NanoKVM Review
I run a lot of equipment at home.
Occasionally, due to OS reinstalls or network configuration mistakes, I have to lug around a monitor and keyboard, squatting uncomfortably to work.
At work, iKVM is standard equipment, but using that at home is prohibitively expensive.
No, that's highway robbery
Meanwhile, a friend introduced me to NanoKVM, so I decided to purchase one.
Cheaper and Better Performance Than RPi-Based KVM
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PiKVM - Open and inexpensive DIY IP-KVM on Raspberry Pi PiKVM an easy and inexpensive DIY IP-KVM on Raspberry Pi to control remote machines: Full HD, mouse, Mass Storage Drive, VNC, IPMI and much more out of the box. Most modern KVM over IP ever! pikvm.org
](https://pikvm.org/) Originally, I was going to build a PiKVM using a spare RPI4 and some modules, but it turned out to be more expensive than expected.
An RPI4 costs around $150, plus the related equipment set is about $225. At that point, it seemed cheaper to buy a used one from 2cpu, so I was deliberating.
NanoKVM, Recommended by a Friend
A friend told me about a very small device with excellent performance, so I purchased it through AliExpress.
Strangely, it was listed as a pre-order, and whether it's handmade or not, after placing an order, it takes about a month before shipping from mainland China.
Order date was August 30th, received on October 2nd.
Unboxing
It's smaller than the palm of your hand, yet delivers perfect performance.
It can be powered via USB 5V, and the Ethernet runs at 100Mbps.
Since 100Mbps is actually sufficient for 1080P streaming, there's no need to use overkill solutions.
Let's Look at the Web Console
The web console has a surprisingly clean UI for a Chinese product, which caught me off guard.
The default password is admin / admin. (Standard default password, acknowledged)
You can adjust resolution and FPS, and apparently you can lower quality based on network conditions.
The keyboard primarily uses the hardware keyboard, with a virtual keyboard available if needed.
(I'm not quite sure what the virtual keyboard would be used for.)
There seems to be some script functionality as well, though I haven't used it. The button labels look suspicious (uploado).
Virtual ODD: But a Bit Unusual
Enterprise devices like iLO support virtual ODD. This NanoKVM also provides such functionality, but it's a bit unusual.
You can insert a USB, send via SCP, or disassemble it and insert a microSD card.
Personally, I'm disappointed that you can't mount via SMB or NFS, but since NanoKVM itself runs as a Linux system, there might be a way to make it work.
Security?
Few people would be crazy enough to expose this service to the public internet, but let's say you need to for various reasons.
What's disappointing is that it doesn't support 2-Factor Authentication.
Also, since it's a Chinese product... well, there are concerns about whether there might be backdoor code in the software.
And since NanoKVM software isn't open source, there's that lingering unease.
Regardless, if the internet connection is cut off, it shouldn't be able to receive malicious payloads from anywhere. So I blocked all outbound traffic from the NanoKVM host.
Looking at what's captured in DPI, there doesn't seem to be anything problematic, but you never know what they might do behind that TLS. If you buy one like I did, I recommend others also block this.
Final Verdict
I think it's a very well-made product.
In my case, I primarily use remote control functionality rather than other features from enterprise KVMs (iLO, IBMC), so as long as remote control works well, I'm satisfied.
However, the steep prices of iLO cards and having to sacrifice a PCI slot always bothered me. Using NanoKVM to address these issues seems like a viable solution.
I haven't had any failures yet so I haven't used it as my primary solution, but subjectively, video streaming and keyboard lag feel less than HP iLO. I think it could even handle Windows products at this level.
If you're considering something similar, I highly recommend purchasing one.
Purchase Link
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Sipeed NanoKVM PiKVM Mini Remote Control Operation and Maintenance Server, HDMI Raspberry Pi - AliExpress 7 Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com ko.aliexpress.com
For some reason, the official seller has it listed as "Coming Soon" again, probably for supply and demand control through pre-orders.
It's the official seller, so just wait after purchasing.