2 monitor set up with 2 Pc's

[RickH]

Just starting new job and they have a provided 2 x wide screen monitors, a Thinkpad laptop and Thinkpad dock.
I have an existing PC ... which until now I connected to an Avocent switchview DVI (KVM)

Now I want to connect the laptop and PC as before but require Laptop to use 2 monitors.
Pc need only access one.

The Dock has HDMI or Display Port
The switch view has DVI connections for video in and out, and also USB connections for all mouse keyboard and PC & Laptop USB connections.

My initial thoughts are to connect as shown .... is this the optimum way to do this (leaving the speakers & microphone out of the equation for clarity.)

 

[IT Minion]

Yes, it will work. If you have enough ports on your monitors then it might be less effort just having them all connected constantly and only using the KVM for the peripherals, that's how I use mine.

 

[RickH]

Not too sure what you mean ... but sounds like it could be better - would like to know more ....
Monitors have HDMI & DVI (also VGA but will avoid that)

My Home PC has DVI so could run DVI cable to each monitor
Lap Top doc has HDMI and DVI ... so maybe run HDMI to each monitor

So if I have both monitors connected to both PC and Laptop .... how do you 'switch' (switch monitor input), or would I need to use either PC or Laptop ..... sometimes nice to be able to switch

 

[IT Minion]

Some monitors are good at auto detection, working out which of your machines is turned on at any time and switching to that input.

Alternatively you'd need to use the on screen controls to tell the monitor which input it should pay attention to.

It isn't a perfect solution for me, one monitor seamlessly picks up the active input, the other requires me to press a button (!) to get it to switch. But the practicalities of finding a KVM that supports jusy the right combination of inputs was just too hard.

 

[RickH]

Ta