General
1. Does NTI offer a remote control option for their KVM and video-only switches?
Yes, NTI offers a variety of wired remote control options for use with our line of KVM switches. For information on which options are available for specific models, click on the Options icon at the bottom of the appropriate product description page on this website, or contact Customer Service at 800-742-8324.
2. Is there a way to disable broadcast mode, scan mode, command mode, or all?
- The scan mode alone can be disabled with an internal jumper.
- Broadcast mode alone can be disabled by special order.
- Command mode alone can be disabled by special order.
- Ordering your switch with the No Broadcast/Scan (NBS) option will disable both broadcast and scan capabilities. Ordering your switch with the No Broadcast/Scan/Command option (NBSC) will disable all of these capabilities. To see if an existing switch can be converted to NBS or NBSC, contact Customer Service at 800-742-8324.
3. Can I upgrade the kvm switch system firmware?
Generally, No. However, in a few special cases a custom solution can be created for an extra fee. Contact Customer Service at 800-742-8324 to find out if your particular needs can be handled in this manner.
4. Is there a way to name the computers attached to my KVM switch for ease in identifying which computer I am using?
For Single-User Switches, NTI offers two options:
1) With the optional Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) offered on many NTI KVM switches, you can edit and enter computer names from the keyboard and then use the LCD to select and control computers attached to your switch by name. Signify this option by adding "-X" to the end of the product number.
2) With the optional On Screen Display (OSD) offered on many NTI KVM switches, you can utilize a pop-up menu to name, select and control the computers attached to your switch. Signify this option by adding "-O" to the end of the product number.
Multiple-User Switches are available with OSD as described above. LCD is not available for Multiple-User Switches.
For information on which options are available for specific models, click on the Options icon at the bottom of the appropriate product description page on this website, or contact Customer Service at 800-742-8324.
On Screen Display (OSD)
5. What is On Screen Display (OSD)? What does OSD allow you to do?
On Screen Display is an optional control method utilizing a pop-up menu that appears on your monitor screen. You can use the on-screen interface to conveniently name and control the computers attached to your NTI KVM switch.
OSD allows you to do the following:
- Switch computers
- Check computer status (on/off) and identify computer platform (PC/MAC/SUN)
- Scan powered-on computers connected to the KVM switch
- Save system settings
- Reset mouse and keyboard
- Assign unique names to each attached computer up to 12 characters long
- Change position of OSD menu
- Change position of Status Flag
6. Does NTI's OSD require that I load software on my systems?
No, OSD software is contained in the NTI KVM switch. No software resides in your system.
7. Can I add OSD to an NTI KVM Switch I purchased some time ago?
In most cases, No. Most NTI switches must be purchased with the OSD option at the time of order. Only the Modular Matrix multi-server kvm switches can be upgraded in the field.
8. The OSD display doesn't work with some of the computers attached to my KVM switch. It works fine with the computer off, but I lose it when I turn my computer on. What's wrong?
Some computers, such as some HP UNIX Workstations, only support "sync on green" for the video format. Unfortunately, the OSD doesn't support "sync on green"-only computers. If it is imperative to have the OSD functional on these computers, there are third-party solutions which will convert "sync on green" to a more standard sync signal(s). One such solution is the Dedicated VGA & MAC Interface produced by Extron Electronics. Contact Extron's Technical Support at 800-633-9876 or visit their website at www.extron.com.
9. I don't get video from my OSD user card. I've had this problem from the start. What's wrong?
The Multiscan monitor must be able to accept a composite on H (horizontal). If your monitor does not support composite on H, you will need to use a Multiscan monitor that does.
Rack Mounting
10. Are NTI switches rack-mountable?
None of our electronic KVM switches are "rack-mountable," but any NTI switch can be purchased in a rackmount enclosure. Whether the enclosure is optional or standard depends on the model. To find out whether the rackmount enclosure is optional or standard for the particular switch in which you are interested, check out the product description pages on this website or contact Customer Service at 800-742-8324.
RS232
11. Does NTI offer RS232 control?
We offer RS232 control as an option on all models.
12. Can I use Hyper Terminal to talk to NTI's RS232 control option?
No, each byte in the command stream must be transmitted immediately after the preceding byte. Otherwise, the RS232 interface processor will time out and ignore the entire transmission. Hyper Terminal sends a byte as it is typed, producing enough dead time between bytes for NTI's interface to time out. |