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KVM with dual monitor setup

Rorschach

Rorschach

Fanny Walden
Looking for a bit of advice that won't melt my brain for a new setup I am planning.

Currently, I work at home on a thin client with one monitor, wired mouse and keyboard. And also I procrastinate on a Thinkpad T480 sitting close by.

What I would like is to switch to a setup where I can share dual monitors, mouse and keyboard between both, the thin client and laptop. Ideally I would like the mouse and keyboard wireless but that is not a deal breaker. I'm thinking some sort of KVM switch setup but the advice I read on the interweb is getting a bit confusing. As far as I can see the Thunderbolt port on the T480 supports only one display signal it would seem. The thin client has 2 display port connections so how/what to connect to a KVM is not clear to me.

Any techdudes out there that can tell me if this is possible?
 
Wireless mouse/keyboard is easy. Just get the ones that don't Bluetooth directly to the PC and get the ones with a little dongle. Plug the dongle(s) into the KVM. Often they'll have a switch to choose between the two.

If your laptop doesn't support dual external monitors then you may need a dock as in the image above.

If one is a thin client, I assume it's using some form of RDP or VNC to a server somewhere. Can't you just do that from the laptop and save all the hassle?
 
scaramanga said:
Wireless mouse/keyboard is easy. Just get the ones that don't Bluetooth directly to the PC and get the ones with a little dongle. Plug the dongle(s) into the KVM. Often they'll have a switch to choose between the two.

If your laptop doesn't support dual external monitors then you may need a dock as in the image above.

If one is a thin client, I assume it's using some form of RDP or VNC to a server somewhere. Can't you just do that from the laptop and save all the hassle?
Click to expand...
Yep...this sort of tallies with what I gleaned today from bits on the web. The thin client is for a Citrix desktop, which I can connect to on the laptop, but the screen is too small. I use it on the go when I have to sometimes. I'm looking for more screen real estate, though, with this setup.

So the USB-C from the thin client is carrying all the USB communication from the KVM, right? I wonder if that will behave the same for the thin client as per the desktop machine in the diagram.

The laptop does support dual monitors according the Lenovo website. I saw this on reddit so I might need a TB3 dock by the sounds of it.
If you want dual 4k @ 60 Hz and use a dock, I'd suggest purchasing a Thunderbolt (TB) 3 or TB4 dock and connect the laptop TB3 port to it, and then connect the TB3 dock to the first display input port (for power delivery, USB3, and video). Then connect a USB-C cable from the laptop USB-C DP1.2 port to the second display input port (only video).
Click to expand...
 
Rorschach said:
Yep...this sort of tallies with what I gleaned today from bits on the web. The thin client is for a Citrix desktop, which I can connect to on the laptop, but the screen is too small. I use it on the go when I have to sometimes. I'm looking for more screen real estate, though, with this setup.

So the USB-C from the thin client is carrying all the USB communication from the KVM, right? I wonder if that will behave the same for the thin client as per the desktop machine in the diagram.

The laptop does support dual monitors according the Lenovo website. I saw this on reddit so I might need a TB3 dock by the sounds of it.
Click to expand...
In that case why not just get the dock and install the Citrix client on the laptop?

Then you plug everything into the dock and you get the larger screens for Citrix.
 
scaramanga said:
In that case why not just get the dock and install the Citrix client on the laptop?

Then you plug everything into the dock and you get the larger screens for Citrix.
Click to expand...
Then I wouldn't be able to read your inspirational posts while I'm working as the laptop becomes my work device.
 
LG Ultrawides offer something called dual controller that allows picture-by-picture, so you could have both plugged into the monitor and allocate a section of the screen for your doom-scrolling and the rest for the work content.
 
Trixster said:
LG Ultrawides offer something called dual controller that allows picture-by-picture, so you could have both plugged into the monitor and allocate a section of the screen for your doom-scrolling and the rest for the work content.
Click to expand...
That sounds interesting. I guess you can flip them if you wish. Not sure how keyboard mouse sharing would work that.
 
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