Belkin F1DG102U Flip 2-Port KVM Switch with Audio Support (USB Connection)

I bought this and nearly ever time I switch computers, either my mouse or my keyboard stops working. The problem is apparently support for "multifunction USB devices" was left out of the product. To clarify: "multifunction USB devices" are things like a mouse with a scroll wheel or a keyboard with volume up/down buttons...the kind of thing that was shipped with every computer in the last 3-4 years.

Even the rare time it did work, the switching process took a strangely long time. I am used to KVMs being "snappy" and being able to snap back and forth between computers. I would be tempted to race this thing against someone standing behind the desk swapping cables manually.

The product was so poor I actually returned to swapping cables manually because it was easier than trying to fix the problem when the KVM failed to switch correctly (which was most of the time).

All in all, it left me with a very dismal impression. It seems like, in an attempt to meet a consumer price point they missed the focus on the needs of the customer.

The concept behind this KVM switch was great, but it was carried off horribly. Many times the device would switch video but the keyboard and mouse still controled the other system. Keyboard and mouse failed to detect outside of windows on several systems making this impossible to use for computer repair. When everything does work as advertised there is a 1 or 2 second delay waiting for the USB drivers to re-detect.

I got this item to toggle between my personal PC and my work laptop on a docking station. It took some patience to set up - REALLY important to make sure one system is recognized before you plug in the other. Works fine as long as you never shut down both computers at once. If you do, you end up having to unplug the whole thing and start over. It doesn't take long to do, but it is a pain.

It works as advertised for me. I was nervous about compatibility with my wireless keyboard and mouse. They both connect to a single USB receiver. They work fine. There is a few seconds delay when switching, but I'm sure that's due to the time it takes for the computer to reconnect to the USB-based keyboard/mouse. It's not instantaneous, but it's not a nuisance either. Think how long it takes from the time you plug in any USB device until it's usable. That's what's going on here, and I'm not sure how it could respond any faster.

Download the optional software from Belkin's web site, any you get the ability to switch by hitting a hotkey combination on the keyboard. So the wired switch is not required. I also like the ability to switch just the audio or just the video. So, you can, for example, continue to listen to music played by one computer while working with the other. Nice feature.

It works as described. But I was surprised that one set of cables is shorter than the other, not a big deal though. It is strictly set up for VGA monitors but can accept DVI-I with adapters and you'll need two, one to connect the monitor to the Belkin and one to connect the Belkin to the computer.