Hello, Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me. Mike -- Michael B Allen Java Active Directory Integration http://www.ioplex.com/
On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 11:15 PM, Michael B Allen <ioplex at gmail.com> wrote:> Hello, > > Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? > Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me. > > MikeNot that I've seen in the last 10 years. They're pretty darned expensive. That's why Dell's "DRAC" and HP's "Sitescope" utilities add so much cost to the systems.
> Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? > Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me. >Try this 8-port one from LevelOne: http://global.level1.com/Business-Products/KVM-Switches---Extenders/Rackmount-KVM-Switches/KVM-0831/421.html It has an expansion slot which accepts a IP module: http://download.level1.com/level1/manual/ACC-2000v1.0_UM.pdf I use the base KVM, without the IP module, and it is very stable. It connects a USB keyboard and a USB mouse to USB and/or PS2 ports on the servers. It is also cascadable. I hope this helps.
You can pick up a Dell/Avocent 2161DS on eBay for $400-500 USD. -----Original Message----- From: centos-bounces at centos.org [mailto:centos-bounces at centos.org] On Behalf Of Michael B Allen Sent: Monday, March 21, 2011 11:16 PM To: CentOS Subject: [CentOS] Affordable KVM over IP switch Hello, Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me. Mike -- Michael B Allen Java Active Directory Integration http://www.ioplex.com/ _______________________________________________ CentOS mailing list CentOS at centos.org http://lists.centos.org/mailman/listinfo/centos
On Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 11:15 PM, Michael B Allen <ioplex at gmail.com> wrote:> Hello, > > Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? > Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me. > > Mike > > -- > Michael B AllenYou could get a regular KVM, then connect a Lantronix Spider or Spider Duo to the "console" side of the KVM. I have done this locally and it works for the most part. Make sure to get the PS/2 version as the USB version provides a composite keyboard/mouse connection, which is probably not supported by cheaper KVMs. http://www.lantronix.com/it-management/kvm-over-ip/securelinx-spider.html http://www.lantronix.com/it-management/kvm-over-ip/securelinx-spiderduo.html
Michael B Allen <ioplex at gmail.com> wrote:> Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? > Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me.I can attest that the Adderlink iPEPS and iPEPS-DA are excellent units. They're both in the 500-1000 range. They're intended for a single machine, but as long as your access policies allow for it, putting an electronic KVM switch (~$200) between multiple servers and the iPEPS works well. You're not going to find much that is usable under that price range. Some of the lower end solutions from other vendors are windows-IE-only. The iPEPS uses encrypted VNC. -- Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film. - Steven Wright
On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 11:11 AM, Rudi Ahlers <Rudi at softdux.com> wrote:> On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 5:07 PM, Nico Kadel-Garcia <nkadel at gmail.com> wrote: >> On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 10:48 AM, Rudi Ahlers <Rudi at softdux.com> wrote: >>> On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 4:34 PM, Devin Reade <gdr at gno.org> wrote: >>>> Michael B Allen <ioplex at gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Are there any KVM over IP switches that are not thousands of dollars? >>>>> Ideally a 3-4 port switch for a few hundred seems reasonable to me. >>>> >>>> I can attest that the Adderlink iPEPS and iPEPS-DA are excellent units. >>>> They're both in the 500-1000 range. ?They're intended for a single >>>> machine, but as long as your access policies allow for it, putting >>>> an electronic KVM switch (~$200) between multiple servers and the >>>> iPEPS works well. >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Isn't it cheaper, at this price range to get a motherboard with >>> built-in KVMOIP support? I know many Intel & SuperMicro server boards >>> offer this either on board, or as an added module. Even on the smaller >>> / cheaper SuperMicro boards I could add KVMOIP support for about $40 >>> per server. And, it doesn't takup any more space on the racks and has >>> much less clutter than those spiders >> >> Note. This is *NOT* CentOS, this is general systems discussion. >> >> That's great until you want to connect another session, or haven't had >> a chance to configure a new machine and want to do it remotely, or you >> want to leave your mom's netbook in the rack while you re-install it >> for her. (This just came up on another list.) >> _______________________________________________ > > True....... > > Both have their pro's & con's, but in our case we'll always only use > rackmount servers which is why I prefer the onboard modules.The overhead and instabilities of installing the components and configuring these features is adventuresome. Simply explaining to a client's inventory management that *they have to record the MAC addresses when they receive the hardware* so that the DHCP setups and network setups can be done gracefully has been awkward. For a few servers in a personal, or small business rack, it's not a big problem. But even the big hardware vendors can be very confusing to learn all the interface tricks and configurations for, and in a mixed environment it can get out of hand really, really fast. I've had a devil of a time demonstrating, and explaining to clients, why they need these tools, right up to the point when they say "but, but, but, I can do that with the Windows servers!!!!" and showing them, on the purchase orders and the emails, where they paid for that service and where they refused to allow me to install the drivers because that "wasn't part of the project". This has actually gotten *MUCH* better with "our favorite upstream verndor's" 6.0 operating system, and I'm looking forward to CentOS 6.0 with baited breath. The really cool features of IPMI have matured a lot, and in some cases no hardware vendor drivers are needed, It Just Works with the basic system installation. Unfortunately, I don't have a rack of hosts to test this on this week, or I'd suggest it.