Most people think of the Internet in terms of Web pages, but the real beauty of the Internet is that it can also be used as an extension of your own network. You can, for instance, use the Internet to manage servers remotely through the use of an IP-enabled KVM switch.

Internet Protocol (IP) addresses identify locations on the Internet. They provide universal addressing across all the networks of the Internet. IP addresses are placed in the IP packet header and route packets to their destinations.

You can give any device—like a KVM switch—an IP address and access it over the Internet. This means that you can remotely access an IP-enabled KVM switch from anywhere on the Internet. You don't have to visit the switch and you don't have to deal with awkward systems that involve accessing the switch over dialup lines. All you need is a PC and an Internet connection for instant access to the KVM switch and all its connected servers. You can view the servers, manage them, or even reboot them.

IP-enabled KVM switches use one of two methods of Internet access: through a Web browser or with proprietary software.

If you use a Web browser, all you need to do to access the KVM switch and its connected servers is to enter the switch’s IP address in the address bar of your Web browser. The advantages of this method are nearly everyone already has a Web browser and knows how to use it, and you can also grant access to the switch to anyone else with an Internet connection.

Proprietary client-side software must be specially installed, and only those with the software can access your switch. This can be an advantage if you’re worried about security, because it does limit access to the switch.

Because the Internet is a public network, you need to make sure that not just anyone can wander in and access your servers. If you use a Web-browser-based system, look for support for security standards such as Data Encryption Standard (DES), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and public key certificates. A switch using proprietary software is inherently more secure because it can't be accessed by just anyone with a Web browser.

Another security feature to look for in both the proprietary-software and Web-browser access methods is the ability to set access levels. This enables you to give some users full control of the mouse and keyboard while restricting other users to a view-only mode.

No doubt about it, KVM over IP takes speed. The keyboard and mouse signals use relatively little data and present no problem. But video is high bandwidth and requires a high data rate if you want to view servers in real time. Even if you have really fast Internet connections on both the switch and the user ends, the Internet itself is subject to random slowdowns and bottlenecks that can cause slow access and lagging video.

A good IP-enabled KVM switch compensates for slower connections with video compression and bandwidth-conserving strategies.

Software that enables direct remote control of servers over the Internet is also available. This may be a tempting solution because it saves the cost of a KVM switch. However, because this software runs on the server, you can't use it when the server is experiencing major problems—in other words, when you need access the most. An IP-enabled KVM switch provides access even to sick servers.