Thinkpads Forum

600e 2645-5BU W2KPro

I want to use external keyboard, so I learned I couldn't just plug it into mouse PS2 female on laptop, nut needed y-cable. So I got one off eBay, but still can't get external KB to work. If I plug y-cable into PC, I can plug mouse into either y-cable female and it will work. However, KB will not work on either side with or w/o mouse on other side. 3 lights on KB light up for a moment, then mouse and trackpoint freeze. I have to reboot.

Is the Y-cable supposed to have designated mouse and KB females?

Could this just be wrong y-cable? If so, can anyone tell me how to rewire this Y to work?

Or do I have to set something in BIOS, W2K or ThinkPad Config?

Thanks in advance

PCWatchman wrote:Is the Y-cable supposed to have designated mouse and KB females?

Yes. The IBM model has one female port labelled for the mouse and the other for the keyboard and they are not interchangeable.

PCWatchman wrote:Could this just be wrong y-cable? If so, can anyone tell me how to rewire this Y to work?

Yes, quite possibly you have an incompatible Y-splitter cable -- assuming it is not an IBM issued cable. I don't know what the wiring should be.

PCWatchman wrote:Or do I have to set something in BIOS, W2K or ThinkPad Config?

No, you should not need to make any changes to settings in BIOS, Control Panel, or ThinkPad Config, under any OS for this Y-splitter to work correctly. When it works, it works immediately, seamlessly, directly out of the box.

Phil.

Thanks!