Who makes the best KVM Switches?

[ultimatebob]

In your opinion, which company makes the best KVM switches? I was using a Belkin 16 port KVM switch, but it failed and caused all 12 servers connected to the KVM to lock up until I unplugged them from the KVM. I REALLY don't want that again, so I'd like to get more reliable KVM's in the future.

It seems that Black Box KVM's are more reliable, but they are also much more expensive. Do you guys have any other brand names that you would recommend?

 

[ColemontHD]

Belkin....Nuff said

 

[DaveSimmons]

No idea about 16-port, but my IOGear 4-port has been completely reliable for the last couple of years, unlike the Belkin pile of sheets it replaced.

 

[Bobthelost]

Not belkin, the one i got from them was utter shite, unreliable, badly designed, broke not long after i got it under circumstances that it should have survived, the monitors needed to be recalibrated half the times i used it...

Shite.

 

[SuperNaruto]

belkin enterprise are like the pits

1. raritan - one of the best.. ip kvm renders color much better than acovent
2. avocent - not bad.. what i currently have, 16 port ip kvm with 80 port expanded.

smaller items
io gear 2 pc kvm - 0 problems
belkin smaller soho products - 0 problems
I just order a belkin flip today.. usb belkin with a little remote switch..

 

[F1shF4t]

Do not even touch laser, i had one and its crap.

I didn't look into 16 port, but the 4 port micronet one i use is great.

 

[ultimatebob]

The Belkin KVM's that we have also had a bad habit of spazzing out occassionally when I switched between systems, causing the mouse pointer to jump all over the place and randomly click on things until you hit the Escape key a few times. On a Windows server, something like that is downright dangerous!

I know that the older Black Box stuff doesn't do that, but I'm curious if their new stuff is still high quality.

 

[MerlinRML]

Originally posted by: SuperNaruto
belkin enterprise are like the pits

1. raritan - one of the best.. ip kvm renders color much better than acovent
2. avocent - not bad.. what i currently have, 16 port ip kvm with 80 port expanded.

smaller items
io gear 2 pc kvm - 0 problems
belkin smaller soho products - 0 problems
I just order a belkin flip today.. usb belkin with a little remote switch..

I agree with him on point 1 and 2. Raritan and Avocent are about the best I've seen.

 

[n7]

I don't think there is such a thing as a perfect KVM

They all seem to have an issue or two.

 

[SuperNaruto]

I guess its just less with the more expensive one... but for soho, the beklin soho series, I had 0 problems with.. its just not usb..

I ordered my first usb one from belkin.. hope it works good..

 

[d3n]

Originally posted by: SuperNaruto
belkin enterprise are like the pits

1. raritan - one of the best.. ip kvm renders color much better than acovent
2. avocent - not bad.. what i currently have, 16 port ip kvm with 80 port expanded.
.

:thumbsup:

 

[jonnyGURU]

I can't believe someone said Belkin.

GET OUT MORE OFTEN!!!

I've had Trendnet last longer than Belkin and they cost HALF as much!

 

[bwnv]

Avocent hands down in mho. They used to make the kvm's for Compaq and have had no problems with them for 8 years now. The new ones have usb/video @ server side and a rj45 @ kvm side, makes cabling much neater.

 

[Nocturnal]

IOGear makes one of the best if not the best KVM switches. Yes, they have issues with nForce 3/4 chipsets but there are easy work arounds such as using a USB hub in between the KVM and then the computer. It works like a charm and the KVM switches are bad-ass. I have two GCS634Us and plan on getting the GCS1774 soon. IOGear and ATEN is the same company.

 

[n7]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
IOGear makes one of the best if not the best KVM switches. Yes, they have issues with nForce 3/4 chipsets but there are easy work arounds such as using a USB hub in between the KVM and then the computer. It works like a charm and the KVM switches are bad-ass. I have two GCS634Us and plan on getting the GCS1774 soon. IOGear and ATEN is the same company.

Ironic you'd say that.
I got a PS/2 IOGear KVM, & it was the worst KVM i've ever owned.

Had degraded text & screen quality on my displays, so i promtly returned it to buy a no-name one, which has worked quite fine.

 

[corkyg]

APC (the UPS king) has a broad line of KVMs - are they any good?

KVM