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No display when using Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp 24" monitor with a DVI KVM Switch (pictures shown)
Ideally can a Dell rep such as DELL-Jimmy_P or DELL-Chris_M offer their resolution for this problem.
REQUEST: Can Dell's Firmware engineering team please provide a firmware update for the 2408WFP that will allow it to detect when the monitor's DVI port/s are connected to a DVI KVM switch (e.g. Avocent's 4SVDVI10)?
BACKGROUND: I'm an Australian customer 'fortunate' to have two Dell 2408WFP monitors. I've just brought an 'Avocent 4SVDVI10 DVI KVM Switch' and confirmed it is working perfectly for keyboard and mouse support on my computers. Likewise the switch's DVI display works perfectly on a friends Samsung 22" Widescreen monitor (as you would expect for any DVI monitor connected to the DVI switch). However if you connect the 4SVDVI10 DVI console port to a 'Dell 2408WFP Ultrasharp 24" monitor' there is no display; not even during computer bootup or BIOS screens. The 2408WFP does not recognise an active DVI display device is attached and remains blank (off)!
If the 2408WFP DVI ports are connected directly to my computers then the monitor works normally. Similarly, if the 2408WFP is connected to these same computers via an ATEN VGA KVM switch using the 2408WFP's VGA connector then the 2408WFP detects a VGA KVM is connected and displays normally.
So the issue is clearly communication between the 4SVDVI10 DVI console port and the 2408WFP detecting that an active DVI device is present. I've applied the 'latest' firmware (4SVDVI10_061129.uni) to the Avocent switch but there is no change; I still get no display when connected to a 2408WFP. Can Dell's Firmware engineering team please provide a firmware update for the 2408WFP that will allow it to detect when the monitor's DVI port/s are connected to a DVI KVM switch (such as Avocent's mainstream 4SVDVI10)? Failing that can Dell replace or update my A00 monitors with A01 version (or whatever firmware update is required to fix this issue)?
Please provide assistance as I really need 2408WFP monitors to work with DVI KVM switches. A firmware update is the most viable solution I can determine. Otherwise I have to replace my premium Dell monitors with another brand just so I can have a display when using a DVI KVM switch.
Dell - my monitor s/n and customer information is available in my Forum account details.
Cheers
This picture is of a Dell 2408WFP with the left monitor using Display Port. I'm using this picture to graphically represent the same result I get when connecting my KVM to any of these monitors DVI ports - i.e. no display.
[picture is 1.7MB]
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/a08bbd57cc.jpg
Avocent SwitchView DVI KVM Switch
[picture is 1.7MB]
http://img2.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/0c19700a38.jpg
Monitor: Dell Ultrasharp 2408WFP 24"
Monitor ports tested: DVI, VGA, Display Port & Composite
Video card driver version: 6.14.11.7516 (GeForce Release 175 WHQL for WinXP & WS2003 x64)
Video card: NVIDIA GeForce 9600GT (Gainward BLISS9600GT PCX 1GB DisplayPort
“Golden Sample")
O/S: Windows Server 2003 R2 SP2 x64 Edition
sjtsnix
26 Posts
0
July 7th, 2008 17:00
Sigh... is this another reason for me to hold out on buying a 2408WFP?
Dell... can you tell me which DVI KVM's are compatible with the 2408WFP? and/or if the issue brought up here with the Avocent 4SVDVI10 DVI KVM Switch is a problem that can and will be resolved? Does A01 have this issue with the Avocent 4SVDVI10 DVI KVM Switch and/or other DVI KVM's?
Stephen
silke01
7 Posts
0
July 8th, 2008 08:00
All excellent questions Sjtsnix...and yes you should definitely hold out on buying a 2408WFP until all the bugs are ironed out. Unless you want to join me in feeling the pain of buying a Dell monitor.
On paper the 2408WFP is superb which is why I brought two of them. Reviews tend to be good but I've learnt the hard way that reviews give absolutely no indication of a product's quality control. Any company in their right mind will take care to submit a flawless product for testing, thus maximising that products potential for a positive review.
However from general end-user and my personal experience the quality control on these monitors is extremely poor. In my case alone, only one in four monitors that I received had a panel free of dead pixies or stuck colour pixels. In the end I gave up and had to accept that my second monitor was going to have a flawed panel. Then to add insult to injury - as soon as I try using features of these monitors beyond the most basic level, they fail miserably.
Use the Display Port - the monitor wont awaken once the computer enters sleep mode, or if you power the monitor off then on again, or if you cycle through the monitor's video inputs until you come back to the Display Port again.
Plug the 2408WFP monitor into a DVI KVM switch - no display. Both of the monitor's DVI ports don't recognise when a KVM switch is attached and remain off.
I have authored my posts as fully as possible, even providing pictures in an attempt to get a response from Dell. Still there is silence.
The only viable solution I can see is a firmware update or monitor replacement. The pain it will take to get this done still lies before me in the days, weeks, months(?) ahead. I can't even get these problems logged to Dell via email. I've posted my experiences as a warning to others and obviously as valuable product feedback for Dell. They should pay us customers to be their testing and quality assurance team. I took a chance buying products from Dell and have been bitten hard - I can only hope their customer service side will come to the party to restore customer satisfaction and pride in their products.
sjtsnix
26 Posts
0
July 8th, 2008 17:00
with all the 'pain' being shared here with the 2408WFP, I'm getting close to just buying two NON-TN 20" Widescreen LCD's and washing my hands of the idea of even rolling the dice for a 2408WFP. Dell won't come clean with answers to my very simple questions, so OBVIOUSLY they don't want, nor warrant my money..... Was really looking forward to this monitor that looked good on paper.
And since I can't get a straight answer out of Dell on my simple questions, I think I'll try to take my business to a Non-Dell solution, when it comes to stepping back (or would that be stepping forward) to two 20" Widescreen, Non TN Panels....
Anyone have advice, Dell or non Dell for a dual monitor setup of NON TN panels, in the 20" range? (i'd go with two 22" Widescreens... but believe all 22" Widescreens are all TN panels these days)
*SIGH*
Stephen
silke01
7 Posts
0
July 9th, 2008 15:00
My apologies to Avocent & Dell,
Just tonight I reconfigured my home lab and somehow the KVM switch and monitors now work together normally.
As an IT Professional it is unusual that I haven't pin pointed why it is working now when it wasn't before. If I was a newbie it could be passed off as something like I had the wrong input ports displaying on the monitor but unfortunately that was not the case. Still, as long as it keeps working from now on, peace will reign.
Now to tackle the remaining problems with these monitors...no recovery from sleep mode when using Display Port, they run hot (hotter than any other monitor I've come across; it's a real overheating worry during the summer months), and the presence of dead and/or stuck colour pixels in 3 out of 4 monitors I've received (two were sent back).