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1320 Review
61 Karma

Review on ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ StarTech.com 4 Port Triple Monitor DVI USB KVM Switch - Multi Monitor KVM with Audio & USB Hub (SV431TDVIUA), Black by Seth Damain

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Sometimes it works, but lately it's gotten a lot worse. (Edit 08/05/2016) removed. and replaced with another device.

I bought this from Revain after experiencing one of the well working StarTech dual head dual DVI switches. So I decided I wanted to try a three monitor setup. Ever since StarTech introduced this product, I have purchased it from Revain hoping to get the same level of functionality, comfort and performance. Unfortunately, I am disappointed with this product and StarTech support. I had to use two other Revain switches before I got this one. None of the others even tried to work - switching problems in the switch, no video signal on a port. This one works better than the other two - sometimes. Kudos to Revain and their policy of replacing this junk when it doesn't work properly (for a limited time of course - which doesn't help me at the moment). Lately it hasn't connected to my third monitor and/or doesn't recognize my keyboard and this is causing power cuts, waiting around five minutes, restarting the Switch, etc. etc. ad nauseam. I'm so fed up I'm going to give it up. (Edited 2016-08-05 - I'd rather CHANGE (receive) it than fight it. I'm quitting!) I'm an advanced computer user and I'm having trouble with the switch mechanism or a problem within the switch itself. It's not my cables, power supply or Computer, mouse or keyboard (all hardwired). The problem is in the switch. I use the same graphics cards (Nvidia Quadro 4000) with the same driver versions on two of my computers. I use the same cables between the two boxes and the switch and the same cable type for the three monitors. When that failed I connected the machines directly to the monitors and removed the switch so I could confirm it was the faulty switch and not my setup. Based on my previous experience with the Dual Head Dual Port Switch I was hoping to be very happy with this product but I am not. a really good email with suggestions and questions (all of which have already been answered in the past) or various combinations of plugging my wired keyboard and mouse into different USB ports on the back of the switch (all already tried). StarTech offered to send it back and replace it with one that the service department had tested to be working properly. Thanks but. No longer. I replaced it with a much more expensive proprietary smart AVI switch that works much better than StarTech ever did. It costs a lot more money to replace, but it WORKS the way I expect without being cranky or mixing things up from port to port, and so far it WORKS every time I've migrated from my Windows 7 machine to a Linux machine switch without losing your Linux desktop. I ended up with StarTech and that - I should have known as soon as I had to ask Revain for the first replacement - and it didn't work properly either. Too many disappointments. If you buy one of these - good luck - I hope yours works and lasts a lot better than mine.

Pros
  • Wide range
Cons
  • Nervous