Aten CM0264 2x4 DVI/HDMI KVMP Switch Review

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Product: CM0264
Manufacturer: Aten
Supplied by: Aten
Price: 600USD/RM1800
Launch Date: Aug 2010

Aten is one of the industry leaders in KVM switches and they have been producing unique KVM switches and related products with latest technologies to fulfill the market. CM0264 was released in Aug 2010 and being one of the latest Aten KVMP switches, it is a 2 x 4 DVI-HDMI matrix KVMP switch which supports 2 x HDMI + 2 x DVI-enabled devices with dual-display capability.

Company Profile

For more than two decades, ATEN has earned a sterling reputation for delivering the finest KVM (keyboard/video/mouse) and remote connectivity solutions to manage servers and other network devices. Today we stand as the largest KVM manufacturer in the world.

ATEN has developed over the years a broad range of solutions to meet the needs of key market niches, including small - and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprise organizations through its ALTUSEN line of KVM products.

Features

o One Dual Display USB console independently and simultaneously controls two DVI computers, two HDMI computers or devices, and two additional USB devices
o Dual Display - simultaneously control one computer on one display and view another source on the other display
o Innovative desktop control features include on-screen file transfer and copy-paste functionality, and cursor shift function in dual display mode
o 2-port USB 2.0 hub built in; fully compliant with USB 2.0 specification
o Independent switching of KVM, USB peripheral, and audio focus
o Computer selection via front panel pushbuttons, hotkeys, and GUI
o HDMI 1.3a compatible; HDCP compatible
o Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio support
o Superior video quality - up to 1920 x 1200 (DVI Single Link), 1080p (HDMI)
o Supports widescreen resolutions
o Multiplatform support - Windows, Linux, and Mac
o Cursor Shift Function - in dual-display mode, the mouse cursor can move back and forth across both displays, shifting the KVM focus
o Video DynaSync - Exclusive ATEN technology eliminates boot-up display problems and optimizes resolution when switching between ports
o Power on detection - if one of the computers is powered off, the CM0264 automatically switches to the next powered-on computer
o Console keyboard port emulation/bypass feature supports most gaming/multimedia keyboards
o Complete keyboard emulation for error-free booting
o Mac keyboard support and emulation*
o Auto Scan Mode for monitoring all computers and HDMI devices
o Firmware Upgradable

Specifications

Package & Contents

As usual Aten KVMP switches come with compact packaging with very minimal waste and this is same for CM0264; no foam is being used at all. Plenty of information and details with diagrams are written well on the packaging which provides the useful information to the customer.

Here is the whole package of Aten CM0264 KVMP which consists of CM0264 KVMP, 2 x HDMI cable sets, 2 x DVI-D KVM cable sets, power adapter, USB-to-PS/2 converter, footpads, user manual and quick start guide; the cable sets will be discussed in later chapter in detail.

The power adapter of Aten CM0264 KVMP is a standalone device which is much preferable than power adapter + power cord. PS/2 keyboard and mouse are almost extincted but a USB-to-PS/2 converter is bundled as well which should be only useful for industry usages.

A Closer Look on Aten CM0264

Aten has categorized their KVM products into three lines of businesses; Enterprise, SMB and SOHO. Aten CM0264 KVMP is one of the SOHO products which is suitable for small office home office usage with cost-effective design and functionality. Dual-display and HDMI & DVI-enabled are two of the major selling points of Aten CM0264 KVMP.

Aten CM0264 KVMP comes with 860g and 260 x 75 x 45mm dimension; slightly larger than normal 2 x DVI/HDMI-enabled KVMP switches since it has to be designed to accommodate all the ports. Aten CM0264 KVMP comes with black painted chassis which is fingerprint-proof and CubiQ is one of Aten technologies which allow port switching via software; detail will be discussed in later section.

The front panel of Aten CM0264 KVMP consists of five buttons which delivers 5 + 2 functions; auto scanning (press the 1st & 2nd buttons simultaneously) and KVM reset (press the 3rd & 4th buttons simultaneously). Three yellow LED indicators are available for system, sound and USB per channel; only the active system/s will be lighted up.

Front I/O is not a compulsory access port for KVM switch but Aten has equipped a USB port and two audio jacks on Aten CM0264 KVMP for easier access rather than connecting them to the rear I/O. These front I/Os are the extension of the rear I/Os of the console unit and basically all the four front and rear USB ports deliver the same USB function; not necessary to connect the keyboard or mouse to the rear USB ports although specific ports for keyboard & mouse are pre-allocated.

Here are the rear and bottom panels of Aten CM0264 KVMP and do not be confused by all these ports as all the ports are segregated clearly. Most of the ports are duplicated (roughly five sets); four for devices/systems and one for console unit with additional USB ports. Single display or dual-display setup can be selected for the console unit but VGA monitor is not supported.

The four set of I/O for devices/systems are basically duplicated where two of them are for DVI-enabled devices while another two of them are for HDMI-enabled devices. Both of these HDMI and DVI ports can be converted to each other if more than two sets of DVI/HDMI-enabled systems are being used. Hopefully the successor of Aten CM0264 will be equipped with USB 3.0 for 10 x faster speed.

Just for better understanding about Aten CM0264 KVMP, we have stripped off its clothing. Two large PCBs are being stacked on each other with plenty of chipsets and components; this could be one of the reasons why KVM is not cheap. Aten CM0264 KVMP is equipped with 2GHz processor and 1GB memory and we believe the Aten SICG-8021 is the core chipset of this device.

Aten provides total four cable sets for CM0264 KVMP; two for HDMI-enabled devices and two for DVI-enabled devices. These cable sets are error-proof as USB standard B design is used for connecting to the KVM's end. Anyway these cable sets might look complicated but actually it is pretty simple as it only comes with four sub cables; 2 for audio, 1 for USB, and the last one for display.

These tables will be very useful especially for newbies as it explains all the functionalities and status of Aten CM0264 KVMP in detail. The full user manual can be downloaded from Aten website; here which gives better understanding before making any purchase.

Installation, Testing & Performance

Here is the ideal working mechanism of Aten CM0264 KVMP and cable connection is one major hardware setup which could be troublesome if these cables are not managed properly. Three systems (2 x desktop & 1 x notebook) were used in our test and all the test systems were connected to DVI ports (CPU 1 & 3) as our systems are not equipped with HDMI graphic yet. In term of display, we have 1 x 24" DVI/VGA monitor and 1 x 17" VGA monitor.

Software setup is basically not required at all for Aten CM0264 KVMP to function properly but Aten GUI provides port switching through the Window via mouse. This GUI can be only operated by Window platform but it is still viewable by other operating systems (Sun, Linux, Mac). The GUI installer (CubiQ.exe) is located in the Aten device once the KVMP is completely setup.

Here are some of the short cut keys of Aten CM0264 KVMP's GUI, there are hotkey list, list switch settings, file transfer, desktop scaling, hide matrix windows and toolbar on/off. Cubic is a nice-to-have feature which enhances its selling point and why it is better than other brands' KVM switches in the market.

File transfer between the devices/systems is one of the amazing selling points of Aten CM0264 KVMP. This is something similar with Aten cable KVM where it allows easier file management between the systems just by few clicks without copying with the USB flash drive.

Matrix windows is another great feature where it allows user to monitor all the video outputs of the systems/devices with its innovative 3-in-1 view desktop control and monitoring function. However this is not applicable for non-PC device like DVD player, PS3 and etc.

Dual-displays is allowed on Aten CM0264 KVMP and both of the displays can be used to display two systems/devices at once. While Cursor shift is used to enhance this feature where the mouse's cursor can be moved from one display to another; pretty convenience and port switching is minimized.

Desktop A:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8300 @ 2.83GHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3/Gigabyte G31M-ES2L
Heatsink: Noctua NH-D14
Memory: Kingston HyperX 4GB DDR2 8500
Hard Drive: 250GB 7200RPM 8MB Seagate
Graphic Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX260+
PCIe: Aten IC320U USB 3.0
Casing: In Win Maelstorm
PSU: Aerocool V12XT-800
Optical Drive: HLDS DVD RW +/-
Controller: Aerocool Touch 2000
Operating System: Window XP Pro SP2/Win 7 HP
Ambient Temperature: 27 Degree Celsius

Desktop B:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E8300 @ 2.83GHz
Motherboard: Gigabyte G31M-ES2L
Heatsink: Noctua NH-C12P
Memory: Kingston HyperX DDR2 8500
Hard Drive: 250GB 7200RPM 8MB Seagate
Graphic Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX260+
PSU: In Win Commander 750W
Optical Drive: DVD RW
Operating System: Window XP Pro SP2/Win 7 HP
Ambient Temperature: 27 Degree Celsius

Laptop C:

Notebook: HP EliteBook 2540p
Processor: Intel i7-640LM @ 2.13GHz
Memory: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz
Hard Drive: 250GB 7200RPM
Display: 12.1" LED-backlit WXGA anti-glare
Graphic Card: Intel HD Graphics
Optical Drive: Panasonic 9.5mm DVD RAM
HeadSet: Arctic Sound P311
Operating System: Window XP Pro SP3/Win 7 Pro
Ambient Temperature: 27 Degree Celsius

Before we start to share with you guys about the performance of Aten CM0264 KVMP, we would like to touch a little bit about its physical design and layout. Aten CM0264 KVMP is well-built with solid aluminum housing which is not only looks nice but also good for heat dissipation. All the connectors and ports are well segregated to avoid any wrong connection since there are plenty of connectors at its rear panel. Active system/device will be indicated through the front yellow LED indicators. All the cable sets are long enough to support most of the environment setup.

Aten CM0264 KVMP is able to auto-detect and display the system within 5 seconds if it is powered up from OFF state. However there will be no delay to switch from one system to another if Aten CM0264 KVMP is already in ON stage; this is a great improvement over previous KVMP switches that we have tested where there are few seconds delay between the systems switching. The port switching can be done through physically or through GUI and a strong beep sound is generated during port switching. Aten CM0264 KVMP will display the device/system in sequence from CPU 1 to CPU 4 and auto scanning is always active and port switching will be automatically in placed if the previous displayed system is turned off or disconnected.

We have gone through couple of tests on Aten CM0264 KVMP to understand further about its ability and we found that Aten CM0264 KVMP is a pretty interesting and responsive device; suitable for SOHO users where multiple systems/devices are required for different purpose with minimal I/O connectivities. The console unit has preallocated two USB ports for keyboard and mouse but actually these USB devices can be plugged into any of the available console's USB ports including the front USB; the reason why Aten does this preallocation is to simplify and minimize the setup; a poka-yoke method.

We have connected the front USB port of Aten CM0264 KVMP with couple of USB devices and all of them are working fine including a USB Wireless dongle where we share this dongle between two desktop systems. Besides that sound is working perfectly as well with its Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio support; no restart is required for the media player during port switching as this always happens when switching from one sound card to another especially those USB-enabled headsets with built-in sound card.

Here are some additional observations that we found during our tests. Both of our desktop systems are equipped with DVI graphic card, 1 x 24" DVI + VGA monitor and 1 x 17" VGA monitor. There is no issue for Aten CM0264 KVMP to work with both of our desktop systems and the 24" DVI monitor. Besides that the HDMI port of Aten CM0264 KVMP is still able to function after we have converted it with HDMI-to-DVI converter.

However Aten CM0264 KVMP is not workable with when we tried to use a VGA monitor with Aten CM0264 KVMP such as connecting a notebook with VGA port or connecting Aten CM0264 KVMP with VGA monitor. So please keep that in mind and it is a good time to upgrade to DVI or HDMI monitor if you are still using VGA monitor currently but intend to get this Aten CM0264 KVMP.

Verdicts

Aten CM0264 KVMP is definitely one of the high recommended KVMP switches for SOHO or SMB usage as it delivers high standard of KVMP features and performance. Some of the highlighted features that we would like to stress here again are it is able to support 2 x DVI + 2 x HDMI-enabled systems, dual-display, fast & responsive port switching, GUI advantages of File Transfer, Matrix Windows, Cursor Shift and etc. Aten CM0264 KVMP is cost about 600USD which is not cheap at all for end user like us but it should be reasonable for SOHO, SMB users to get it as there is a significant cost reduction if a set of I/Os are being shared by multiple systems; furthermore Aten is a leading and reliable vendor in KVMP switches so reliability and support are not a problem at all.

Pros:

+ Support 2 x DVI + 2 x HDMI
+ Support dual displays
+ Easier file transfer between systems
+ Matrix Window & Cursor Shift
+ Adequate USB 2.0 ports
+ Simultaneously controls two devices
+ HDMI 1.3a compatible
+ Dolby True HD and DTS HD Master Audio support
+ Up to 1920 x 1200 resolution
+ Auto scanning is always on
+ Firmware is upgradable

Cons:

- Not cheap

Thanks to Aten for providing this sample for us to review.