An eight-port KVM switch that is pricey but can be expanded and has good management options
Network IT Week, 21 Mar 2006
This review is part of a KVM switch grouptest
Rose Electronics provided an eight-port switch from its UltraConsole family for our KVM switch grouptest. The range includes four-port and 16-port versions. All are rack-mountable and can be linked together using optional plug-in expansion cards, enabling up to 1,000 devices to be managed in total.
The console is attached using PS/2 connectors via an adapter cable that, in turn, plugs into a custom connector at the rear of the switch. Similar ports are provided to attach the server cables, with PS/2, USB and Sun cables available in lengths of up to 30 metres. Cables to connect to serial devices are another option; the Rose switch emulates a standard VT1000/220 terminal to manage routers and other devices with serial management ports.
Indicators on the front panel light up when devices are attached and powered on, and there are buttons to select the port to be displayed and managed. Alternatively, ports can be selected using the usual hot-key combinations or via a menu-driven on-screen display.
The menu system is pretty straightforward and there are options to name ports and configure password-protected user accounts. Moreover, users can be grouped and assigned profiles to manage access rights – a particularly useful facility when several switches are linked together, enabling two or more consoles to be used at once.
An IP-enabled implementation, UltraConsole Remote, is also available, plus it is possible to add an IP remote console to the standard UltraConsole switch using the separate Rose UltraLink Lite device (£778 + VAT).
The Rose Electronics UltraConsole UC1-1X8U offers good expansion options and serial device management tools, but is a little overpriced.
Pros: Serial device management; custom expansion bus to manage up to 1,000 ports; well conceived management interface.
Cons: Bulky cabling
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