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Perhaps I am not understanding what the issue is with using the standard console servers and PDUs out there? All serial access is pretty darn low bandwidth.

http://www.avocent.com/products/serial-consolemanagement.aspx

http://www.raritan.com/products/serial-console-switches/

Plug one of these in, then connect a serial cable to your servers. Many include a modem if you have a pair of copper wires for a phone line so you can keep it out of band.

My employer has explicitly reserved the right to monitor all emails and all web access. All computers have LanDesk suite (PDF), which inventories and reports on all software installed on a pc, and allows remote admins to monitor and control a pc. Of course they also install anti-virus software, and have extremely restrictive firewall settings, and a web-page net-nanny to let you know when you've clicked on an innocent-looking Google link to a prohibited site, like this one (insecure.org - home of NMAP).

They're trying to protect the company assets from unauthorized, illegal, or inappropriate use, and thereby keep the company out of court.

Just to allay confusion, the Avocent AutoView 2000 noted in parent is KVM-over-Cat5, NOT KVM-over-IP. Big difference, since IP is routable across the WAN and whatever (presumably analog) signal on Cat5 is not.

That said, KVM-over-Cat5 isn't a bad way to make a room accessable from outside...

Real servers are rackable, in 19 inch wide, 42U (~72 inches I think ) high racks.

One UPS, hot swapable batteries are nice, but we fry as many APC brand controllers as we kill batteries. I like to have an independent AC line conditioner, on a serperate AC mains circuit (i.e. different 15A circuit breaker) so that those real servers with dual power supplies (hot swappable of course) go one to UPS, one to the line conditioner (for UPS failures). Have enough circuits (not just more plugs) to accomidate future growth. A Watts Up? or Kill-A-Watt meter are nice to measuring your electrical consumption.

Honestly with how swappable hardware RAID-5 disks, hot swappable power supplies, sensible power distribution, and practicing regular backup hygenie, downtime can be minimized to mere hours per year range or less with care and planning of the administrator(s).

I also love KVM over IP (I use an ) or ILO (Intergrated Lights Out management) for headless servers, and have a backup AC available for server rooms/closets.

For servers ideas look at HP Proliant DL380 or Dell PowerEdge 2850 series.

Maybe a wireless KVM switch could be used with the computer locked in a safe somewhere. :-)

Wireless KVM

Here's a link to Avocent's KVM-over-IP solution. I haven't used it, but it might be just what the poster is asking for...

Avocent's SwitchView IP

We use some of these in our data center. They are IP based and might be cheaper than the ones you are looking at. http://www.avocent.com

I think Dell gets their KVM-over-IP equipment from Avocent, though there are other providers, such as Raritan. The best setups allow for a hybrid combination of traditional rackmount matrix KVM and more modern KVM-over-IP.

Also note that not all Cat5/RJ45 KVM units support KVM-over-IP. Many units simply use Cat5 cable to cut down on cost. (Cat5 plus an adapter on either end is cheaper than long runs of coax for video plus USB or PS/2 cables and repeaters.

So, everybody on here seems to be shouting "just get a cheapo keyboard," and it's true you can find one for 10 bucks or less (USB, remeber the post said "legacy free"). There are keyboard emulators out there for $40-$50, definitely more than even a decent quality keyboard.

However, there are circumstances where you don't WANT a keyboard hooked up: to prevent keys from being pressed inadvertently or by unauthorized people; to save space; because mgt. won't accept a homebrew project; or maybe to prevent keyboard theft.

The best idea I've heard so far (props to another poster) is to use a wireless keyboard and mouse; the receiver stays on the server, plugged in and you take the keyboard and mouse away with you. If security is a concern, get a set that connects via IR instead of radio, and put black tape over the eyes.

Now this is off topic, but Avocent makes wireless KVM switch components, to allow you to KVM to distant computers without the mess of wires.

Some KVM Switches have KVM dungles that you can buy seperately. This is what we are currently using, and you can get the dungle here . Although the dungles are much more expansive then actual keyboards.

I also found this on a good old google search. The APKME adapter seems to be exactly what you are looking for.

A Desktop KVM switch is a lot cheaper, but it might be a bit unsightly.

Try these guys for remote KVM

I saw these things at the last FOSE expo in DC and was impressed. You stick a card in a PCI slot and then use Cat-5 to connect that card with their silent box which holds a PCI video card, USB, PS2, and line/mic in/out. You can then stick the box something like 100 meters away from where you are actually using it. Probably not for gamers since no AGP video, but good enough for a living room computer terminal and noiseless.

We are thinking of using em for some tight or dirty spots where it is inconvenient to stick a computer box and where it would be inconvenient to have someone hit the reset button (computers that control scientific equipment in a big hall).

Link at http://www.avocent.com/ddd

...a setup that would allow me to put my computer 20-30 feet away in another room, but still have the things I need in front of me.

The Avocent (formerly Cybex) "LongView" will give you remote keyboard/video/mouse/audio/RS-232 over a single CAT5 cable. I've only used them with NT servers, so I'm not sure how the video quality would be for gaming (although the "3D Pipes" screensavers always looked fine).

The Icron USB Ranger claims to be a 4-port 100-metre USB (1.1) extender, also over a CAT5. You could use this for your floppy and CD burner.

This was the best solution I found, a year ago. At the time it was $2500 - now, it seems to sell for around $1000 at some retailers.

This is a PCI card that takes video input and sends keyboard and mouse out - perfect for connecting to the console of any KVM. We got a cheap 1U NT server, put this card in the single PCI slot it came with, and ran VNC on it. It worked beautifully.

More info at Avocent's website, under "Emerge card".

-Elentar

KVMs are good, and they certainly have a variety of specialized uses, but they're not versatile enough, in my opinion. For example, in situations where two computer might need to both be used at once. What do you do then?

Simply buy an IP KVM which supports multiple simultaneous sessions.

First lets talk physical removal from any machine. Even if you can't carry it around with you, you need not have it hard wired to the box. These boxes from are nice additions to keep you away from things like fan noise. And/Or you might opt for an older, all in one machine, that has an OS and can access the application server(s), like this one that you can find at.

There are a ton of web based email servers that host their own web client. Post.Office by is the best of breed, with other playing in the field for less money. If your local "viewer" is a windows hosted boxen, you can use Exceed from and you will find you can run x11 apps like they lived on your box.

You can find information about mirroring at, and more about load balancing at

You can employee all of these to secure your "server" machine, and sleep shoundly that if you have a hardware failure, you can still be running on your way. However I must inform you that the absolute best way to remove problems from your machine is deinstall windows of any kind.