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P R O D U C T S
REVIEW
SecureLinx SpiderDuo
An IP KVM device might seem like a
luxury, but it can be essential for monitoring mission-critical systems. I recently
encountered a Windows server that was
intermittently responding to pings during
off hours. I tried troubleshooting the server
remotely, but the Remote Desktop connection didn’t respond. When I connected via
IP KVM device, I was able to see the system
halting and I could troubleshoot the issue
before heading into the office. Accessing
systems through an IP KVM device such
as Lantronix’s SecureLinx SpiderDuo gives
you full BIOS-level control of the destination computer. This is helpful when you’re
trying to view the screen contents of a
machine stuck on a startup sequence,
change BIOS options remotely, or make
configuration changes to a PC via the OS.
SpiderDuo is a unique IP KVM device
because of its small size, zero-U rack
mounting, expansive configuration
options, and optional Internet-accessible
service (accessmydevice.com). It supports
virtually all versions of Windows, UNIX,
Linux, and Mac OS X 10. Figure 1 shows the
SecureLinx SpiderDuo.
SecureLinx SpiderDuo setup is a threestep process. You connect the cables, locate
the device on the network, and connect
through a browser to the destination computer. Using the Quick Start Guide makes
cabling setup fast and easy. I attached
SpiderDuo’s mouse, keyboard, and monitor
connections using the supplied female
USB connectors and female HD15 monitor
connector. Then I connected one USB cable
and one monitor output USB cable to the
PC. Finally, to set up the device, I connected
the attached serial port to a PC and fired up
a free terminal emulation program called
PuTTY. After configuring the default serial
settings per Lantronix’s instructions (9,600
bits per second, 8 data bits, no parity, 1
stop bit, and no flow control), I was unable
to view the configuration prompts. (I later
discovered that the default value for speed
was set at 115,200kbps.)
I was disappointed that the configuration
prompts weren’t viewable, so I switched to
plan B and plugged an Ethernet cable connected to the network into the SpiderDuo’s
Ethernet port. I installed the SecureLinx
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Windows IT Pro
Spider View utility from
the supplied CD-ROM. This
enterprise-grade software
product lets you manage any
number of SpiderDuos. Using
the Spider View interface,
which automatically found
the SpiderDuo, I could open
the Java-enabled web-based
Spider Manager to access
and change the default DHCP
settings to a fixed IP address
Figure 1: SecureLinx SpiderDuo
so that I could easily manage
access the computer via the IP KVM device.
the unit on my network. Using this setup
Select access my computerr to connect to
method is easier than using the serial port
your internal SpiderDuo IP KVM console
method mentioned in the Quick Start Guide.
web interface, assuming the SpiderDuo IP
Access to the SpiderDuo is easy on the
local LAN. Simply open a Java-enabled web is connected to a switch port that allows
TCP connections to ports 80 and 443. The
browser, navigate to the Spider Manager
system works just like you’re accessing the
using the IP address of the device, and log
SpiderDuo over the internal LAN.
on to the device. The web-based Spider
The device has a small footprint for
Manager has a plethora of useful options,
tight spaces, or it can be mounted on the
including an exclusive-access feature to
rear of a server rack. Overall, it performs
limit access to only one user, event logging
quite well, making it a solid addition to any
of user logon activity, authentication via
IT toolkit. SpiderDuo is helpful for troubleActive Directory (AD) or Remote Authenshooting systems and for connecting to
tication Dial-In User Service (RADIUS)
locked-down computers that don’t allow
servers, and a handy Wake on LAN (WOL)
software-based remote access.
feature for remotely waking up any
InstantDoc ID 129855
computer with the requisite BIOS settings.
Video performance of the IP KVM device
is acceptable, especially when using the
SecureLinx SpiderDuo
automatic configuration mode. However,
mouse scrolling is slow, which is a common PROS: Solid device with quality cable connectors; flexible configuration options
problem with many IP KVM devices. Compared with Remote Desktop Connection
CONS: Cumbersome initial setup process; high
monthly cost for web-based access
on Windows systems, the mouse performance isn’t nearly as responsive.
RATING:
The optional Internet accessibility feaPRICE: $349 for AccessMyDevice-enabled
ture, accessmydevice.com, is available only
SpiderDuo from Lantronix; $14.99 to $19.99
on SpiderDuo products purchased directly
monthly, depending on number of devices, for
from Lantronix. This service lets you access
the optional Internet-based AccessMyDevice
service; $300 for standard SpiderDuo from online
the IP KVM console web interfaces through
retailers; volume discounts available
an encrypted web session from any PC,
regardless of whether it’s on your network.
RECOMMENDATION: Even if you already
own an IP KVM system, you can find a use for
The service is straightforward and easy to
SpiderDuo.
use; navigate to accessmydevice.com, enter
a supplied user ID and password, and either
CONTACT: Lantronix • 800-526-8766 •
www.lantronix.com
open the management interface or directly
Tony Bieda | [email protected]
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