KVM switches, modern consoles

[Gamereviewgod]

Okay, apparently I'm doing something wrong. I want to hook up my 360, Dreamcast, and eventually PS2 via VGA. I bought one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-PORT-KVM-SWITCH-4-SET-3-IN-1-PS-2-KVM-CABLES-FOR-PC_W0QQitemZ320090514687QQcategoryZ73310QQrdZ1QQcm dZViewItem

The first didn't work. At least, that's what I thought. Seller sent me a second one. I have the same issue, which is that my TV picks up on the signal for a second, then it drops. I manage to get some video out of the 360, but it's nearly black and there are lines everywhere.

It's not the cabling. I've added an AC adapter assuming the switch needed an extra power boost. There's an off chance the AC adapter doesn't work since I've never used it on anything else, but the result with or without it are the same.

Am I missing something obvious here? Any other suggestions before I start looking elsewhere? After two of these, I have to assume it's something on my end. The instructions are in some of the worst Engrish imaginable. Something to the effect of:

"Hook PC to switch install to KVM switch."

Riiiiight.

[njiska]

If it has a soft switch it may get snippy if you don't have a keyboard attached. I know mine certainly does.

[Gamereviewgod]

Would I only need one keyboard, or one for each port? I can always ditch a keyboard behind the TV, and I have to ask why would a keyboard make a difference? I've never dealt with VGA before, so this is all foreign to me.

[njiska]

Would I only need one keyboard, or one for each port? I can always ditch a keyboard behind the TV, and I have to ask why would a keyboard make a difference? I've never dealt with VGA before, so this is all foreign to me.

It would be one keyboard on the same connector as the TV. You may not in fact need it at all. However some KVMs that have the option of using a keyboard button press to switch inputs, as most do nowadays, don't always work if they don't have a keyboard on the output port. Wierd i know. It should work fine without it.

Still try makeing the connection to see what happens.

[nate1749]

do you have an extra computer you could hook up to the kvm switch to see if you could get that to work first?

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

Mine will work without a keyboard attached. But I have an older Belkin 4port KVM that only uses PS2 ports for mouse/keyboard and standard 15pin analog for VGA. But it also has a manual push button on the front of it.

That said I have 2 PCs connected to it and my Dreamcast. If I want to play DC games I have to manually switch over using the button on the KVM. It won't switch via keyboard because it doesn't detech a PC signal from that port. I only have the video on it..nothing else for that port.

Now...saying that, I have and use actual 2 port KVMs from blackbox at the office. They refuse to show squat or switch over at all unless I have cords in the keyboard ports for the sets I want to switch. Meaning, it won't even let me switch over to a source unless it detects power from the keyboard port on that particular PC that I'm trying to switch to.

I would imagine that some of the newer KVMs that offer USB functionality would be more forgiving of this however? I don't know since both of the KVMs I've worked with were older and only feature PS2/serial type connections.

[Gamereviewgod]

Well, this does have a button on it to select the source, and little LEDs light up when it finds a signal.

I'll dig up an older keyboard and see if that changes anything.