I am building out my workstation, and need to solve the issue of dealing with a laptop + desktop setup. I want to have at least 3 devices connected at any given time:
laptop (several, but never more than 1 at a time)
Desktop
Raspberry pi
I want to connect these to:
2 monitors (one 4k160, one secondary /1080p60)
Keyboard
Mouse
Webcam
Sound (speakers + headset)
I thought the following solution would be optimal:
Connect laptop to docking station (1 cable)
Connect docking station with DP to both screens, and with usb to KVM
Connect Desktop to both screens and with usb to KVM.
connect MKB + speakers + webcam to KVM
I have been searching for a good kvm that can handle just the usb side of things, and i landed on the l1t km. It seems great, but before i buy i need to be sure, because i pay double the price in the eu after shipping+taxes+fees.
Questions:
Is the Km+dock the right solve?
Does roaming work with monitors stacked in weird ways (2 vertically stacked and one big screen next to it)
When all devices are hooked up to all screens, and i switch input on the screens (assuming 1 screen per device) will mouse roaming work?
Do i need the “normal” audio jack version or the usb-audio version? I could not find any information about the difference.
Does this work with my old logitech g15 keyboard, and a wireless razer mouse? Both will be switched at some point, but would be nice to have a working setup in the meantime.
Multi monitor for mouse roam is a no per the description. It’s not psychic it doesn’t know anything about your monitor config. It cant. It just tells windows it’s a touch pad or digitizing pad as big as the display. That’s it. That’s all it does.
There is no way any mouse roaming product can do this. We used to be able to fake one touch device per display.but Ms in infinite wisdom rugpulled the ability to have two touch displays at a time.
The device switch button ofc works fine but no, mouse roam is not psychic and won’t work with arbitrary display configs.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear enough. One monitor will be in use per device when mouse roaming is used.
The other devices will be hooked up to the monitor, but inputs are switched on the monitors so that one monitor is in use per device.
Hello, sorry to drop a bomb here but there actually IS a mouse roaming KM switch that can handle multi-monitor. I can say this as I own that product.
Freedom II KM Switch with Glide and Switch Mouse Switching - 4-Port and/or 8-port.
I should have bought the 4-port version rather than this level1techs as I just realized that it won’t do multi-monitor, however, the price difference is pretty great with the level1techs being only $200 vs $800.
Does it need software though? If it doesn’t need software the root problem is Microsoft took out support for multiple absolute position touch devices. We could do it too, up till then, but won’t be able to depending on what updates you have installed.
You used to be able to run the touch calibration utility and hit “enter” to move it from primary to secondary monitors and we would work fine with that but they took that out in a recent update. They also broke it for a few months a few years ago but it was fixed in windows 10. Now broken again in windows 11. It would probably work with a proprietary driver but then no one wants that either.
Edit: looks like they are using their FAQ to say one monitor per port, same issue, too. : windows 11 broken it seems.
It does have a PC app to build out your display config, the rest of the settings are done over a browser via IP as it has a LAN port, but then all of that can be closed and it does it’s thing as soon as its powered. I own the 8-port and is setup in my virtual streaming studio.
The only limitation is that for Apple MacOS multi-monitor doesn’t work, which I don’t need as my Macs are either single screen or playbacks and I don’t ever want the mouse to venture into that screen space.
Like I mentioned though, the pricetag for these are on the high-side.
Well, I can’t argue with a FAQ but I can argue from product ownership. For Windows PCs, it will in fact do multi-monitor, and by multi-monitor I mean TWO.
EDIT: Well according to their website: Supports up to four or eight external displays. I just haven’t tried to go above two but now when I return from the show I’m out running there will be testing…
Also, to revise what I said earlier, I believe the level1techs km will likely work for what I originally purchased it for, which was to control two GFX and two playback machines on show sites. I was trying to use it with my control machines with a secondary monitor is all.
So, to anyone reading. For $200, the level1techs KM switch will likely blow away any of the knockoffs on Amazon right now (I would know as I sampled a few first)
In the thing it says it’s one display per input. They used to have a software util to change the layout for Windows only but think about it… 8 monitors on the 8 inputnwould be 64 monitors. I have a 10 input model you can plug in one cable per display to make it easy but… windows
It might work fine right now for your config but going forward…not looking good
I can appreciate the support and promotion of the level1techs, I don’t doubt the performance I’ve experienced so far though. I mean if we are trying to scare folks into buying one thing and not the other.
At the end of the day, to each their own I guess and I only ended up on this thread as I’m not the only one that has searched for this, apparently.
lol, tell you what though, the day it fails, if ever, I will come back to this thread and update.
Is it fully windows-dependent? Assuming i have one screen per port, but one of the devixes is running linux, would the level1tech KVM (and by extension the freedom3) still work with mouseroaming, or do all devices need to be windows?
Kvms don’t have mouse roam only km. Doesn’t need to be windows only but does need to support absolutely position pointer devices like tablet screen or touch screen.
Just wanted to add - there are only a few docks that can handle 4k at 120hz. The thunderbolt4 dock I own claims 2x 4k monitors @ 60hz - I can’t find anywhere that suggests it can do 4k @ 120hz but in theory it can? If I had a 4k monitor I would test this for you but you’ll certainly have to dig around.
That aside, my setup is similar to what you want but with only 2 computers at a time. I have 1 monitor connected to the USB-C L1KVM which is then connected to a thunderbolt 4 dock, and 1 additional monitor connected to that dock. This allows me to switch 1 monitor while keeping 1 monitor static.
Instead of roaming I instead use a wireless mouse and keyboard. My mouse is a MX master 3 which supports up to 3 devices and my keyboard is a G915 which supports 2 devices (lightspeed and BT). You could go for the MX Master mechanical which would also support up to 3. However I find when I need to do something on my static monitor I’ve only ever needed the mouse and it’s quick enough to twist my wrist to show the underbelly of the mouse and switch to that computer.
Granted it’s not very often I need to control my primary computer while switched to my work laptop so switching my mouse’s input isn’t personally bothersome.
Curious - if you’re buying the KVM why use the monitor’s input selector to switch between computers? Assuming you’re going to keep your desktop static like I do - you could just attach a single monitor to the KVM and switch that between the other 2 sources.
I decided to go for the KM switch and try it out. It arrived today and i must say, i am very impressed. everything worked out of the box, no tweaks or troubleshooting necessary.
Mouse roaming works perfectly in a 2-1 config (which is wat i have)
USB audio works like a charm
razer mouse works without issues
webcam works without issues (on the usb (not HID) port
I noticed weirdness on my logitech G15 keyboard (yes it is still alive), where the little LCD screen will get bugged, and my wireless headset (with usb 2.4ghz dongle) does not work through the km switch. Then again, i expected both to not work at all anyway.
Thanks @wendell for an excellent product, I couldn’t be happier. Very well done.