At 05:54 AM 9/11/98 , Will Stephenson wrote:
>
>I have a client with a Dell Pentium Pro 200 server with CD-ROM, sound card,
>64 MB RAM, 2 GB HD, internal Zip drive (IDE). Works like a charm, except for
>the keyboard. Once in a while (no discernable consistency), the keyboard
>stops working. Unplugging it and plugging it back in seems to reenergize it
>(strangely enough). We got a new keyboard from Dell, and though it seemed to
>happen less frequently for a while, it's doing it more again.

I have seen this only once before, it was in one server in the Network
Operations Center for an ISP I service.  They had seventeen servers at
the time and used one keyboard.  At the time they used only one keyboard
to access all the servers.  Mostly they accessed these computers via the
network, but at times they would plugin a keyboard to one of them.   This
unplugging and plugging in of keyboards, on an 'as need basis' wore out the
keyboard connector on the motherboard, (the boards had P/S2 style connectors).

The only way to cure their problem was to replace the motherboard, and it
was out of warranty by the time it went bad.   Keyboard connectors are not
designed to be regularly jacked in and unjacked.   I could not convince them
to spend the money on a keyboard switching device, but they did spend the
money to put in keyboard cable extentions from the motherboards to connect
the keyboard as needed...   due to the rackmount design of the setup, multiple
keyboards was not pratical.

Bottom line here is you are looking at a hardware failure and if it happens with
different keyboards, the only culprit left is the keyboard connector on the
motherboard.  Time to pull and replace the motherboard.  Hopefully the motherboard
is still under warranty.


Bob Wright  -   The NOSPIN GROUP
   [log in to unmask]   -   http://nospin.com
Listserv Owner   PCBUILD  -  PCSOFT
                          PC-PDA  -   I-GAMES

                                  -----
       **Need help with PCBUILD mailing list? Send an Email to:**
        Bob Wright<[log in to unmask]> or Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>