After much persistence (and emails) to Aten tech support, they've conceded that their MasterView CS-1764 DVI KVM switch (as reviewed at http://www.tomshardware.com/howto/20050715/kvw-switches-01.html) has a hardware design fault.
The problem is the keyboard and mouse won't work properly if your KVM is attached to a computer with an nForce4 chipset (mouse movement and keyboard strokes are very erratic). Aten seem to have known about it for a couple of months yet they STILL haven't withdrawn it from sale, or at least posted a warning on their website. I was offered two solutions: 1) wait 3-4 months for them to release a new revision of the hardware or 2) return it to the retailer (at my OWN cost) for a refund. I've taken the refund and that's the last item of their kit I'll ever buy!
For the record, I'd also previously had a Belkin 2 port DVI KVM where the keyboard and mouse would stop working after a while (I had this replaced twice, and they all behaved the same way; I guess it's another design fault... they appeared to be withdrawn from sale for a while here in the UK but I've seen them on sale again recently so maybe it's been resolved?!?), and also an Emine 4 port DVI KVM that had video problems (pixels of a certain colour flashed at a very high, but noticeable, rate). How hard can it be to make a DVI KVM that actually works? Hopefully not too hard, I'm just waiting on delivery of an Avocent 4 port DVI KVM. Fingers crossed, this will be the last one I have to buy!
If a mod reads this, you may want to update the review of the Aten KVM switch. I personally trust the reviews of the kit at Tom's Hardware so I'm guessing lots of others do too... there could be people out there buying this KVM based on the review only to find it doesn't work with their hardware.
The problem is the keyboard and mouse won't work properly if your KVM is attached to a computer with an nForce4 chipset (mouse movement and keyboard strokes are very erratic). Aten seem to have known about it for a couple of months yet they STILL haven't withdrawn it from sale, or at least posted a warning on their website. I was offered two solutions: 1) wait 3-4 months for them to release a new revision of the hardware or 2) return it to the retailer (at my OWN cost) for a refund. I've taken the refund and that's the last item of their kit I'll ever buy!
For the record, I'd also previously had a Belkin 2 port DVI KVM where the keyboard and mouse would stop working after a while (I had this replaced twice, and they all behaved the same way; I guess it's another design fault... they appeared to be withdrawn from sale for a while here in the UK but I've seen them on sale again recently so maybe it's been resolved?!?), and also an Emine 4 port DVI KVM that had video problems (pixels of a certain colour flashed at a very high, but noticeable, rate). How hard can it be to make a DVI KVM that actually works? Hopefully not too hard, I'm just waiting on delivery of an Avocent 4 port DVI KVM. Fingers crossed, this will be the last one I have to buy!
If a mod reads this, you may want to update the review of the Aten KVM switch. I personally trust the reviews of the kit at Tom's Hardware so I'm guessing lots of others do too... there could be people out there buying this KVM based on the review only to find it doesn't work with their hardware.
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