Were Software KVM Solutions Allowed Before?

Prior to the new Blizzard policy change does anyone recall there ever being problems or warnings for folks using a software KVM like Synergy, or Barrier (fork of synergy), Input Director, etc. when dual-boxing two physical systems?

e.g. dragging mouse over to the other PC screen for some actions, dragging it back to main PC.

I have not been able to find any reports of this not being allowed at any time, or reports specifically mentioning it. Does anyone have experience otherwise?

After the Blizzard policy on input broadcasting to multiple clients I wouldn't think it matters now either as synergy and similar KVM software only lets you focus keyboard/mouse on a single client at a time.

I've never heard of any problems with any of those tools. But for at least the last 13 years I've never heard of anyone using any of those. Back before Keyclone was a thing (2007?) people used to try all kinds of weird setups. But way back then people were largely running 1 client on 1 PC, so stuff like software KVM's weren't really a thing for WoW multiboxing. By the time we had decent dual and quad core systems that could actually run multiple clients at the same time, software tools had come along so that we all stopped trying to build our own.

As you look at different tools, try to find software that can only do 1 keystroke is 1 in-game command to 1 client. If you find any software KVM's that include options to do broadcasting, then stay away from those.

KVM software is used by tons of big steamers, as long as they don't automate game play i don't see a problem here av used it for years even if my 2nd pc did not run wow or testing my addon on the other pc. i would not think the boardcasting part of them would be? but who knows

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Originally Posted by ebony

KVM software is used by tons of big steamers, as long as they don't automate game play i don't see a problem here av used it for years even if my 2nd pc did not run wow or testing my addon on the other pc. i would not think the boardcasting part of them would be? but who knows

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Thanks, this is what I was looking for. Since ISB isn't allowed anymore I've just gone back to dual-boxing on two physical systems for now and synergy/barrier lets me drift my mouse over off the screen to the second client so it fixes focus there for hotkeys or clicking something - it's a big janky but good enough.

With ISBoxer I only two-boxed a DPS/healer (two wow clients, one PC) anyway and made heavy use of interactive FX to click things like castbars or healbot from my main's screen so synergy replaces that for me while I wait for Joe Multiboxer. I am hoping JMB might yield better, more manageable client window resizing on the same PC as a solution even if interactive FX won't be present (R.I.P - that's all I ever used :)

I used to use synergy in the past too on a laptop that had coffee spilled on the keyboard and most of the keys and trackpad wouldn't work but I couldn't afford to replace it, it allowed me to have a working mouse/keyboard and still use it for things. It never let you focus on more than one client at once as it locks your mouse/keyboard to one screen only.

What I was missing is the landscape of today or recent past and how prevalent software KVM software is and if it's ever been an issue. It's good to hear that lots of streamers use it and I wondered how many other people used it as an aide or tool in addition to other things.

My worry was that if it was problematic in the eyes of blizzard prior to the policy change maybe Warden flagged/banned for it, but according to Ebony this doesn't seem to be the case. If Blizzard did decide to have a problem with it now I suppose we'd get warnings anyway.

Found this thread today on a spanish forum.
https://eu.forums.blizzard.com/es/wo...director/35216
Do a google trad but it seems for me that every softwares that include keybroadcasting options could be bannable. And that's a shit cause i am a user of input director since 2 years now and i was very pleased with it....

Interesting response to the question about "input director".

<google translated from Spanish> "Use of such software is now prohibited for World of Warcraft and WoW Classic. You'll need to make sure that the keystrokes that hit the game come directly from your device.We understand that in your case this would mean connecting an additional keyboard or switch, and we are sorry for any inconvenience you may have."

Someone mentioned in another thread that "input director" may have the option of enabling broadcasting - so instead of operating as a switch between 2 or more individual outputs its instead sending to both at the same time - obviously that would be prohibited. I don't think there's any prohibition against K/M switches, but there is against K/M software broadcasting. So just as we saw with ISBoxer where people were trying to disable or just not use any broadcasting, the software itself will be detected as you running prohibited software. So as you look at software KVM solutions, you'll need to make sure you find one that does have the option for any prohibited broadcasting.

I've seen "Synergy" suggested because it does not include any option for broadcasting. Barrier is an opensource spin-off of Synergy, so that may be worth looking at also. I was trying microsoft's "mouse without boarders" this weekend, and I didn't see any broadcast options, but I didn't really look deeply. I have no direct knowledge of either Synergy or Barrier.

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Originally Posted by jak3676

Interesting response to the question about "input director".

<google translated from Spanish> "Use of such software is now prohibited for World of Warcraft and WoW Classic. You'll need to make sure that the keystrokes that hit the game come directly from your device.We understand that in your case this would mean connecting an additional keyboard or switch, and we are sorry for any inconvenience you may have."

Someone mentioned in another thread that "input director" may have the option of enabling broadcasting - so instead of operating as a switch between 2 or more individual outputs its instead sending to both at the same time - obviously that would be prohibited. I don't think there's any prohibition against KVM switches, but there is against K/M software broadcasting. So just as we saw with ISBoxer where people were trying to disable or just not use any broadcasting, the software itself will be detected as you running prohibited software. So as you look at software KVM solutions, you'll need to make sure you find one that does have the option for any prohibited broadcasting.

I've seen "Synergy" suggested because it does not include any option for broadcasting. Barrier is an opensource spin-off of Synergy, so that may be worth looking at also. I was trying microsoft's "mouse without boarders" this weekend, and I didn't see any broadcast options, but I didn't really look deeply. I have no direct knowledge of either Synergy or Barrier.

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I can't speak for Input Director but a few folks have mentioned it here on the forums as a potential tool.

I can confirm synergy or barrier do not mirror input to multiple clients. It is bog-standard KVM software, you can share a mouse and keyboard with one client at a time. Barrier is preferable, it's based on the 1.9 codebase of Synergy, is free to use and open source and works quite well. https://github.com/debauchee/barrier

Looking at the translated EU/Spanish Blizzard post (why can't we get replies to anything?) they state this "kind" of software is now not allowed, so as I understand that it was allowed before - and why not? It does not allow input broadcasting to multiple clients.

Given this if it's even true, one would surmise that if it (Input Director) is flagged by Warden you'd get a warning first during this period before something is actionable. If anyone has received a warning for any kind of software KVM software please respond here, and if my usage of Barrier does as well I will report back here.

Blizzard's purposeful obfuscation of any real guidance so far as what's allowed or not allowed is very infuriating. There are a bunch of perfectly allowed utility purposes for KVM software. I have a broken laptop and the keyboard doesn't work but I cannot afford to replace it, without this software I wouldn't be able to use the keyboard. Blizzard's policy is intentionally vague and CS is clearly making stuff up if simple KVM software is now suddenly not allowed as the majority of it (all of it I've used) do not exemplify the behavior they now condone.

Please, if anyone else has any information or anectodal experience about software KVM and whether warden flags it or not, which ones? Please let me know.

I am currently using input director while playing. I'll tell you guys if i receive any types of warnings...