Level One KVM-0412 4-Port PS/2 KVM Switch Review

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Level One KVM-0412 4-Port PS/2 KVM Switch Review

Written by Munk

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Techs love their toys, anytime you can find a piece of hardware that stands in for inefficient working practice a tech somewhere is smiling. KVM’s have been around for some time now and the consensus is that if you are not running a KVM in a network admin position or computer repair shop then you are an idiot. KVM’s make life much easier and allow you to multitask like never before while still maintaining a very organized working environment. The guys over at Level One came up with the KVM-0412 4-Port PS/2 KVM Switch and I personally love the fact that it uses a very small footprint and includes all of the cables you would need to run a small PC repair business. Let’s get a closer look at this switch and see if it is right for you:

Provided by: Level One

Price: $50.69

Closer Look:

Product Overview
The KVM-0412 4-Port PS/2 KVM Switch from LevelOne offers users with an easy to install KVM switch that can manage four computers from a single monitor, keyboard and mouse.

It allows users to access, control, boot and reboot four PS/2-enabled multimedia computers using a single PS/2 keyboard, mouse and monitor.

Flexible Multi-Computer Management Feature
Users are now offered with flexible multimedia support. The KVM-0412 offers users with user-programmable simultaneous or independent PC and audio switching. This enables users to work on one computer while simultaneously using the other computers for work or fun.

One Keyboard, Mouse and Monitor controlling Four Computers
The LevelOne KVM-0412 connects four computer systems to a single PS/2 keyboard, PS/2 mouse and monitor.

The KVM-0412 is a Plug-and-Play KVM switch that requires no power supply and no additional software installation. Users simply connect the KVM switch to the PS/2 mouse and keyboard and screen ports on each computer as well as the audio ports by using the included cables.

Easy to Switch between Computers
The KVM-0412 switches between computers either through the pushbuttons located on the switch or by using keyboard hot keys. The KVM switch also offers user the ability to program the auto-scan function for automatic switching between computers.

The LED display offers an “at-a-glance” status display for easy computer activity assessment.

Testing:

I have been using the KVM for about a week now and it has its overall pros and cons. The cons are not the fault of the KVM but the fact that PS2 ports are notorious for not being recognized on boot up with some motherboards. I had some issues with some of the PC’s I was using detecting the mous and keyboard on boot up. Over all though switching between PC’s and using the Level One KVM-0412 4-Port PS/2 KVM Switch was extremely easy to work with I like the design of this switch very much and I would love to try one of Level Ones USB related KVM’s in the future.

Conclusion:

Overall I cannot imagine running my shop without a KVM and I must say I like the ability to attach and detach cables as I need them and keep a clean bench whenever possible. The guys at Level One know what they are doing and I have yet to use a poor product from them. I also like the color scheme of the new KVM’s it is bright and eye catching and makes a relatively dull product stand out a little more.

Would I recommend this product? Yes not just recommend it but endorse it to anyone that runs a tech shop or is in related network and sys admin jobs. Also I would specifically recommend the Level One product because of its ease of use and hotkey binding for pc switching.

Pros: