Several times, I have found the unRAID implementation of WireGuard very useful when traveling.  I have been able to access server resources and perform server maintenance without issue.  However, WireGuard in unRAID is not very useful if the server is powered off as recently happened when there was a power outage at my home while I was traveling.

 

My server is on a UPS and shut down gracefully, but, of course, it did shut down. Some BIOS/UEFI do allow for automatic restart when power is restored.  My BIOS may have that setting but I prefer not to use it as I prefer to monitor my server a bit more closely after a power outage.

 

Since my server motherboard does have IPMI, I simply needed a way to access the server remotely when the server is down.  I already had a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ on my network running Pi-Hole and I thought "why not add WireGuard to it as well?"  I  did so following this guide. It was very easy and worked just as outlined.  I have successfully tested remote access to my server GUI and the IPMI admin page from my phone and laptop via WireGuard on the RPi.

 

IPMI is a wonderful thing for remote management.

 

But what if your server does not have IPMI?

If this is the case, you might want to consider a PiKVM.  The PiKVM is a nifty little box built on a Raspberry Pi (included) which provides remote server management, even powering it on and off.  In many ways it is superior to IPMI and allows you to do more. 

 

The linked page primarily discusses assembling a PiKVM yourself as a DIY project but you can also buy one pre-assembled here in the U.S.

 

If you prefer an inside-the-case solution there is this kit if you have a Raspberry Pi 4 and this one that uses a Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4.  Both require you to purchase the RPi boards separately.

 

Taking it one step further, I decided I wanted to make sure the RPi also powered up automatically when power was restored so I installed a PoE (power over Ethernet) HAT (Hardware Attached on Top) on the Raspberry Pi.  This provides power to the device through the Ethernet cable.  No external power supply is needed.  There are many PoE HATs available but they are supported by the Pi 3 B+ and Pi 4 models only. They may also support different PoE standards.

 

My Unifi switch supports PoE so I enabled it on the port to which the RPi is connected.  As seen below, it is drawing about 4 watts from the PoE switch.

 

 

But what if your switch does not support PoE?

In this case, you can use a PoE injector such as this one (there are many others):

 

Here is the RPi powered on with only an Ethernet cable connected to it:

 

Some Raspberry Pi power supplies, like mine, have a switch that requires the switch to be toggled in order to power on the unit.  Others will power it on automatically if it is plugged into the RPi and there is power. 

 

PoE for me is simply more reliable.  If the switch has power, the RPi has power.

 

Since the PoE HAT I installed has a fan that is positioned right over the RPi CPU, the CPU temp has dropped 10C from where it used to be.  A nice added bonus.

 

Edited December 8, 20223 yr by Hoopster

I have a UPS on my unRaid server, but I think my home had brownouts recently, and despite the UPS being connected, and configured correctly I think!, the UnRaid box still went into a state of hard-locked-up and needed a hard reset. My mobo does not have IPMI, and I'd be happy to get one: but that pivpn you linked above! That's the same price as an IPMI enabled motherboard, and I can move it from this machine to future machines without being locked into only IPMI options. The pre-assembled $300 PIVPN is on the way, and I hope to report back success!

Edited November 7, 20223 yr by dkerlee

1 hour ago, dkerlee said:

The pre-assembled $300 PIVPN is on the way, and I hope to report back success!

Looking forward to your report on how it works for you.  It definitely has the advantage of not being tied to a particular computer/motherboard and makes future upgrades more worry (and cost) free!

For those who may have an interest in the PiKVM, here is a list of international sellers:

 

 

The Geekworm PiKVM-A3 is another option for turning a Raspberry Pi 4 into a PiKVM.  The PiKVM-A3 kit includes the expansion boards and case only for a Raspberry Pi 4 you already own.  Kits are also available that include an RPi 4.

Edited November 16, 20223 yr by Hoopster

I have a complete HiPi.io PiKVM for sale [SOLD].  I accidentally bought two.  I have assembled and tested it.  Did I need a PiKVM? No, but, I wanted to explore the possibilities and have one (not two) around for potential future use.

 

See details here.

Edited December 12, 20223 yr by Hoopster

Wowee is that thing awesome. I wrote it up here. Highly recommend, 5/5.

 

On 11/21/2022 at 8:21 PM, dkerlee said:

Wowee is that thing awesome. I wrote it up here.

 

Very nice write up. Yeah, it's awesome. 

 

[SOLD] I am selling the same unit + cables and power supply.

 

I will add a link to your review in my For Sale post.

Edited December 8, 20223 yr by Hoopster

@Hoopsterhave you been able to wiggle the mouse, mash keyboard, wake the server up AND type into the console to login, all via the PiKVM? Mine won't let me type after waking up. I could when it first powered on, which is good. But it should continue to work.

19 hours ago, dkerlee said:

have you been able to wiggle the mouse, mash keyboard, wake the server up AND type into the console to login, all via the PiKVM?

I'll have to do some more testing tomorrow.  I have just done very basic tests so far as I hooked them up for the first time today. I have not yet hooked up and tested the power management piece. 

 

I have one Geekworm PiKVM and one just like yours (which I am selling) which I will test some more in the next couple of days.

Edited November 23, 20223 yr by Hoopster

I am currently using the PiKVM, but I will be changing to this one instead : https://www.blicube.com/blikvm-pcie/ for my unraid servers. 

 

The PiKVM works great, but I prefer to have the IPMI functionality inside the server instead of an external box. 

So my server has IPMI and I have a PI. I would like to set this up, mainly to deal with the frequent power outages in my area. I have Wireguard on my server, which I use often. Can I have a second instance of Wireguard running on a PI without problem? (I am guessing it would need to be on its own port) or would I need to just run it on the PI and leave the Unraid instance off? Thoughts?

Two of my servers don't have ipmi but I have never needed to remote into them (knock on wood). I have an 8 port kvm switch and I plan on putting a pikvm on the output of that so I could access any of them through that. Would just need a way to switch between the inputs but that should be doable. The kvm of of course vga so id need a VGA to HDMI adapter, and before that a VGA splitter to I can still have it hooked up to the monitor in my server closet. When I get around to it I'll post a write up here