Hey everyone! I'm facing a bit of a challenge and I'm hoping to tap into your collective wisdom. I'm in need of a portable solution for carrying my own crash cart. While I know there are USB crash cart devices that plug into a laptop using VGA and USB, they don't always function reliably. I'm curious if anyone has come up with a better idea. Ideally, I'd love a compact USB-C monitor that can accommodate VGA input for older servers, along with a small mouse and keyboard that connect via a single dongle for hassle-free transport. This would be super helpful since I frequently travel to different sites and often can't find a working monitor, making separate monitors quite cumbersome to transport. I appreciate any suggestions! Thanks!
2 Answers
It sounds like you're specifically looking for a crash cart, but USB monitors can be tricky. They typically need drivers since USB ports aren't designed for video output like display ports. Make sure to use USB 3.0 or better to avoid slow performance. Also, if you pair a keyboard and mouse from the same brand, you can usually find a unified receiver system—Logitech has some great options for that!
Have you checked out the StarTech USB Crash Cart Adapter? It connects via USB A to your Windows laptop and supports VGA for monitors, plus USB for your keyboard and mouse. I’ve been using it for ages and it works great—just a heads up, the mouse cursor can get a bit wonky on Dell iDRAC, so I bring a wireless USB mouse for those situations.
I already own one of these! But when I try to access the Lenovo BIOS, I often need to have the mouse off-screen to get it to work. Connecting a mouse directly to the server seems like the best move.
I was really hoping to find a portable monitor with VGA support too! I didn’t realize the driver issue was such a problem.