The Comet Remote KVM arrived this morning and I’ve just set it up – a job that couldn’t be easier unless I didn’t have a summer cold in which case I would not have messed up passwords etc…
So here it is – despite the large box, the actual KVM is quite small. Ethernet in from a router, USB-C power in – then on the PC to be controlled, HDMI, USB (for mouse, keyboard).
Is that it? Well, I had to quickly sign up to get the Windows “APP” for the controlling PC – there’s one for MACs as well. This went onto my main PC, not the one being controlled.
Once in, I launched the downloaded APP which wanted me to ADD the KVM with authentication username and password. I hit ENTER and….
I made sure my Beelink PC (the test subject) was on – something I can do from anywhere thanks to a VPN and Smartplug (the machine itself comes up on applying power).
(Update September 2025 – Firmware for the KVM APP is up from my v1.42 to v1.50)
No comments about the wiring please, this was a quick lash-up to see if the whole thing works.
And there it is – Beelink PC, GL-iNet Comet – all wired together, powered up and ready to go.
That was FAR too easy, surely?
Back on my main PC, APP running – well, it certainly LOOKS good – that’s my Beelink screen I’m looking at on my main PC – time to go full screen – but first..
And it just so happens I have a 4K HP monitor on the main PC. Hit the full screen button for the APP and full screen for the client setting – and – well the screen works – and I noted Chrome on the Beelink needed a reinstall and without thinking – just went ahead and used my primary PC keyboard and mouse to do the update – WELL thats a good start – firmware for the Comet is v1.1.0 release 2 – and it seemed that 1.3.0 release 1 is available – couldn’t resist. Updating took HOURS despite a fast connection.
With full-screen launched I have only a 1-liner toolbar at the top and even that can be reduced to nothing except for a tiny down-arrow mid-top screen. Meanwhile the Chrome update on the Beelink is all done. I tried playing 4K video via this KVM and gave YouTube a go…well, it CERTAINLY was not going to do 4K videos… as soon as rapid video movement appears, so does the blockiness. But lower res – fine. Also sound has minor dropouts even after the update.
But then this is not intended to replace Windows remote desktop or AnyDesk – you can contact a remove computer which has no operation system, just the bios I guess. Read on re: 4K video…
Next – I noticed that my that Beelink Windows was out of date. Good idea top do a Windows update while remoting in? Soon find out… “You’re 30% there – rebooting” – so it IS operating system agnostic at the slave end – Good.
So immediately the GL-iNET KVM in at that one respect outshines the likes of Remote Administrator and Anydesk which need the slave machine to be fully functioning all the time and Anydesk needs someone at the other end to give the go-ahead. I could make remote BIOS changes with this….
Oh, one point – I did notice too-quickly-occurring key autorepeat when I was logging into Windows on the Beelink. Something that needs checking. There are wake-on-LAN options, clipboard tools, shortcuts – Oh and quality settings – currently on MEDIUM – hold the phone… YES, judder-free HD – slight audio judder on 4K and ultra HD quality. Shame really.
On the menu they even tell you about tailscale VPN – my favourite. And you can remotely mount virtual media on the remote device (for example – in case it is short of room and you’re doing updates).
All of this was looking good but the slow video speed and keyboard repeat issues were started to put me off – but only a day after I queried GL-iNet tech support (bearing in mind time differences – they probably replied straight away) I received a support email from KYRIE ZHENG at GL-iNet support – VERY enthusiastic response… Kryie wanted me to use the PiKVM UI which contains an option to disable key hold repeat and offers a lot faster screen bitrate.
To use that UI I had to enable it in the KVM firmware via the TERMINAL option in their APP. I’m used to tinkering with GL-iNet routers which use OpenWrt – they have a flashy interface but if you want to go into OpenWrt to make tweaks – very easy. In this case however they’d used a minimal Linux about which I know nothing – but Kyrie pointed me to a link https://github.com/gl-inet/glkvm/issues/13 to enable the PiKVM (i.e. remove a few comment markers # in one config file) – and after 2 more emails I was up and running with the WebUI instead of the APP. I’ve also been advised to set the sound rate from the PC sound card to 48Khz instead of 44Khz. Time will tell but the support is certainly there.
I like it.
Next time I’m off on a visit to the UK, this can replace AnyDesk on my UK machine which may be un-manned for months, will give me access to Windows as with AnyDesk but also to the basic machine BIOS if Windows fails.
As always, it’s support that makes or breaks a product and GL-iNET have again come up with the goods.
And now, I’m completely sidetracked – watching the brilliant trailer for the upcoming “Avatar – Fire and Ash” over the Comet KVM using PiKVM.
Of course, if direct access to the bios etc is not needed, there is always Anydesk though that does require permission from the other end. I also briefly looked at AnyViewer – but that software came with it’s own issued and ended up quickly being uninstalled.
Oh here’s a thing – the KVM gets hot (not too hot to touch though). And when I upgraded the firmware to v1.50 – my PIKVM setting got lost. Easy to un-comment again in a terminal – (file location: /etc/kvmd/nginx-kvmd.conf)
See also the upcoming GL-iNET Comet Pro article..