Isn't there a 3m limit on USB cables? How about 8' of dumb cabling, a powered hub, then 8' of dumb cabling? I've always been wary of "smart" cables. Just my $0.02. Thomas On Nov 14, 2009, at 11:35 AM, Tony Yarusso <tonyyarusso at gmail.com> wrote: > Hardware question... > > All right, here's my irritating issue: My setup is Keyboard -> 16' > active USB extension cable -> KVM switch -> computer. A cheap > keyboard I have (Asus ultra-thin) works fine, but my nice one (Das > Keyboard) does not. The nice keyboard does work if connected directly > to the computer, connected directly to the KVM switch, connected to > the computer through the extension cable by bypassing the KVM switch, > connected to the computer through other (shorter) extension cables. > There are three LEDs on the nice keyboard (numlock, capslock, > scrolllock). When in a working configuration, just numlock is lit. > When in the non-working config, all three are lit. Non-working means > typing results in no output on the screen. I should note that the > nice keyboard has a USB hub built in, but I don't need that to > actually work - just typing. If I connect the nice keyboard to the > computer (without the KVM switch) through four short (about 3') USB > extension cables, it works fine, but if I add a fifth one I get the > same all-lights, no-output behavior as with the 16' plus the KVM > switch. What would you suggest I do to make it work from 16' away > through the KVM switch? I have tried putting powered USB hubs in at > various places without success. > > - Tony Yarusso > > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list