How to Use a Mac With a KVM Switch
A KVM (Keyboard/Video/Mouse) switch lets you control two (or more) computers using a single keyboard, monitor, and mouse. This can be useful if you have limited desk space, or just don't want to mess around with two sets of keyboards and monitors. You can even control different types of computers with a KVM switch--you can switch between a Macintosh and a Windows PC.
The KVM switch is a separate piece of hardware that plugs into the computers, and you then plug your keyboard, monitor, and mouse into the switch.
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Instructions
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Connecting the KVM switch
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Turn off all the computers.
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Plug two KVM cables into the Mac: one USB cable and one video cable.You can plug the USB cable into any USB port on your Mac. The video cable must plug into the video port. You may need to use a DVI to VGA adapter if the cable is VGA and the video port is DVI. The other end of the two cables plugs into the KVM switch. Some KVM switches have built-in cables (this is very handy if you're only controlling two computers).
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Repeat this procedure with the other computer(s) you are controlling. If the second computer is a PC, plug the USB cable into any available USB port.
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Plug your keyboard into the KVM switch. There will be a marking that indicates where the keyboard plugs into (sometimes it's a small drawing of a keyboard). Plug your mouse into the KVM switch. Plug the cable from your monitor into the KVM switch.
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5
Turn on the computers. If the KVM switch has a hardware control (you push a button to switch between the computers), the computer that appears on the monitor depends on the switch setting.
If the KVM switch uses a keyboard control (such as pressing the "Control" key twice), the computer that's turned on first will appear on the monitor.
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Tips & Warnings
When a Macintosh boots up, it looks for the video device. If the KVM is not switched to the Mac, the Mac may not correctly detect the video resolution. After the Mac boots, go to "System Preferences" and choose "Displays," then click on "Detect Display" to get the correct display resolution. If you are switching between a Macintosh and a PC, you can use either a PC keyboard or a Macintosh keyboard. The "Windows" key is the same key as the "Command" key and the PC "Alt" key is the Mac "Option" key. You can plug your mouse into a USB hub and then plug the hub into the "mouse" port on the KVM switch. You can then switch any USB devices plugged into the hub back and forth between the computers. For example, if a scanner is plugged into the KVM switch, it will be available to the computer appearing on the monitor.
