# Need male PS/2 to male USB connector for use with KVM switch

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-male-ps-2-to-male-usb-connector-for-use-with-kvm-switch/590375>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 26, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-male-ps-2-to-male-usb-connector-for-use-with-kvm-switch/590375 "2011-07-26T12:31:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Dog80](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Dog80](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dog80)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-male-ps-2-to-male-usb-connector-for-use-with-kvm-switch/590375/1 "2011-07-26T12:31:24Z")

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I got a new motherboard for my PC because the old one got fried.

The problem is that the new motherboard has a single PS/2 port and I have a KVM switch that has two PS/2 connectors one for mouse, one for keyboard. I tried one of those cheap PS/2 to USB adaptors but it didn’t work. So for the time being I have connected the keyboard to the PS/2 and am using a sepparate USB mouse for that computer.

Is there any solution for my problem?

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**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-male-ps-2-to-male-usb-connector-for-use-with-kvm-switch/590375/2 "2011-07-26T13:14:24Z")

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The solution you’ve tried is the only one I know. What happened when you tried the adapter?

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**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-male-ps-2-to-male-usb-connector-for-use-with-kvm-switch/590375/3 "2011-07-26T13:15:23Z")

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I added a [USB card](http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/category/category_slc.asp?CatId=511&srkey=usb%20card) to a PC, and Windows loads it before looking for the KB and mouse.

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**Author:** ![Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed655f/32.png) [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crown_Prince_of_Irony)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/need-male-ps-2-to-male-usb-connector-for-use-with-kvm-switch/590375/4 "2011-07-26T15:21:23Z")

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So if you’re using a KVM switch, you’ve got (at least) two sets of PS/2 cables connecting from the switch to the computers, right?

So you need a female PS/2 to male USB adapter - would this work? [StarTech.com GC46MF Replacement PS/2 Mouse to USB Adapter - F/M - Newegg.com](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812200144)

I know you didn’t ask for alternatives, but I’ll tell you what I do - I have all USB peripherals, and a [USB switch](http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817112201) connected tp a small USB hub. Everything is stickytaped to the side of my desktop pc. For video, I plug DVI, VGA, and HDMI from three different systems into one monitor, and just use that monitors’ menu system to switch video. While I don’t get audio switching, I only playback media from one of my systems anyway, and this is less finicky than a KVM switch, with much less bulky cables.