The KVM Extender is a compact hardware device consisting of a transmitter and a receiver that allows the user to cost-effectively perform peripheral extensions. Depending on the type of extender, it allows the keyboard, monitor, and mouse to be placed up to 1,000 feet from the host computer. The connections between the devices are secured via Cat 5 / Cat6 / UTP cables. This extender, when used with Cat5 cables, proves to be versatile and much more useful as it is compatible with most operating systems and is ideal for commercial, industrial and government applications. It eliminates the use of bulky cables and virtually allows you to place your KVM peripherals anywhere.
Another category of extenders is the VGA extender, also known as a VGA amplifier. It is an electronic device that allows VGA video transmission over UTP Cat5/Cat5e/Cat6 cables over long distances without affecting resolution. Due to the higher return on investment that these extenders offer, they are widely used in schools, restaurants, and conference rooms or other signage applications, making them very cost effective. This device increases the signal strength of a VGA port, thus eliminating the need for long and bulky cables. However, the demand for VGA devices is slowly being replaced by HDMI, which is the latest entrant in the field of video technology.
HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) Extender was introduced to overcome the distance restriction of HDMI cables. Extends the HDMI video signal over greater distances using inexpensive Cat5e/Cat6 UTP cables. Light in weight, the biggest advantage of this device is that it offers sharp and clear digital images in high resolution. Supporting single-link PC resolutions up to 1920×1200, as well as HDTV resolutions up to 1080p@60Hz, this device is typically used in airports, restaurants, call centers, military and commercial environments.
In financial institutions and other places where transactions at multiple points of operation need to be monitored from a single location, these extension devices play a major role. The KVM Extender allows flexible access and control from anywhere in the facility and is therefore used here.