RE: [Thinkpad] Problem with KVM and Dock II - Anyone have this working?

Hi,
 
The KVM is called a AutoView Commander made by Cybex. I am not sure what the exact model number is, but believe that all of their higher priced systems will work. They simply have better electronics inside than the lower priced units.
 
Yesterday I got some more information from the IBM technical support people. They went out and purchased a brand new Belkin OmniView SE 4 port KVM with Belkin cables and it worked for them. This is not the same experience I had here. My Belkin KVM is about 1 1/2 years old, so it is probably not the exact same model, but in my case the keyboard would not work at all.
 
The folks from IBM also tried a 2 port Belkin that was powered by the PS2 ports. This unit did not work. Part of their theory is that the units without power supplies are not getting sufficient voltage from the PS2 ports on the docking stations.
 
Sorry this isn't more definitive. Hopefully you can find a unit that will work with your T30. Now that my T40p is on the KVM it is much nicer. I just don't really like having an 8 port rack mount KVM sitting on my desk. I will probably try and get some other unit that only has 2 ports for the desk and move the Cybex back into the server rack.
 
Searching on the Internet turned up one KVM manufacturer who claims to specifically test their units with ThinkPad notebooks and docking stations. That tells me two things. First, this is a more common problem with ThinkPads than IBM is letting on, and second, that there are some KVM manufacturers that know how to address the issue. Here is the URL for one unit that they claim works with ThinkPads.
 
http://www.addertec.com/products/kvm_pc/av2_av4.html
 
Cheers
 
-- Bennett

i-info <i-info@SYNass.NET> wrote:
Hi Bennet
Since my ATEN MasterView plus CS-114 does not let run
the Mouse with my new IBM Thinkpad T30 I am very keen
to know from you the exact dscription of your CYBEX unit !

Could you provide the exact model # plus its serial #, please ?
I am discussing my mouse problems with a tech from Avocent !

Would love to get my T30 to be connected properly to the KVM
with all my other systems ;-)

TIA and kind regards from Switzerland
-Albert M. Svoboda
aka -svobi

bennettsmith@sbcglobal.net on 17/02/2004 16:35:45
To: thinkpad@stderr.org
cc:
Subject: RE: [Thinkpad] Problem with KVM and Dock II - Anyone have
this working?

The following might help someone else trying to use a KVM with a newer
ThinkPad docking station...

I spoke with IBM support about this issue yesterday.

Their initial response was "we don't support KVM switches".
After having the call transfered to their next tier of support someone
did tell me that they get a lot of calls from people trying to use KVMs.

It seems that few if any of the consumer KVM switches out there will
work
with Thinkpad docking stations. The KVM I have is a Belkin Omni View SE
4
port model. Others that seem to fail include the D-Link and ATEN Master
View.

It seems odd that many other computer systems work fine with these KVMs
but
the ThinkPad does not. The folks at IBM are going to try and at least
figure
out what the problem is, but eventually they will probably just say
"sorry,
not supported."

After the conversation with them I decided to pull a high-end rack
mounted
KVM out of our server rack to try with the ThinkPad.

Guess what - yup, it worked like a champ.

No problem with lost keyboard functionality or intermittent mouse
activity
when switching between systems. The switch is an older Cybex AutoView
Commander.
I think they have been acquired by Avocet.

Does anyone know what the difference might be between the consumer
switches
and these higher-end server switches?

Cheers, --Bennett

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Received on Thu Feb 19 10:25:25 2004