Possible to obtain custom modern PC with ISA slots?

[Laust]

My KVM is a 4-1 box. It's not the expensive kind (though not so cheap that the cables are built-in either), so it has a few quirks, like sometimes forgetting the state of the Caps Lock key, especially if you use the keyboard hotkeys to switch, instead of the physical

• switch on the KVM box itself. It likes some PCs better than others as well.

(* while there is a physical switch, the actual switching is electronic and not mechanical. It would have no way of keeping track of any state otherwise. Don't buy purely mechanical KVM switches)

However, these problems don't really affect me as I don't usually switch between the attached PCs. My main system isn't on the KVM. As BlueMax points out, video quality degradation is hard to avoid, especially with today's high resolutions (I run 1360x1024 on a 21" CRT, and that's not even such a high resolution for monitor of that size) which have higher requirements for video bandwidth and cable quality. Furthermore (and the most important point), I want my main PC accessible when I use a secondary one. This makes things like recording music from one PC to the next much easier. It does require two keyboards, mice and monitors, but this is still much better than five

So I have (up to) four machines attached to the KVM switch. Since I rarely have more than one of those running at once, the problems the KVM can have don't really come into play. I turn on one of the PCs, it powers up the KVM (powered by the keyboard connection) and everything works nicely. At the low resolutions I use on the secondary PCs (max 1024x768), everything looks fine. For the record (please allow me to ramble a bit), the PCs I have connected are:

1. An AT&T Desktop 100MHz 486, which is my main "retrogaming" machine. This is reasonably fast, but with cache disabling and/or software slowdown utilities it can be made very slow as well, so in this regard I consider it quite flexible. It has three ISA slots and two dodgy PCI ones. I don't remember ever getting them to work, though. Must have been an early PCI machine. The onboard S3 video is quite fast, has a nice RAMDAC, and has two megs of dedicated video ram.

2. A P-166 that I use for newer games. Actually I haven't used it for much other than Tie Fighter, but it's there should I need it  This one has horrible on-board video with shared RAM (yuck). It's an ultra-cheap SiS chipset and the video output is quite bad compared to the S3, with bland colours and lack of contrast (bad RAMDAC I'm guessing). Fortunately, the PCI slots in this machine do work and a decent PCI graphics card has fixed the problem for me

3. A P-III 550MHz. Not really directly for retrogaming. This hosts my video capture card and the EPROM programmer. In turn the capture card is connected to an 8-bit home computer, usually my Commodore 64, so this PC acts as a (sadly fairly noisy) video-to-VGA converter. It does a good job, though and the quality is excellent.

4. Flavour of the month, no fixed machine goes on this port.

To get back on track, a good KVM switch can be expensive. Maybe you can get lucky on eBay, though. Two brands I have generally heard good things about are Raritan (not sure about spelling) and Belkin.

[Tom]

Since my primary PC is set to a resolution of 1024x768 (21" CRT), and my two music PC's are set to 800x600, it sounds like a cheap KVM switch might be a good solution for me.  I'd love to be able to control my music PC's from my primary desktop.  Belkin, you say.  Thanks!  

Are there maximum cable length recommendations?  I'd need 10-feet to one PC, and 15-feet to the other.  Hmmm...this could be expensive.

[BlueMax]

Put the PC's as close together as possible, and as close to the KVM as possible - the shorter the cables, the better!  The loss of quality happens quick and with every connection - but I haven't noticed much when using 4-to-6-foot cables.  Some (many) KVM kits will come with all 4 monitor connections right in the box.  $50-ish well spent compared to multiple monitors and space.

Boy....  when I can scrounge one up, I'm gonna' build a small retro-tracker box with DOS and my two awesome tracker music cards:  8MB GUS PnP and 28MB AWE64.    Cheapo KVM.....  uh oh....  just remembered....  you need to use PS/2 keyboard and mouse.  USB KVM's are more expensive.  

[Galahad]

To get back on track, a good KVM switch can be expensive. Maybe you can get lucky on eBay, though. Two brands I have generally heard good things about are Raritan (not sure about spelling) and Belkin.

I've been using the Belkin brand for between 1-2 years now, and have a had pretty good experience with it (no major reduced video quality as far I can tell, but then again my connections to the KVM device are at close-range).  However, it was also relatively expensive as well -- can't recall the exact price, but seem to remember paying somewhere between $80 - $100 for it.

[Tom]

Is it possible to have the monitor for one of the PC's connected to the KVM, and to its PC?  Can the PC be used from both the KVM connection, and by itself?  

Say my Music PC #1 is connected to the KVM, which I monitor from my primary desktop PC.  But then, say my primary desktop PC isn't ON, and my wife wants to use Music PC #1.  Does she have to access it through my desktop PC, or can she still use Music PC #1 independantly of the KVM switch?  I'm thinking, some kind of VGA splitter might be necessary?

[Galahad]

Is it possible to have the monitor for one of the PC's connected to the KVM, and to its PC?  Can the PC be used from both the KVM connection, and by itself?  

Say my Music PC #1 is connected to the KVM, which I monitor from my primary desktop PC.  But then, say my primary desktop PC isn't ON, and my wife wants to use Music PC #1.  Does she have to access it through my desktop PC, or can she stiff use Music PC #1 independantly of the KVM switch?  I'm thinking, some kind of VGA splitter might be necessary?

For my KVM, each of my two PCs hooked up to it has cables attached to 2 monitor-style connectors on the KVM switch, running from the PCs' monitor connectors.  So in my case yes, you can run each PC on the monitor independently of the other PC -- doesn't matter which one is powered on.  (The KVM device simply doubles the number of monitor cables required from 1 to 2, one for each PC.)

[Tom]

2 monitor-style connectors on the KVM switch

I'm not sure I know what you mean.  In fact, I'm sure I don't know what you mean.  

I can't find a good explanation on how KVM switches connect.  I'm looking at a 4-port model (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=580953) that I want to buy, and trying to figure out how I could keep one of my music PC's fully operational, independant of the KVM....but also accessible via the KVM from my desktop PC.  How do these systems connect?

If the Monitor of the Music PC is connected to the KVM, how is it also accessible should we boot up the Music PC?  How do the keyboard and mouse  connect to the KVM?  I've read something about a connection via Serial Ports, but I'm not sure I understand; are the computers connecting to each other via a serial connection?  

I will have to do some moving around of equipment and furniture before I can accomplish this KVM setup, but I need to know what is required of the other PC's being controlled.  And most importantly, I need to know how I can keep one of the computers to be controlled, also accessible on its own.  With the other Music PC, I plan on getting rid of its monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and just accessing it via the KVM connection.  But one of them HAS to be able to be accessed through the KVM, and on its own.  It's not making sense to me how this is accomplished.

Would I need something like this on the music computer:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1074788&CatId=467

And it would seem I would also need two of these; one for the keyboard, and one for the mouse:
http://sewelldirect.com/PS2Splitter.asp

Anybody?

[Galahad]

I can't find a good explanation on how KVM switches connect.  I'm looking at a 4-port model (http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=580953) that I want to buy, and trying to figure out how I could keep one of my music PC's fully operational, independant of the KVM....but also accessible via the KVM from my desktop PC.  How do these systems connect?

If the Monitor of the Music PC is connected to the KVM, how is it also accessible should we boot up the Music PC?  How do the keyboard and mouse  connect to the KVM?  I've read something about a connection via Serial Ports, but I'm not sure I understand; are the computers connecting to each other via a serial connection?  

I will have to do some moving around of equipment and furniture before I can accomplish this KVM setup, but I need to know what is required of the other PC's being controlled.  And most importantly, I need to know how I can keep one of the computers to be controlled, also accessible on its own.  With the other Music PC, I plan on getting rid of its monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and just accessing it via the KVM connection.  But one of them HAS to be able to be accessed through the KVM, and on its own.  It's not making sense to me how this is accomplished.

Would I need something like this on the music computer:
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1074788&CatId=467

Anybody?

Actually, the web site you listed is a good example -- connects 4 rather than 2, but same principle.  The basic idea behind how everything connects is that for every input to each PC that you want to be able to access (e.g., monitor, mouse, keyboard), there is a separate connector on the KVM device, which hooks up using male-female pins.  (The required male-female cables should come included with the KVM device, if my memory is correct.)

An example:  let's say you want to connect 2 PCs to a KVM like as listed on the web site you provided.  Starting out with the first PC, you would use the male-female PS/2 cable to connect from your PC's mouse PS/2 input to a corresponding PS/2 input on the KVM.  The same thing for the keyboard.  For the monitor, it would be the male-female cable for the monitor (serial?) port from your PC to the KVM.  You would then repeat for the second PC, except using different mouse PS/2-keyboard PS/2-monitor connectors on the KVM device (that's why in the picture of the KVM device on the website, there is more than 1 set).

Hope this makes a little more sense --- please feel free to ask is if any additional questions.

[Tom]

Okay, I think I have it.  Thanks.  So then, the VGA and PS/2 "splitters" ARE necessary if I want to opperate one of the connected PC's, independently of the KVM connection?

[Galahad]

Okay, I think I have it.  Thanks.  So then, the VGA and PS/2 "splitters" ARE necessary if I want to opperate one of the connected PC's, independently of the KVM connection?

Sorry -- not exactly sure about whether splitters would be required, since my knowledge about the hardware spec is somewhat limited.  But if you want to operate one PC connected to the KVM and say leave the other connected PC powered off, that should be no problem.  This is because (at least on my KVM), there is a button on the device that lets you switch between which connected PC is the active one using the KVM.  This gives me the ability to operate both of the 2 PCs connected to my KVM independently.  The KVM connection for me is "always on" via the hardware connections and not driven through either of the PC's OSs, so the only time I actually think about it is if I need to switch the display from one PC to other using the button (if one is powered off, I just get an empty black screen).

[Laust]

If I understand you correctly Tom, you want to be able to control a PC from two places at once. This is not really what a KVM is used for. A KVM switch allows you to hook up several machines to a single keyboard/mouse/monitor. Needless to say, you can only control on at a time. The KVM is connected just like the keyboard (or mouse/etc.), so you cannot connect a second keyboard at the same time, not via the PS/2 port anyway (but look below).

The PS/2 splitter is only for some laptops that run the mouse and keyboard signals through the same connector (in an effort to save space). What you want to do cannot be done with PS/2 keyboards or mice. The signals simply don't work that way.

The only way you would be able to have a PC on the KVM and at the same time have it usable as a standalone machine, would be to use an USB keyboard and mouse, connected directly to the computer, with the PS/2 connectors going to the KVM and then a VGA splitter sending the VGA signal to the standalone monitor and another one to the KVM monitor. It should work, but how well the VGA signal will look I don't know.

The OS also becomes a factor here. Windows 2000 will happily accept multiple keyboards and mice attached at the same time, for earlier OSes I don't know.

[Tom]

you want to be able to control a PC from two places at once.

No, not both places at once.  I want my wife to be able to access one of our music PC's, without having to use my PC.  So when she wants to work on music, I'd like her to be able to simply go to the music PC and use it, without all the KVM involvement.  The music PC would be the only PC that's powered on.

Hmmm....so it sounds like what I want to do can't be done, without additional USB devices.  Or, without first disconnecting the KVM cables.  Or, maybe with something like this:

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatSectionView.process?Section_Id=202741

[Tom]

Well, I settled for controlling just one of my music PC's with a 2-port D-Link (model DKVM-2K) KVM.  This will still allow me to do basically everything I wanted to, from the comfort of my primary desktop PC.

[Galahad]

Well, I settled for controlling just one of my music PC's with a 2-port D-Link (model DKVM-2K) KVM.  This will still allow me to do basically everything I wanted to, from the comfort of my primary desktop PC.

Glad to hear everything worked out with the KVM Tom!  

[Tom]

Just got my KVM switch hooked up, and I'M LOVING IT!  The perfect $20 solution for me, and it works perfectly!