Before I started using octopus I used Synergy allot. What helped for me was to use hotkeys to switch screens. That way I could have the locked option on at all times. Only downside to locked mode is that it doest remember where the mouse was when leaving a client screen. Position at server screen is remembered at all times.

F1 = left screen, F2 = center screen and F3 = right screen. Still pressing the damn F1 key and missing it hard, it isn't an implemented octopus option. Also mapped I had my mousescrollbutton which has a left and right click option, so clicking left moved my mouse to one monitor left, en right was one to the right. When I was at the end of my screens it would loop to the first / last in order. So I could go round and round only with my mousescrollclickthingy. Really missing this option in Octopus (hint hint).

Before I came to dual-boxing I used to make hotkeys in synergy that would switch to a pc, press a key, and switch back to my main pc. It wasn't really mash proof like the other solutions around now. This was my basic form of multiplexing before I found Micahs version of synergy multiplexing keys. When dual-boxing.com was not so hot as it is now.