Hey All,
Wondering if anyone has a trusted seller they have used for a piKVM type kit from AliExpress?
I tried going it on my own and they provided false tracking information and then tried to scam me on the refund so had to get AliExpress to handle it.
I would like to try again but don’t want to get burnt…
Side note - I already have 2 x NanoKVM on preorder (now the earlybird is over its essentially $100AUD now for one, then shipping on top)… I just have a couple pi4’s laying about still and would like to grab a kit for one of those as well.
I don’t recommend buying from AliExpress. What you’ve went through on there is unfortunately pretty common. I highly recommend buying from an official distributor. Here is the full list: Devices and shop information. or going through someone like newegg or amazon.
Which shop did you buy from? One that has been around for several years with TOP ratings and lots of sales? Or the cheapest one you could find that was made a couple months ago
I really like the Geekworm PiKVM clones. They go inside your PC case on a PCI bracket and don’t have the bulk of the official version since it’s just a naked PCB sandwich.
The CM4-based version is smaller and comes out cheaper, but the connectors are wonky:
5V in from outside the case
OTG out outside the case
HDMI in from outside the case
No built-in PoE support (if that matters to you)
The only connectors that run inside the computer case are the GPIO leads to the motherboard and front panel for ATX control.
The Pi4-based version has OTG inside the case as well as the ATX connectors (duh). HDMI is still outside but you can use PoE without needing a splitter so only video needs to be an external cable to the host which makes it the cleanest install.
Neither ships with the Pi or the CM so you wouldn’t be paying for stuff you already have, but they do come with a full assortment of cables. I have a bunch and I’m very happy with them. They run the official PiKVM distro and have decent documentation.
I also have the official V4 in both the chonky and the mini versions, and they’re… ok I guess. The mini would even be fantastic if it had PoE or 5V in on the other side of the case.
I got all of these from Amazon. Not sure what purchasing options you might have in Australia.
AliExpress is no different than Ebay. If you buy whatever shows up first and don’t look for legit shops? Yeah you’ll get scammed pretty easy.
Always check the store that made the listing. If they have high ratings, lots of sales, and been around for a few years? Odds are they’re legit. If they have been around for 3 months, the name is a bunch of random numbers and letters, with 7 sales and 2 reviews? Well.
I ask because maybe it was a legit shop with all the good indicators? I’d be interested to hear, as I’ve had zero issues with AliExpress but have done my due diligence. And lots of people say they’ve been scammed on it.
Yeah based on my current experience I have dug deeper in reviews, etc. Very much like ebay
It has changed a bit since my previous experience with it… Unfortunately where there is a buck to be made, the scammers gonna scam.
Store was called nova technology store. When I click the store name on my now refunded order it doesn’t take me to their store just back to the homepage so maybe they got taken down by my report as well