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Date: |
October
8th, 2001 |
Type: |
Review |
Supplier: |
Avocent
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Author: |
Xtracable |
Testing
Because the AutoView 400 was shipped from the United states it came
with a US IEC power lead, this is no real problem as IEC leads are
standard computer power leads so we just used a spare computer power
lead to power the main AutoView 400. However the remote extender
also requires a power pack that provides 24vDC @ 500mA so we had
to buy a universal DC power adapter which cost about $30 form our
local Tandy store. As a note, if you want to buy this product we
recommend getting it from a local Australian distributor so that
you don't have to get a different power adapter.
.
Once the unit was
powered up the On-Screen menu came up and we were required to add
the channels that were plugged in. Adding the channels was quite
simple it just involved specifying a channel name and the port that
you want to assign to that channel name. Once the channels are added
you can bring up a list of the channels by pressing <CTRL><CTRL>
on your keyboard, you can then go down the list and select the channel
which you would like to view. You can also press the buttons on
the front of the AutoView to switch channels
To access the
On-screen menu simply press <CTRL><CTRL> to bring up
the channel list and then hit <CTRL><CTRL> again. This
will bring up the menu where you can access all the configuration
options of the AutoView 400. From the menu you can add channels,
edit channels, setup scan lists and access all the security options.
One of the
useful functions the AutoView has is its ability to scan through
channels at a set time interval, you can tell the AutoView to scan
all channels that have a computer plugged or create you own custom
scan list to scan only the channels that you want, in the order
you want. Starting a scan is very simple you can either press the
scan button on the front of the AutoView or go in to the menu and
selecting scanning.
The AutoView
also has a command line which is brought up by holding down <NUM
LOCK> and pressing <-> then releasing <NUM LOCK>.
A full listing of all the commands available to use at the command
line are provided in the easy to read Instruction manual that comes
with the kit. The documentation comes in a wide range of languages
and is designed so that it can be easily read, plus it has some
diagrams and examples helping you to setup the AutoView and how
to use all of its features.
The last thing
we tested was the Remote Extender. The remote extender is probably
one of the best feature of the AutoView 400. Just the thought of
being able to monitor the servers from my desk at work, without
having to walk down stairs to the server room. To test the remote
extender we ran a length of standard CAT5 cable into another room
and setup a monitor, keyboard and mouse on the remote extender.
Then simply connect the CAT5 cable to the Remote I/O port on the
remote extender and the AutoView 400. Well the setup was as simple
as that and the remote extender allowing us to access all the computers
connected to the AutoView. The multi-user ability also worked very
well, for example while one person is using the computer connected
to port B, someone else can be using the computer connected to port
A. Below is a snapshot when connecting the remote extender.
Conclusion
Working in the IT field you come across many different KVM packages,
each having their own features and uses. But by far one of the best
options I have seen yet is the AutoView 400 with its small stylish
design and huge list of features like On-Screen display, easy installation,
hot swapable, cross-platform compatibility, multi-user ability,
remote extender and many more.
The only real
problem with the AutoView is that it require power to be connected
to use any of the computers, although it does have the ability to
power itself so that all the computers connected can bootup in the
event of a power failure. Other than that the integration of the
AutoView in to your current systems is completely seamless.
The AutoView
is definitely a better option than swapping cables or having several
monitors and keyboards. Although the AutoView 400 is mainly targeted
at the workplace, it could also prove useful in the home with the
growing number of computer these days!
A big thanks
goes out to the team at Avocent and Trisha from NetPR for supplying
this kit for our review. If you would like to find out some more
technical information or would like to place an order for a AutoView
from them, please visit the Avocent
website.
Score:
8 / 10
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