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A remote KVM allows control of multiple computers from a single console using a KVM switch. They come in different forms and can be used to declutter and simplify a user’s set of computers or control multiple servers from a central hub. The technology ranges from basic single-user analog KVM switches to more sophisticated digital KVMs that allow global access to servers using IP networks. Multi-user and multiplatform switches are also available, and they are becoming more affordable and accessible to the general public.
A remote KVM, short for keyboard, video and mouse, is a method of controlling multiple computers from the luxury of a single console. This is accomplished by using a KVM switch, a device that provides the ability to switch control from one computer to another using only a keyboard, monitor, and mouse. Remote KVMs come in many forms with just as many functions. A remote KVM can be used as a decluttering tool, simplifying a single user’s set of computers into a space-efficient area, while another allows a company to control multiple servers in different locations from a central hub. Remote KVMs can be thought of as energy savers as well as space savers, as all power consumption is reduced to a single monitor.
The most basic type of remote KVM is a single-user analog KVM switch, which provides user control of two or more computers. With these configurations, cables are routed from each computer to the switch, whereby signals are passed through the switchbox and returned to a set of remote keyboard, video and mouse. These types of single-user switches relied primarily on coaxial or cat-5 cables, but over time the universal use of USB cables led to the availability of many USB-compatible KVM switches. Once everything has been routed, all that needs to be done to change control from, say, a home PC to a laptop, is flip a switch.
From simple single-user remote KVM, the technology becomes far more sophisticated and, like everything else in the technology landscape, more remote with the ever-expanding horizon of a wireless world. A digital KVM, or remote KVM over Internet Protocol (IP), allows access to multiple servers and computers across large physical divisions. While analog technology can only expand the influence of a KVM up to the longest cable, digital KVMs are able to provide global access to servers using IP networks. With this technology, a KVM switch can be remotely tapped and manipulated simply by using an Internet browser, a novelty that greatly enhances the mobility and flexibility of any operation.
Remote KVMs are not limited to single users only. The aptly named Multi-User KVM Switch gives numerous individuals control of a computer network. Another variant of remote KVM is the multiplatform switch, which can handle a variety of technologies, such as the ability to switch between a PC and a Mac®. Initially, remote KVMs were limited to a niche enterprise market, but over time they have been made more accessible to the general public. As a result, KVM switches are becoming more affordable and easier to use.
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