Two comps one screen

[j w 0]

Is there a way to have two comps to one screen.

I was meaning having one box as server an the other one as the gamecomp, but not having two screens, so whenever I want I can flip over to the serverscreen to check if it's all OK.

How can I do this?

Plz help.

Regards

JW

[crashdome 3]

It's called a KVM Switch (Keyboard, Video, Mouse).

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817403054

[j w 0]

Thank you.

[shinRaiden 0]

Notes :

* low-quality analog ones may introduce some minor but noticable video distortion on the high-end of video signalling.

* I have not seen DVI/USB KVM boxes, I expect that this is due to the nature of the interfaces.

* KVM video cables are reverse gender of VGA extension cables.

[JdB 151]

I have one too, bought one when the monitor of my old pc died.

Bought this very basic one.

[j w 0]

I have one too, bought one when the monitor of my old pc died.

Bought this very basic one.

Prolly' getting a similar to that one.

Not to expensive.

[Delirium 0]

It is usually all the way around. 1 PC 2 Screens.

I just can't think of going back to one screen, not to mention two Pc's on 1.

[Fork122 0]

It is usually all the way around. 1 PC 2 Screens.

I just can't think of going back to one screen, not to mention two Pc's on 1.

Well the two won't be on the one screen at the same time

He's switching between the two, just to check on the server every once in a while.

[JdB 151]

Same goes for me, I download stuff using that pc, write stuff on it and browse the internet. The other pc is used for 3DSMAX, Photoshop, OFP etc, the heavier applications.

Download pc's/servers don't need a monitor, and certainly not one that is constantly on. Takes up space, costs money and doesn't serve a real purpose when you can save all of those by buying a cheap piece of hardware. You can't be working on both pc's at once anyway.

[j w 0]

Takes up space, costs money and doesn't serve a real purpose when you can save all of those by buying a cheap piece of hardware. You can't be working on both pc's at once anyway.

Good points.

@Everyone:

Thanks for all the help, this will save some money for the server.

[berghoff 11]

I have a monitor with 2 video in slots so you can switch by pressing one button on the monitor.

[deanosbeano 0]

remote access software is best for that. access yor server remotely thru your none server pc remotely anywhere etc..

[berghoff 11]

Yea I use for LAN VNc view/server so saves me time walking to other room all the time.

[EiZei 0]

I suppose you would get the best quality with a TFT monitor that has both DVI-D and D-sub connectors. (got mine used and it cost less than your average switcher thingie new)

And yeah, all real server operators use SSH.

[j w 0]

Whats SSH?

[DBR_ONIX 0]

Secure Shell host.. Basicly a replacement for telnet (Remote command promt), but has stuff like port-tunneling, and allows scp/sftp (secure copy/secure ftp)

Incase you can't tell by all those names, it's more secure..

For the downloading computer, you don't need access to the GUI really.. What I've done in the past is setup an FTP server, sharing the download folders (Say, E:/Downloads/, wich has complete/ and incomplete/), and C:/Torrents/Incoming

Then setup your program (Azereus/uTorrent both have this I know) to automaticly add any torrents in C:/Torrents/Incoming. Then, Azerues wins because there are Web interface plugins..

Shareaza (Same network as Limewire, and also has eDonkey and Gnetella 2 or something) also has a nice web-interface

Both avaliable for Windows/Linux too

And for the occisaonal need to use the UI, as suggested, use RealVNC or UltraVNC server, and use the viewer on your main computer.. Basicly it does this, and allows you to use your mouse/keyboard to control it.. While for games etc it's useless, for sorting settings or something, it's fine

- Ben

[shinRaiden 0]

It's a bit of a flipside there though. See if I understand JW correctly, part of the intent is to offload the applications with less of an emphasis on the data.

Unless you enjoy writing all your papers in vim, downloading via wget, and browsing in lynx, you're going to need a second GUI system. Yes, you can use emacs instead, and yes, there are command line torrent apps too. That's not the point. I think what you're looking for is what we called at M$ the 'email' machine. There were the 'work' machines that we had to expect to go down or be tied up or daily blasted that we couldn't use for regular activities. So the 'email' machine was the one that was supposed to stay up and be useful.

Now that doesn't prohibit you from putting both systems on the KVM for booting purposes (the nvidia cards I've had won't initialize at boot video ports without a detected display) then only using VNC or Windows Remote Desktop (better imho for Win/Win on a LAN for applications usage).

For my servers though, all I really need is just a ssh console into them. Then I use both monitors for the main workstation, with one monitor KVM'd to the freebsd server since it has some hiccups right now.

But since you're going that route, why not add a third machine and use that as the black box vault like those previously have suggested.

Oh, and you'll want to make sure your email accounts are IMAP compatible, otherwise checking email in multiple places will get real annoying real fast.

[DBR_ONIX 0]

Good points.. It really depends on how much you want to spend using the second computers UI.. If it's just to occisanly sort stuff, I'd stick with VNC, and fall back to unpluging the monitor when nessisary to fix something (Once I screwed up ssh access to a computer by changing the ssh port, but forgetting to open the new port up *Ahem*, so had to connect a monitor and sort the firewall..), I'd just use an FTP server to transfer stuff, VNC to fix stuff. But if your wanting to type stuff/check emails/surf, and jump between games and the internet, Alt-tabbing sucks in quite a lot of games, which could make it very annoying, compared to the KVM you could swich between it without interupting the game, and the performance between the kvm and VNC will be very noticable if your using it a lot..

It's really up to personal preference.. I'd probobaly use VNC, since when playing games, most of the time I'd be needing to check emails..

One thing about emails I'd recommend.. GMail! I've used quite a few online email thingys (Hotmail, yahoo, hushmail, mail.com), and GMail is by far the best imo (both in terms of features and useability), so much so I've forwarded a few of my older email accounts to it, using the my.account+labelhere@gmail.com thing to filter them into different labels.. Also usefull for mailing list type things, to stop them cluttering up your inbox

- Ben

{Edit : Hmm, just skimmed over the last post, thats a good idea KVM'ing the secondary montior with the server, didn't think of that }

[deanosbeano 0]

Quote[/b] ]I was meaning having one box as server an the other one as the gamecomp, but not having two screens, so whenever I want I can flip over to the serverscreen to check if it's all OK.

my god what th hells all this jargon for, he only wants to see if his servers ok, not try and make sure his multinational 4 storey network and main frame are running in sync and all is well, no wonder some people get frightened of pc`s

there should be a law against it

[DBR_ONIX 0]

Computers are as comlicated as the user makes them..

All he wants is to have two computers, one playing a game, one with maybe a torrent downloader, an email client, and a OFP server status window (Random things, just guessing..), without having to buy and find somewhere to put a second monitor for it..

If all he wants to do if see if his server is okay, just use SSH.. But I dont think thats what he wants...

- Ben

[j w 0]

Even if one of them was just a server, I would rely more on hardware then software, especially if the comp, not being the server goes down, so I can't check if the server's not working and solve it...

[DBR_ONIX 0]

The only time you really need phsyical access to a server is, a, when installing the OS, B, when you screw up your means of remote access (*ahem*), C, network settings change and the network ocnnection the server screws up..

And if the main PC dies, you can just use it's montior/keyboard/mouse to fix it

- Ben

[j w 0]

Let's say I fry the CPU?

Then it doesn't work...

[j w 0]

Anyways, since no one's answering the topic in MultiPlayer, I'll ask it here;

How's this for server:

400W PSU

Intel Pentium 4 651 3,4ghz 800/2m S775

2GB PC3200 DDR

WD Raptor 36GB (10kRPM)

Connection

Down:10mbits/s

Up: 10mbits/s

And some additional cooling

What about it?

[DBR_ONIX 0]

Let's say I fry the CPU?

Then it doesn't work...

If you fry the CPU, no matter what way of setting up your monitor, your screwed Besides, you'll still be able to use the monitor etc on either computer..

The server specs are fine, the thing I think it the weakest part is the CPU, the AMD FX 64 pwn the Intels for games (Which I assume improves game server performace), and don't forget a motherboard, which is kinda on hte important side..

- Ben