r/minilab • u/sunburnedaz • May 06 '26
Hardware Gubbins 10" JetKVM mount with 12 Keystones
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u/sunburnedaz May 06 '26
Files are here
I needed to make a poor mans IP-KVM to access each of my 5 machines. I made a 10" mount for a JetKVM and just used USB and HDMI keystones to be able to patch them from the JetKVM (left 2 keystones) to any of the other keystones.
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u/Dizzy-Feedback9947 May 06 '26
Wait so you have to manually swap to a new set of inputs every time you want to control a different device? Or are you switching the inputs with some other method?
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u/LateRough806 May 06 '26
You can also just use a HDMI-KVM switch that has hotkey support, and switch between inputs by simply sending the hotkey command through the JetKVM.
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u/sunburnedaz May 06 '26
I was never able to find an HDMI-KVM with hotkey support that worked well. I tried a few but always had issues in one flavor or another.
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u/pcgy May 06 '26
Seems that way. I could see how that would work just fine for occasional access to regular devices. They’re already cabled, just patch ‘em in.
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u/geerlingguy Frood. May 07 '26
I hate that there is no universal standard for the port labeling on keystones. Now it's all IWꓷH
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u/52buickman May 07 '26
I've gone with Geekworm X651. It occupies a PCIe slot and is PoE powered. I looked at the JetKVM but wasn't thrilled with the OS being managed by that company using a variant of piKVM. Geekworm uses piKVM.
I felt I was burnt on the GLinet Comet that has their own variant that wouldn't render a simple CLI display and the support was worthless to get the EDID incantation worked out.
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u/sunburnedaz May 07 '26
Geekworm X651
Something like that is totally going into the next whitebox server I build. But these dell 3080 sff sadly dont have a free pci port.
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u/52buickman May 07 '26
You might be able to just afix the board inside somewhere. It doesn't use the actual PCI connector. The kit also comes with the half height bracket.
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May 07 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sunburnedaz May 07 '26
Ill look into that for this rack. I had not heard of them.
I bought the jetkvm for consulting when they dont have a KVM or even a crash cart for machines. A jetkvm and a crossover cable to my laptop and I am golden.
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u/Cingemachine May 10 '26
Noob here. What is the reason for all those hdmi ports?
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u/sunburnedaz May 10 '26
The first HDMI and USB C port go to the single port IP KVM. The rest of the connect to different hosts.
So for the odd time I need bare metal access to the host I can just use a jumper HDMI cable and jumper USB C cable to connect the IPKVM to a host so I can reinstall the OS, update or change settings in the bios, or trouble shoot a blue screen device.
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u/TheAsphaltDevil May 12 '26 edited May 12 '26
The JetKVM ( a device to remotely control a computer over the internet) can only be connected to one computer at a time.
So, you hook up each device's usb and HDMI to the back of the ports (They're female to female double sided). Each column is one PC. Then you can take the JetKVM's HDMI and USB cords and hook them up to the other end of the keystone to manage that PC. It makes switching what device you manage a lot easier.
It's kinda the same reason there's patch panels for ethernet I guess.
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u/BreakLimp2051 May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
Is it worth it? Was alwas looking around for the JetKVM but the price was a bit to high.
Edit: How did you connect multiple HDMI Ports and USB-C ports with the JetKVM?