KVM over IP devices use a dedicated microcontroller and potentially specialized video capture hardware to capture the video signals keyboard and mouse signals, compress and packetize them, and send them over an Ethernet link to a remote console application that unpacks and reconstitutes the dynamic graphical image. This KVM over IP subsystem is typically connected to a system's standby power plane so that it's available during the entire BIOS boot process. These devices allow multiple computers to be controlled remotely across a wide area network, local area network or telephone-line using the TCP/IP protocols. There are performance issues related with LAN/WAN hardware, standard protocols and network latency so user management is commonly referred to as "near real time". And, remote KVM over IP devices offer much smaller matrix frameworks.
   Access to most remote or "KVM" over IP devices today use a web browser but proprietary viewer software can increase performance. A consideration of the viewer software relative to a browser based application is the area of ActiveX or Java security. Well formed implementations can be found across the major vendors today, yet there are many entry-level implementations that may not be as robust when it comes to security, performance and reliability. Important to note is that many of the stand-alone viewer software applications provided by many manufacturers are also reliant on ActiveX or Java. In addition, each major manufacturer is free to use various licensing mechanisms, some based on numbers of target devices, some based on numbers of users, and some based on numbers of sessions.
   In comparison to conventional methods of remote administration (for example Virtual Network Computing or Terminal Services), a KVM switch has the advantage that it doesn't depend on a software component running on the remote computer, thus allowing remote interaction with base level BIOS settings and monitoring of the entire booting process before during and after the operating system loads. Modern KVM over IP appliances or switches typically use at least 128-bit data encryption securing the KVM configuration over a WAN or LAN (leveraging SSL, and thus MD5 or AES)
   KVM over IP devices have been implemented in many different ways. For the graphics capture portion, PCI based KVM over IP cards use a variation of a technique known as screen scraping where the PCI bus master KVM over IP card would access graphics data directly from the graphics memory buffer. In these cases, the PCI card must know which graphics chip it is working with, and what graphics mode this chip is currently in so that the contents of the buffer can be interpreted correctly as picture data. Newer techniques such as those used by OPMA management subsystem cards and other implementations obtain the video data directly from the graphics chip using the industry standard DVI bus. There are also a variety of ways to emulate the keyboard and the mouse remotely, but newer implementations emulate USB based keyboards and mice using the management controller.

  Local Remote KVM device design allows users to control computer equipment up to 1000' feet away from the user consoles (keyboard, monitor and mouse). They include support for standard category 5 cabling between computers and users interconnected by the switch device.
  Category 5 based KVM device communication uses proprietary protocols across what can be considered a "closed loop" local area network infrastructure. In contrast to remote over IP devices, users operate computers in "real time" because there is no noticeable latency in communication between user consoles and the computers.
 Small interface devices at the computers connect to the keyboard, video and mouse ports of the computer. They convert these signals to a format suitable for category 5 cable and transmit this data to the user stations that decode it into normal analog signals suitable for the peripherals. Similar devices exist for KVM over IP that only support transmitting the signals at distances of thirty to fifty feet. While interface, switch, and user devices are interconnected using category 5 cabling and can be patched through non-active patch panels, the data signals are not the equivalent of ethernet (see Tron: Category 5 - Ethernet vs KVM Networks ) so care must be taken not to cross connect these KVM components to ethernet switches.
   Local remote KVM systems can support over 256 access points with access to over 8000 computers. The closed loop backbone is inherently secure and the long distance connectivity allows users and computer equipment to be distributed across many different locations throughout a facility. Where users need to manage the connected computers from off site locations, local remote KVM devices are configured with Remote over IP KVM support.

 CAT5 KVM extension solutions provide additional flexibility to your CAT5 KVM management and control systems, by allowing you to set up local CAT5 KVM consoles at varying distances from the computer or server. Some extenders allow distances of up to 300m/1000ft.
  The real test of an extender, however, is not the distance but the quality of video for the distance. Better performing CAT5 KVM extenders will provide near-local user experience at the console, even if it is relatively far away from the computer.
  Some CAT5 KVM extenders allow additional options, for example, a local user option at the computer or 2-port CAT5 KVM switching.

 Dongles “Computer Interface Module” (CIM) connects each PC Computer (USB, SUN, PS/2, PS/2, VGA) to the CAT-5 KVM Switching Unit via standard single Cat5 Cable. .