Trendnet TK-205i KVM 2 Port Switch Kit

When maintaining multiple computers, you are often forced to purchase multiple peripherals such as keyboards, monitors, and mice which can often be very expensive, but if you are on a budget and there is no way you can afford to buy all of these different devices twice over, a KVM (Keyboard Video Monitor) switch can really come in handy. However, some cheaper KVM switches often lack high video quality and other problems can be experienced. The switch that we will be looking at is the Trendnet KVM 2 Port Switch Kit TK-205I.

About Trendnet:

Networking is the trend of the future! Keeping up with today's networking innovations prepares you for success in tomorrow’s Digital Age. As a leading manufacturer of networking products worldwide, TRENDware International stands on the cutting edge of networking technology. TRENDware is committed to providing its customers with cost-effective and reliable networking solutions that bridge the gap between today and tomorrow.

Founded in 1990 under the registered trademark TRENDnet, TRENDware International has been developing innovative networking products for well over a decade. TRENDware’s products allow users to share Internet connections, communicate wirelessly, build expansive yet secure networks -- and just about everything in between.

TRENDware is headquartered in Torrance, California, and has branches in Germany, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, and Taiwan. TRENDware currently has business partners in over 100 countries and intends to build partnerships in every country of the world. TRENDware’s global success reflects a business model that emphasizes both quality and affordability. Known as much for its products’ glowing performance and its attentive customer service as for its affordable prices, TRENDware is the trend for networking.

Features:

∙ Use one keyboard, monitor, and mouse to control two computers
∙ 2-Port KVM switch in compact size design
∙ 2 sets of KVM Cables are integrated into the unit
∙ Support for Microsoft Intellimouse, Optical Mouse, Logitech Net Mouse…etc.
∙ Support for very High Video Quality, up to 1920 x 1440 with 200Mhz bandwidth
∙ No software required, easy PC selection via Push Button and Hot-Key Commands
∙ Support for DOS, Windows 3.x/95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, Netware, Unix, Linux, and more
∙ Hot-Plug feature, add PC or remove the connected PC for maintenance without powering down the KVM Switch or other PC’s.
∙ Auto-Scan Mode for monitoring PC’s.
∙ Keyboard status restored when switching between PC’s.
∙ LED display for easy status monitoring
∙ Beeping sound for port switching confirmation
∙ 1-Year Warranty

The way the switch works, is you wire two computers up to the switch via PS/2 and VGA connectors, then wire up your keyboard, video and mouse to the KVM switch. To switch between the computers, you simply press a button on the switch. These features for the TK-205I are quite self-explanatory, so we will move right on with the contents.

Contents:

Contained in this package is the actual switch, and a small user’s manual. The contents are quite slim, since the cables are integrated onto the switch and the overall product is quite simple. The actual switch is colored blue with the majority of the cables being green. The user’s manual is rather a little pamphlet on how to set up the device if you are unfamiliar with KVM switches.

Impressions:

Size really wasn’t a factor to me when choosing a KVM switch, it was more critical for me to just find a low cost KVM switch which would operate at a high standard. However if space is an issue for you, have no worries as this device is small. The switch only costs about $30 from NewEgg. Unfortunately, the switch is only compatible with PS/2 keyboards and mice, not USB.

Performance:

After we hooked everything up, we turned on both machines. Immediately the switch detected everything and it worked perfectly! However, when installing Mandrake 10, the installer would crash due to the fact that it could not detect the keyboard and mouse; similar problems were experienced in Fedora Project. This small problem was easily fixed by temporarily hooking up a keyboard and mouse to the machine directly, then after the installation had completed, we hooked it back up to the KVM switch. During the rest of the testing, the performance was great! To switch between the computers, the switch was simply located on the floor near my chair, so I just had to tap the switch with my foot. We couldn’t tell that the KVM switch was even hooked up; no video quality loss was to be found. In addition, the LEDs in our keyboard continued to work properly and they remained the same brightness. No dimming occurred when switching between the computers. The mouse also worked fabulously. The device produces a small quiet beep when you switch computers, but that was easily drowned out from the noise of all our case fans, so I wasn’t annoyed by it. The KVM switch worked like a charm, and no major problems were to be found other than the problems when installing operating systems.

Conclusion:

What more can you ask for from a KVM switch, which performs flawlessly (except for when installing Linux distributions) and switches easily. Best of all, the price of the Trendnet KVM 2 Port Switch Kit TK-205I is only $30! If you have two computers but only one set of input devices and are on a budget, we would definitely recommend the Trendnet KVM 2 Port Switch Kit TK-205I.

Pros:

∙ 2 ports
∙ No reduction in video quality
∙ Input devices worked properly
∙ Cheap (~ $30)
∙ Small

Cons:

∙ Crashed installation of Linux operating systems
∙ May not be sufficient if you require more than 2-ports
∙ Only supports PS/2 devices