Control & access PC over LAN

[Tesco]

Got myself going round in circles trying to figure this out.

I have a PC in my home office. It is hardwire connected to various displays and keyboards / mice using long enough display cables and USB cables.

What I would like to have is access to the PC in the garage / workshop.

I have an Asus mesh network at home and one of the nodes (an Asus RT AC68u router configured as a node) is in the garage with a dedicated hardwired LAN connection to the mesh master router (an Asus RT AC88u )

I don't want have another PC in the garage / workshop. Just a screen, keyboard and mouse to access the PC.

I am familiar with KVM devices as we use them at work, although all the examples I have seen use a dedicated cat5 cable between the transmitter and receiver.

I want to route my video, keyboard and mouse over my existing network (I can't get another LAN cable or any other cable into the garage without destroying ceilings and that isn't something I'm really prepared to do!)

I've been looking at IP KVM but the examples I've seem seem to require a PC at the remote end with a suitable browser, which isn't really my aim.

What I'm after is a box at the PC end that connects to the PC and my network (and ideally has HDMI or DP passthrough) and a box connected to the network node in the garage / workshop that connects directly to a monitor, keyboard and mouse giving access.

There are "IP KVM" boxes on AliExpress that initially appear to do just this, although I am very skeptical of the descriptions and none of them give me confidence that they would operate through an existing LAN setup (i.e. have their signal routed etc. alongside other network traffic) and in fact require a dedicated cable / LAN system purely for the KVM system.

Has anyone configured such a thing themselves? Does such boxes exists and if so, are they available for less than a black market kidney?

Any help appreciated!

[bangerhoarder]

You could look at doing this the thin client way - basically, enable remote desktop or VNC/your choice of software on your master PC, then have a thin client in the garage. That will work as a fancy, network KVM effectively, but not expensive (any mini PC can do it, dedicated thin clients can be pricey). Using Chrome Remote Desktop allows you to expand on this a bit - cheap ChromeOS Flex device in the garage.

[Mr Pointy]

I'd agree, a mini PC fixed to the back of the screen in the garage & RDP/VNC into the main PC. You even do away with one box as you don't need one at the main PC end.

[Tesco]

Thanks both. I had considered that but was hoping to avoid another PC. In that I was hoping that a solution would be cheaper than another PC and less agro with dealing with another OS and having to go via a browser. Was just hoping for a screen with direct access.

[.:ian:.]

You need a kvm extender rather than a kvm over ip, as the latter are generally targeted at being able to control multiple systems, like a server rack, from somewhere else.

Things like these appear to work with a switch in the middle, they are based on a single transmitter and one or more receivers.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008294636633.h...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005302414169.h...

You`ll probably want to check the transmitter box has a video pass through so you can still use the existing monitor (or you would need to have dual displays assuming you have 2x video outs and hdmi for those two, which is not that common!)

[nickd01]

I've used this before:

https://www.blustream.co.uk/70m-hdbaset-extender-h...

When the PC was in the basement and the monitor, mouse and keyboard was on the top floor. But, it did require a CAT-6 cable not through a switch.

Was rock-solid but I think you'll struggle without a dedicated cable.

Maybe something like this might work?
https://www.etb-tech.com/dell-wyse-5070-extended-t...

[megaphone]

Get an iPad or similar and use that to remote connect, you can use something like Teamviewer or similar 'Free' remote tools.

[Tesco]

.:ian:. said:

You need a kvm extender rather than a kvm over ip, as the latter are generally targeted at being able to control multiple systems, like a server rack, from somewhere else.

Things like these appear to work with a switch in the middle, they are based on a single transmitter and one or more receivers.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008294636633.h...
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005005302414169.h...

You`ll probably want to check the transmitter box has a video pass through so you can still use the existing monitor (or you would need to have dual displays assuming you have 2x video outs and hdmi for those two, which is not that common!)

I looked at these very items on AliExpress. Trouble is it isn't clear if that switch is part of a dedicated KVM LAN as opposed to a general network. If it does require a dedicated network, that isn't any good for me as I don't have spare cable capacity.

[Tesco]

megaphone said:

Get an iPad or similar and use that to remote connect, you can use something like Teamviewer or similar 'Free' remote tools.

Thanks, but not the solution I'm after. Possibly expensive and ads another device / OS / software that I'm trying to avoid.

[Tesco]

nickd01 said:

I've used this before:

https://www.blustream.co.uk/70m-hdbaset-extender-h...

When the PC was in the basement and the monitor, mouse and keyboard was on the top floor. But, it did require a CAT-6 cable not through a switch.

Was rock-solid but I think you'll struggle without a dedicated cable.

Maybe something like this might work?
https://www.etb-tech.com/dell-wyse-5070-extended-t...

We have systems like this at work and on the ships I put together. As you say, they are great but require a dedicated cable which I don't have capacity for so not a viable solution unfortunately.

[Inbox]

If your phone supports it you can add monitor, keyboard and mouse via one of those usb-c dock things. Uses an existing device so would that work?

Edited by Inbox on Wednesday 1st October 17:48

[thinkofaname]

This one seems promising and affordable: TESmart HDMI KVM Extender over Cat5e/6 (Amazon)

Apparently works through a switch, not just point-to-point. Demo here from about 9 mins:
https://youtu.be/y-PxmQn8Xr8?t=535

Edited by thinkofaname on Wednesday 1st October 18:04

[Mr Pointy]

Tesco said:

Thanks both. I had considered that but was hoping to avoid another PC. In that I was hoping that a solution would be cheaper than another PC and less agro with dealing with another OS and having to go via a browser. Was just hoping for a screen with direct access.

It only needs a mini PC or NUC & there are plenty on Amazon or ebay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257107974418

When you RDP/VNC in you aren't going via a browser - a new window opens up. There has to be something doing the video compression so a direct screen connection over wi-fi isn't possible.

This sort of thing is what you are talking about:
https://cpc.farnell.com/pro-signal/psg3556/4k-60hz...

Not cheap & note the latency - up to 180ms.

There are few on Amazon so at least you can send them back:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=wireless+kvm+extender...

If you trust AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005008746899028.h...

[shtu]

Mr Pointy said:

Tesco said:

Thanks both. I had considered that but was hoping to avoid another PC. In that I was hoping that a solution would be cheaper than another PC and less agro with dealing with another OS and having to go via a browser. Was just hoping for a screen with direct access.

It only needs a mini PC or NUC & there are plenty on Amazon or ebay:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257107974418

Appreciate it's not what you asked for, but a cheap mini PC is probably the easiest way to do this.

Doesn't necessarily have to be Win11

[ninepoint2]

Tesco said:

megaphone said:

Get an iPad or similar and use that to remote connect, you can use something like Teamviewer or similar 'Free' remote tools.

Thanks, but not the solution I'm after. Possibly expensive and ads another device / OS / software that I'm trying to avoid.

Probabably not, cheap refurbed Dell SF running same OS from ebay for approx £50 and Teamviewer (a very reliable, free bit of software) would be a very cheap sollution. You could then access your PC from anywhere in the world.

[Tesco]

Ok, done some more thinking and reading.

What about something like a Raspberry Pi 3b running Moonlight with my main PC running Sunshine?

[Funk]

Tesco said:

Ok, done some more thinking and reading.

What about something like a Raspberry Pi 3b running Moonlight with my main PC running Sunshine?

Only if you blame it on the boogie when things don't work properly.

[megaphone]

Funk said:

Tesco said:

Ok, done some more thinking and reading.

What about something like a Raspberry Pi 3b running Moonlight with my main PC running Sunshine?

Only if you blame it on the boogie when things don't work properly.

Good times if it works though.

[ATG]

Tesco said:

Ok, done some more thinking and reading.

What about something like a Raspberry Pi 3b running Moonlight with my main PC running Sunshine?

Temporarily ignoring the sunshine related song references, I too world be using a raspberry pi as a thin client with some type of remote access software. Various free apps are available.

[Tesco]

megaphone said:

Funk said:

Tesco said:

Ok, done some more thinking and reading.

What about something like a Raspberry Pi 3b running Moonlight with my main PC running Sunshine?

Only if you blame it on the boogie when things don't work properly.

Good times if it works though.

The KVM's not happnin, cos it would be a bad thing,
So I get no remotin' and that's no lie
I spent the night on Temu, checkin' every kind of cheap route
From that night, I kissed my idea goodbye..

So gonna use Sunshine,
Hook it up to Moonlight,
Gonna have some good times,
Pi my way and boogie.....