ASPEED BMCs on Ampere boards have been solid for me, but I still keep a PiKVM on critical boxes. $80 in parts, gives you HDMI + USB over network independent of the BMC. Works until the board itself is dead.
In Turkey we have same problem with expensive remote hands. I use IP-KVM from AliExpress, cost 35 dollar, works over ethernet. Not fast but for emergency bios access is enough. Better than driving at night yes?
This. PiKVM or any IP-KVM is the way. BMC fails, IP-KVM doesn't care. Only downside is if the box won't POST at all, then nothing helps remotely.
Has anyone used the serial crash cart approach with a modern board? My SuperMicro has a COM header but no actual DB9. Bought a header-to-DB9 cable, never got BIOS over serial working. Always falls back to IPMI SOL which needs the BMC.
Serial BIOS access was standard in the 90s, then they killed it for "ease of use." Now we're rediscovering why it mattered. I still have a Cyclades terminal server in my garage, 32 serial ports. Useless for most modern gear.
I just pay for remote hands through my colo provider. $75/hour, minimum one hour. Expensive but I sleep. Different model than CloudCone I guess.
