Monitor hubs/switchers: running 2+ systems on 1 monitor?

[PalmettoTiger]

OK, giving the search engines "thingamajigy for multiple monitors" isn't getting me squat. I'm trying to find out more about the boxes that take 1 monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and route it to 2, 4, or even more different cases, and let you switch between which system you're controlling/looking at. I know they exist; I've seen them in hardware labs. Who knows a) the technical name for them, and b) where I can get one?

I'm going to be running 2 systems in my dorm room next year, but I ended up with more of a "half" than a single, so I'd prefer to use only one monitor/kb/mouse for both boxes. Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[murdmath]

I use this one at home. Two computers to one keyboard, mouse, and monitor. It comes with the cables also. I like it because 1, the video is still crisp, no ghost images, and 2 because I can hide the box and switch computers using a sequence of key strokes that also work in linux. It also has a button to do this manually.

http://www.us.buy.com/comp/product.asp?sku=10103911

Mat

 

[PalmettoTiger]

Exactly what I needed Murd. Thanks!

 

[KillerShrike]

Keep in mind that most of these devices will SERIOUSLY degrade the quality of the signal going to either monitor. If you want to do some serious graphics with one of the monitors, I don't think a monitor switch device is the way to go.

 

[murdmath]

That's why I like this one. I saw no degregation of video. I have a 17" monitor with a .25 LR running on a voodoo3 3000. It all looks good. I tried a cheaper one and I saw 4 video shadows.

Murdmath

 

[Mday]

KVMs are designed to minimize this. if powered, they can actually enhance the signal. besides, what idiot would use cheap enough cables to degrade the video that much...

 

[murdmath]

The one that I mentioned above does not use power or even have a power input like the discription says it does. There was a paper in the box that said that they no longer need that feature for a good picture or something like that. The picture still looks great.

Mat

 

[LevcoS]

I've had better luck with the Belkin OmniView and OmniCube series.

More expensive, though...

LevcoS