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Use Case ． Remote Working

How GL.iNet Simplified Vessel IT Support with Remote KVM

A Norwegian marine electronics company has been supplying sonar, navigation, and matrix control systems to fishing vessels and commercial maritime operators for many years. The company designs and delivers complete onboard electronics systems, including proprietary matrix switching hardware, and provides ongoing technical support to vessel operators worldwide.

As the company's installed base expanded to vessels operating in Norwegian waters, Spain, Greece, Scotland, and New Zealand, providing timely and effective remote support became increasingly complex. Vessels operating in remote fishing areas are frequently disconnected from the public internet, often running legacy operating systems that preclude conventional remote access software, and physically inaccessible to support personnel for weeks at a time.

The company began evaluating KVM-over-IP solutions in 2022 after an incident in which a support engineer spent over an hour on the phone guiding a vessel crew through a simple menu navigation task, a task that would have taken 20 seconds with direct visual access to the screen. The search for a practical remote access solution that could work within the constraints of maritime VPN-connected environments led to the adoption of the Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE).

GL-RM1PE remote KVM for maritime vessel IT support

Challenges & Solutions

The Comet PoE was adopted as the standard remote access node for all new vessel matrix system deliveries, and is progressively replacing the legacy KVM units across the existing installed base. The solution addresses each of the core challenges through a combination of hardware capability, simplified deployment, and a deliberate network architecture designed specifically for maritime VPN-connected environments.

Challenge 01

IT systems must be isolated from the internet

Vessels operate in areas with no public internet connectivity, connected only via onboard VPN routers. Any remote access solution had to function entirely within this VPN-only topology, with no direct internet exposure of the KVM device itself.

Solution 01

VPN-integrated system architecture

The Comet PoE sits entirely on the vessel's local network behind the onboard VPN router, with no direct internet exposure. All remote access is routed through the encrypted VPN tunnel.

Challenge 02

Previous solutions had resolution compatibility issues

The company's initial approach used Raspberry Pi units running on legacy KVMs, which supported only 1920×1080 resolution at 50 Hz.

The company's matrix systems typically operate at 60 Hz or higher refresh rates, requiring a video scaler at each node to bridge the signal incompatibility.

This added hardware cost, installation complexity, and an additional potential point of failure per vessel.

Solution 02

Native 1080p@60 Hz resolution

The Comet PoE supports video input up to 1080p resolution at 60 Hz, directly matching the operating parameters of the company's matrix control systems.

This eliminates the need for the video scalers previously required with PiKVM hardware, reducing per-vessel BOM cost, installation steps, and potential failure points.

Challenge 03

Long setup time and operational overhead

Configuring a legacy KVM unit for deployment required manual command-line operations to set users, static IP addresses, and system parameters, a process taking 5 to 10 minutes per unit depending on operator experience, with firmware updates counted separately.

For a company deploying and maintaining dozens of units across geographically dispersed vessels, this represented high overhead per deployment cycle.

Solution 03

Streamlined setup under 5 minutes

Configuration of a Comet PoE unit, including password setting, static IP assignment, and firmware update, is completed in under 5 minutes via the GLKVM web dashboard.

Units are batch-configured at the office before shipment: each unit is unboxed, configured, and ready for plug-and-play installation on the vessel.

Topology

The following diagram illustrates the network architecture used in the deployment. The Comet PoE is placed on the vessel's local network behind a VPN router, with no direct exposure to the public internet. All remote access is routed exclusively through the encrypted VPN tunnel.

GL-RM1PE maritime vessel network topology behind VPN router

Results

The Comet PoE deployment has produced measurable improvements across three dimensions: operational efficiency, support quality, and hardware simplicity.

1. Remote Troubleshooting Made Easy

Support tasks that previously required a technician to physically board a vessel, sometimes for trips lasting up to two weeks, are now resolved remotely via Comet PoE. Both configuration guidance and active system troubleshooting are handled without travel.

2. Support Time Reduced from Hours to Minutes

The most direct operational impact is the reduction in time required to resolve routine support issues. A configuration task that previously required an hour of phone-based guidance, with both parties on identical systems, is now completed in approximately 20 seconds with direct visual access via a Comet PoE remote KVM session.

3. Hardware BOM Simplified

The elimination of video scalers from each installation node reduces both per-vessel hardware cost and the number of components that can fail in the field. The Comet PoE's native 4K@30 Hz input support makes the scaler an unnecessary legacy component for all new and replacement deployments.

Scenario
Before Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE)
After Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE)
Menu navigation guidance
Menu navigation guidance ~60 min (phone, verbal instruction)
Menu navigation guidance ~20 seconds (direct visual control)
Prototype start-up support
Prototype start-up support Engineer boards vessel (up to 2 weeks)
Prototype start-up support Remote session via secure link
Firmware push to vessel unit
Firmware push to vessel unit Physical access required
Firmware push to vessel unit Delivered over VPN
System fine-tuning on vessel
System fine-tuning on vessel On-site trip required
System fine-tuning on vessel Remote parameter adjustment

Product Details

Comet PoE / GL-RM1PE
Comet PoE (GL-RM1PE)

Remote KVM with PoE

  • HDMI, up to 4K@30 Hz
  • Built-in PoE (802.3af/at)

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