KVM power

Jun 12, 2021 5 Replies

I've never seen KVM switches needing power before and this one (I bought several) has no power supply included. But their is a socket for a power adaptor. Zonet KVM3304. So before I swithc everything over and find out it doesn't work, I was hoping someone would tell me if I really need power and what happens when I don't have it. ie, maybe I should shut down a few of the machines. THis thing is 4-way. What's a KVM - Keyboard Video Monito switch that lets you use multiple computers with one console.



Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus blog: panix.com/~vjp2/ruminatn.htm - = - web: panix.com/~vjp2/vasos.htm facebook.com/vasjpan2 - linkedin.com/in/vasjpan02 - biostrategist.com ---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---

No experience with that model, but static switches conventionally require little power. If it's a higher quality video monitor, it might need buffers that have a slightly higher power requirement.

Any reviews I've read indicate that this model gets sufficient power from PS2 ports. If you're only using the video ports, or using a usb-ps2 adapter, it might not be so straight forward.

RL

Thanks

In by legg on Fri, 11 Jun 2021 23:37:49 we perused:

*+-*+-> I've never seen KVM switches needing power before and this one (I bought *+->several) has no power supply included. But their is a socket for a power *+->adaptor. Zonet KVM3304. So before I swithc everything over and find out it *+->doesn't work, I was hoping someone would tell me if I really need power and *+->what happens when I don't have it. ie, maybe I should shut down a few of the *+->machines. THis thing is 4-way. What's a KVM - Keyboard Video Monito switch *+->that lets you use multiple computers with one console.

*+-No experience with that model, but static switches conventionally

*+-require little power. If it's a higher quality video monitor, it *+-might need buffers that have a slightly higher power requirement.

*+-Any reviews I've read indicate that this model gets sufficient

*+-power from PS2 ports. If you're only using the video ports, or *+-using a usb-ps2 adapter, it might not be so straight forward.

*+-RL

Vasos Panagiotopoulos, Columbia'81+, Reagan, Mozart, Pindus blog: panix.com/~vjp2/ruminatn.htm - = - web: panix.com/~vjp2/vasos.htm facebook.com/vasjpan2 - linkedin.com/in/vasjpan02 - biostrategist.com ---{Nothing herein constitutes advice. Everything fully disclaimed.}---

This one? "Each unit comes with a set of 4 PS/2 cables, each cable is 3 feet long. No power supply is needed.... each switch draws its power directly through the cables that attach to the desktop."

The KVM3304 gets its power from the computer USB port. If you don't have at least one USB cable plugged into a computah USB port, it won't power on. I stupidly bought one of these on eBay without the cables. Big mistake. The designers of this abomination decided to save on the cost of the USB connectors and instead ran the USB data and power through each of the 4 video cable. Without these special cables, it won't work.

Did you get the cables with the KVM3304?

According to several web pages and listings the power supply is 9VDC

500ma. However, if you have the correct cables, you shouldn't need an external power supply.
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272 Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

There's no USB on KVM3304 model. Power is drawn from PS-2.

RL

Oops. I managed to mangle the PS/2 connectors into USB. Sorry. However, my comments about not having the cable still apply. Plugging in an ordinary male to male HD-15 cable isn't going to work. It needs the "$pecial" cable, with the PS/2 connectors to deliver power to the switch.

Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com PO Box 272 http://www.LearnByDestroying.com Ben Lomond CA 95005-0272 Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

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