I picked up a Linxcel four port electronic KVM switch from Ebay last week. It arrived today along with four sets of combined cables, DIN 6 male to male.
The Linxcel is an inexpensive KVM switch without any special features. It has a single push button switch and isn’t rackmountable without creative assistance. The unit was not designed with enough width in mind to support accepting console inputs on the rear, so the two DIN connectors for the keyboard and mouse are on the front of the device, making the essentially useless push button switch completely useless. By contrast, higher end KVM switches have the necessary space in the rear for the console inputs, too, in addition to a switch for each port and a possible DIN 5 connector for those with seriously old systems.
Fortunately, the Linxcel uses the common scroll lock key sequences to allow you to navigate between systems. It also has a keyboard reset sequence, scroll lock twice, then m, for when things get messed up. That’s a feature I missed on my two port Belkin KVM switch with builtin cables, which frequently had me unplugging all the cables to reset it. (It was powered via the DIN 6 for the keyboards.)
Much like the Belkin, the Linxcel has the tendancy to lose the keyboard when you swap ports. I find myself issuing the magic keyboard reset sequence frightfully often.
After using it for a few days, I find it tends to reset the keyboard randomly while you’re using it. Under Windows 2000 I only had it reset once last night, but under Linux this morning it reset no less than three times in less than five minutes. When the keyboard resets, it is unusable for about ten seconds. Very annoying, to say the least. Additionally, there appears to be no way to reset the KVM switch itself. Despite including an AC adapter, it appears the Linxcel is powered over the keyboard DIN much like my two port Belkin was. Removing the AC adapter has no apparent effect.
Unless you can pick up this KVM switch for around $20, I wouldn’t bother. Its of rather poor quality and effectiveness.