, instead of the keyboard port. However, to do so you will need to flash the unit with a special firmware that stops it from beeping when no keyboard is present. This also means you can longer switch between PCs using the scroll lock key. Considering that I have the device next to my monitor, I don't mind losing this functionality.

The device itself is fairly large, but sits well and looks attractive – more like an external hard disk. Once all the cables are in place, a shroud is placed over them to keep them tidy. It looks considerably better!

Having the extra USB ports has been incredibly useful. For instance, none of my machines have optical drives or floppy drives – I have USB drives that I move between machines when I need them. Now, I just plug them in to the KVM, so that every machine has a working drive when needed. The only down side to this, is that you can't move to another PC while something is installing from DVD – as it will sever the connection to the drive.

Another useful function, is that I put a 512MB flash drive in there. I'm often setting up machines that have no Internet connection, but I need drivers for. I can download the drivers on an Internet connected machine and put them on the flash drive, switch PCs using the KVM and instantly start installing the drivers. Super easy, without any fiddling around at the back of the machines with flash drives.

Verdict

This was an incredibly problematic device that failed to do what it should. Considering its high price, I would be after a refund. Although the firmware is upgradeable, there are several reports around the Internet from people with the same issues as mine and Belkin hasn't fixed them. If these get fixed, I will amend the review, but I'm quite disappointed as the cheaper model is a God send.

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