Zonet 4 Port PS/2 KVM Switch

Item Reviewed:

Zonet 4 Port PS/2 KVM Switch

Cost:

$44.99 from Newegg


Manufacturer Specifications:

4 ports KVM switch is compact and portable
Supports DOS, WIN 3.x, Win95/98/ME/NT/2000, Netware, UNIX, and Linux
Hot-swappable for easy add/remove connections
High Video Quality 1920x1440/ 200 MHz
No software required
Auto scan-mode for monitoring PCs
Keyboard status restored when switching PCs
LED display for easy status check
Buzzer sound for switching port confirmation


Packaging:

I received the box via FedEx undamaged, nothing special just your average brown box. Inside it was packed well, filled with all appropriate packing materials. The retail box is full color. Inside the retail box was the 4 port switch and 4 sets of KVM cables. Also included was a single sheet of directions and information.



Components:

The unit itself is made of plastic and is fairly lightweight. The console connections are at either ends and the PC connections are on the sides – 2 connections per side. This results in the unit looking very messy, mine will not be visable as I plan to cram it under my desk. If your looking for something to put on your desk, look elswhere. Some may not care for the transparent blue look either; again this will be under my desk so it was no problem for me. All connectors were sturdy and very tight. There is an LED in the button used to switch connections and also one to indicate which PC is active.

The cables seem to be of very high quality – nice and thick with sturdy connectors on both ends. This was a concern of mine; two of the connectors will be used for connecting to customers machines during the repair process. These connectors will see multiple machines in a week’s time and I do not want them to wear out.



The instructions were easy to follow but not well written. The directions seemed to have been translated from another language; in some spots they did not make sense. However a KVM switch is fairly easy to setup and use so this was not a major downfall.


Installation:

Installation was straight forward. I turned off all machines. I connected the console (monitor, keyboard and mouse) to the unit. I then connected each machine to the switch one at a time. Machine 1 was my desktop, machine 2 my DVD ripper and machines 3 and 4 were customer machines I had lying around. I then turned on each machine one at a time, making sure the active PC was the one booting. The instructions advised against switching the unit during the boot up process, so I waited patiently for each machine to boot before switching to the other. All machines booted with no problems.


Use:

This unit offers two ways to switch between PCs: the button on the unit itself and keyboard hotkeys. I verified the button on the unit does work but for my needs I will be mainly using the hotkeys. You can switch between PCs by pressing NumLock twice and then either the up or down arrow to cycle thru machines. You can also press NumLock twice and press number 1 thru 4 to connect directly to the corresponding PC. There are also hotkeys to begin auto scan and shut off beeping (this sounds to notify you that you have made a switch).

I will note I did have trouble with the hotkey to disable beeping – on my unit this key sequence does not disable the beep. If this beep did bother you that much you could remove the case and “disable” the beeper manually, however that will certainly VOID your warranty.


Testing:

Console:

Mouse.....................PowMax clear lighted PS/2 mouse with scroll wheel
Keyboard................Logitech PS/2 Internet keyboard
Monitor....................ViewSonic 15” LCD model VA520


Operating Systems:

Machine 1 (my desktop)........................Windows XP Home with SP1
Machine 2 (my DVD ripper)...................Windows XP Home with SP1
Machine 3 (customers).........................Windows 98 SE
Machine 4 (customers).........................Windows 98 SE


All machines booted fine and switch was effortless. A mere NumLock double tap and button press and the console switched right over. I timed the switch and it took approx 1 to 2 seconds to complete the switch. None of the machines had any troubles detecting any of the device connected to the console.

I also took the opportunity to use machine 3 for further testing. I formatted the hard drive on that machine and installed Windows XP Home. Through out the install the KVM switch performed flawlessly. The BIOS, command prompt and XP Install all were accessible just as if you were directly connected to the machine. No problems were noted.


Image Quality:

I noticed no image quality loss on my main desktop. Things appeared exactly as they did before. Machine 2 (my ripper) appeared a little fuzzy and aliased. I have never had my LCD connected to this machine – I had been controlling it thru VNC. The other machines did not look as nice either but I can only attribute this to the varying video cards. Machine 1 (my desktop) has an eVGA 5900se in it and the other all range from a Radeon 7000 to onboard graphics. The fuzziness and aliasing was NOT uniform between all the machines, so I believe this was no fault of the switch.

Input Devices:

Keyboard and mouse functioned exactly as if they were connected to each machine directly, there were no problems.

There is something worth noting. I have a Logitech MX700 that I use on my desktop (machine 1). Connecting this mouse to the switch via a USB to PS/2 adapter will greatly impact the precision of the mouse – the PS/2 port will cripple your style if you’re into gaming. For this reason I purchased the PowMax PS/2 mouse. I connected this mouse to the switch and left my MX700 connected to my desktop. If the desktop (machine 1) is active both mice work. This may not be the most elegant solution but it does work well. I can use either mouse depending on my needs.


Follow-up:

This is a wonderful way to rid your desk of some equipment. You gain more space and definite ease of use. No more sliding across the room to use another machine. Tap tap beep and your switched right over. The cables were long enough to connect all 4 of the machines in the general vicinity of my desk. I found this a very valuable addition to my collection of equipment.


Pimp

Ease of use
Nice cables
It works (always a nice thing)


Gimp

Buzzer will not disable
Messy looking on your desktop

Attached Thumbnails

     

Nice writeup there Aaron...looks good!

Good work, nice clear write-up.

Cool,
nicely done
I think I just might need one of those...
Hell I'll never get out of my corner now!

Quote: Originally Posted by ZENNZZO Hell I'll never get out of my corner now!

As long as you are not forced to wear a dunce cap

Anyhow, nice writeup Aaron!

I'm just wondering about one thing..

Quote: Originally Posted by aaronkelly Supports DOS, WIN 3.x, Win95/98/ME/NT/2000, Netware, UNIX, and Linux

..but you used XP with it. Was this some minor mistake or....what the dilly, yo?

Nice write up. I will be taking this into consideration as I shop for a KVM in the near future.

Quote: Originally Posted by ERAD I'm just wondering about one thing.. ..but you used XP with it. Was this some minor mistake or....what the dilly, yo?

notice the 2000 - XP is built on 2000 technology so if it says made for windows 2000, its made for XP aswell. quite usefull somtimes

Just a tiny critque: you should have said right off what the little do-hickey did. I definately picked it up later, though.

Otherwise great job

Quote: Originally Posted by _Sexy_Pants_ Just a tiny critque: you should have said right off what the little do-hickey did. I definately picked it up later, though. Otherwise great job

KVM = Keyboard, Video & Mouse switch...

Nice work

I am using the same KVM, though mine's a two port, and I agree that the buzzer/beep is annoying and should be removed. Aside from that though it works fine for me. Good job on the review

You can probably turn the buzzer off somehow..... of course, you will probably void the warranty.

Quote: Originally Posted by ERAD I'm just wondering about one thing.. ..but you used XP with it. Was this some minor mistake or....what the dilly, yo?

I got that information directly from their website - a piece of hardware like this really isnt OS depent anyway......the XP must have got lost in the poor translation. Im quite sure this is NOT an English speaking company.

Quote: Originally Posted by RexBeans Explosion I am using the same KVM, though mine's a two port, and I agree that the buzzer/beep is annoying and should be removed. Aside from that though it works fine for me. Good job on the review

I cracked mine open, unsoldered the speaker, added a pair of wires and a toggle switch inline with one of the two wires and reattached the speaker to the ends of the wires opposite the board...but yes, that definitely voided the warranty.

I love this KVM Switch. At the res of 1600x1200 there is a little ghosting, but little to none on 1280. This is on a 20.1" LCD hooked into 2 laptops and 2 towers and a wireless usb mouse..

As for the annoying beep, I found a way to do it that would not "void the warranty" Simply unscrew the unit and look for the round place where the beep comes from (if you are unsure simple plug in 2 sets of monitor/keyboard cables and hit the switch button)

Once you locate this get a napkin or tissue of some sort and tear off little peices and shove down that hole with a ball point pen or something similiar to it. Once that is done get a peice of scotch tape and tape over the beep part where the tissue is (just reduces noise more) after that is done screw it back together and voila no more damn BEEP!

--FrosT