6 monitors 10 pc, how to hook it up

October 19, 2012 8:22 AM

So this involves a whole bunch of computers (Linux, Windows (server), Windows (7) and Macs and 6 monitors a keyboard and a mouse. I am trying to find a way to dynamically assign a computer to one or more monitors, and change it around whenever needed. (So no monitor should be hardwired to a single machine) I am thinking of a super duper KVM switch but I havent been able to find one yet.
posted by digividal to computers & internet (10 answers total)

Would you consider having six cables in and six cables out in a neatly-wired box?
posted by katrielalex at 8:32 AM on October 19, 2012

You can use Synergy to share the keyboard and mouse.
posted by katrielalex at 8:32 AM on October 19, 2012

Thin client at the monitor that uses remote desktop capabilities to display the desired computer's stuff?

Not a good idea for videos and gaming, perfectly fine for office work.
posted by jsturgill at 8:32 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

Synergy requires hardwired monitors does it not?
posted by digividal at 8:50 AM on October 19, 2012

@katrielalex I think it would be beyond my limited capabilities to build such a box :(
posted by digividal at 8:51 AM on October 19, 2012

Seconding @jsturgill - You can buy one video card, wire all six monitors to one PC and then remote desktop into the others from there.
posted by cnc at 9:31 AM on October 19, 2012 [2 favorites]

3rding remote desktop software on a six-headed thin client.
posted by XMLicious at 9:38 AM on October 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

I would also recommend using a thin client with multiple monitors.

But if you really need a KVM solution and don't mind the cost there probably is a piece of hardware that does the job. Try "KVM matrix" as a search term.
posted by mirage pine at 12:09 PM on October 19, 2012

Yeah, I would use VNC or something similar for this. There's no reason for a hardware solution, when VNC is so easy to set up and use, and on a LAN, you would barely be able to tell you were remote. It's free and it works on Linux, Mac and windows.
posted by empath at 12:58 PM on October 19, 2012

Multiple inputs to multiple outputs - you want a video switch for the display. The video switch can put PC1 on Monitor 3, PC2 on Monitor 1, and any other combination (permutation?) you can think of.

A pretty cheap KVM can handle the keyboard and mouse, but the video switch will cost you plenty.
posted by panmunjom at 3:55 AM on October 20, 2012