Wireless Terminal Station without OS (Dumb Terminal?)

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mc-lemons

Commendable
Mar 3, 2016
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Hi everyone!

Casual reader, first-time poster here.

I'm looking for some creative ideas on this one. I'm trying to set up a terminal to control a computer remotely. I want the terminal to be somewhat mobile (power cords are ok, but the rest of the connections I want to be wireless), so that I can control the computer throughout my entire house (or at least where I have WiFi). Here's the tricky part, I do not want to use another computer to connect to the main computer (aka no thin clients, zero clients, remote desktop software, etc) - I have my reasons. So the terminal will basically be a display (w/built in speakers, maybe even a small LCD TV), a keyboard and a mouse.

So, essentially I am looking for some way to send USB (for the keyboard and mouse) and HDMI (for audio & video) over my Wifi network. Bascially wireless KVM.

This device looks to be exactly what I'm looking for:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817802016
However, its no longer made, not to mention it is older so it doesn't have USB or HDMI.

One option I thought of, is making use of a wireless bridge. I'm wondering if there is a way have a wireless bridge at the terminal send/receive all signals to a router. The keyboard/mouse would somehow be wired to the bridge, the signal would then be sent wirelessly to the router and then the signal would go from the router to the main computer. And similar for the audio.video

I know there are USB over IP and HDMI over IP products:

http://www.amazon.com/Monoprice-Extender-CAT5E-Connection-150ft/dp/B003L14ZTC/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1456976758&sr=1-2&keywords=usb+over+ip&refinements=p_72%3A1248879011

http://www.amazon.com/Stellar-Labs-33-11640-Passive-Extender/dp/B008DJTAQA/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1456978257&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=passive+HDMI+over+IP

The thought being to plug a wired signal into the wireless bridge or router, wirelessly send the signal the other device, and the go back to wired at the other end to either computer or terminal.

However, in reading the descriptions/questions for 2 products above, it looks like the signals are just extended over the CAT5 cables, but are done so just through the physical wiring but without using Ethernet protocol. So according to the responder, if ethernet protocol is not being used, then the signals cannot be transferred over WiFi.

Looking for some ideas from the gurus.

Thanks for bearing with me through all this! I appreciate the help!
 
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Here's the tricky part, I do not want to use another computer to connect to the main computer (aka no thin clients, zero clients, remote desktop software, etc) - I have my reasons.
Click to expand...

Well...you need 'something'.
You want a wireless touchscreen extension, that can control some other PC.

I can't visualize how that might work. Just the touchscreen part needs some brain behind it.

Why not a cheap tablet or 2 in 1? Like an Asus Transformer. Yes, it is a "PC". But it will absolutely do what you need.
 
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First, I'd like to thank everyone for the interest so far!

I guess I'm just looking at it this way: If I run long HDMI and USB cables from my computer to a Display, keyboard and mouse in another room (assuming I don't violate any cord length issues), I can easily have another workstation/terminal without having another computer, with more hardware and software to maintain, get licenses for, keep up-to-date etc.

Now to make that terminal even more flexible, it like to mobilize it and free it from the wires. It just seems like in today's age of WiFi, Bluetooth, beaming Internet and other signals from towers and satellites in freekin space, that this should be relatively simple. Obviously not, as I am here asking the question after many hours of research. But hoping someone can help me on my quest....
 
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Remote desktop and a tablet would be done in 30 seconds, but for whatever reason you don't want a pc to connect to the PC, then good luck.

Bluetooth keyboard/mouse, sure. Short range though, not good through walls. Wifi display, expensive. Wireless HDMI, does work, but your secretive reasoning makes no sense.
 
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I guess I didn't think my reasons really matter to the problem at hand. I know what I am after, and I specifically described what that was. I realize a quick and easy way to do this is remote desktop with another computer. Thanks for confirmation that that is still an option....

But since you must know, let me expound on the reason give above. I'm in the process of doing an experiment, with the basic concept being to only have one desktop computer running multiple separate workstations/TVs throughout my house. Its attractive to me because you don't have to maintain multiple systems - with windows updates, software, hardware upgrades, etc (aka "my reasons" as stated above). I took that idea and did some research on it to see what options are out there and came across the video below, which featured a software called Aster that let me do exactly what I was after:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBScQECj3pk

The guy's set up was impressive, but the one thing I noticed was that every station was a hardwired, permanent station. So I thought if a wireless station could be created (end goal being to build a custom "dumb laptop"), I could have a mobile station throughout the house.

Didn't think that background info was necessary, but I hope that helps.

Thanks


 
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That is very close, but direct device-to-device options like this always have short ranges. That's why I was hoping the router could be used to extend the range through my house
 
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Yeah - from my research, it seemed like there was more wireless KVM type options in the early 2000s then there are now.

What about some way of using WiDi/Miracast? My computer, which does not have either of those technologies built into it, can somehow still cast video (like YouTube) to my Smart TV in the other room (which I'm guessing has Miracast), as long as I'm using Chrome browser. I found this out when I noticed that the casting icon would appear in the corner of YouTube videos when my TV was on in the other room. So this video must be streaming over my router, since my computer does not have WiDi/Miracast, and the only way the TV and computer are connected is through the router.
 
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OK, that's kind of a whole different thing that what was originally asked.
You're looking for multiple thin clients, but even thinner than a typical thin client. Oh, and wireless.

That does not exist, as far as I know.
And would probably be more expensive, even if wired.
 
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I have to disagree on this. The guy in the video was not running thin clients. Every one of his stations was simply a combo of a display and peripherals that were hardwired back to his one PC. That is not a thin client, just like a display/keyboard/mouse connected to a standard desktop computer are not thin clients. The stations being independent of each other is all controlled in the Aster software, not RDP software on thin clients connecting back to main computer.

Also, I didn't ask about the multiple "client" part, because all other "clients" will be hardwired - I understand how to do that. I am here for the wireless terminal



I thought you might say that...thanks for your time.

Well, any other ideas?

 
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