Reach BIOS and reinstall the OS remotely: virtual media on a KVM-over-IP

Before anything breaks: prove the screen path

The whole procedure depends on the KVM seeing firmware screens. GL.iNet's troubleshooting page explains why it sometimes cannot. BIOS output usually goes only to the primary display. Laptops use the built-in panel, and many desktop graphics cards and motherboards favor DisplayPort over HDMI at startup. The fixes it gives are to connect the KVM to the primary output, move the main monitor to DisplayPort, or add a 1-to-2 HDMI splitter on the primary output. It adds that the same problem may occur when the computer boots into Windows PE, and that integrating display drivers into WinPE can resolve it. [4]

Do one rehearsal while you are next to the machine: reboot, watch the KVM view, and enter firmware setup from the remote keyboard. If that fails, nothing later in this guide will work. Leave EDID at default unless a specific screen fails. GL.iNet notes that custom EDIDs must stay at or below 2560x1440 at 60 Hz. [4][8]

Stage the ISO early, and estimate the upload

Getting a multi-gigabyte image onto the KVM is often the slowest step. Your options depend on the device. GL.iNet's console accepts uploads in Virtual Media and its file-sharing tutorial mentions upload from URL. JetKVM uploads to its storage only from the local network. Remotely, JetKVM can mount from a URL that supports range requests, streaming at the speed of its own internet connection. [2][3][5]

A worked example shows why this matters. Ubuntu's 24.04 page lists the live-server amd64 ISO at 3.8G and the desktop ISO at 5.8G. Take 3.8 GB as about 30,400 megabits. Pushed from a laptop on a 20 Mbps hotel upload, that is about 1,520 seconds, roughly 25 minutes at best. At 5 Mbps it is closer to 100 minutes. If the KVM fetches the same file from a URL over a home connection, the limit becomes that link instead. JetKVM's listed 100 Mbps Ethernet puts a floor of about 5 minutes on it. These are best-case numbers; real transfers are slower. [7][6]

Mount the image

On a GL.iNet KVM, open Virtual Media, upload the ISO, click Mount To Remote, select Image mounting, choose the file and click Mount Image. The console guide describes the result as a read-only virtual CD/DVD or disk usable during BIOS/UEFI startup. [1][2]

On JetKVM, open Virtual Media, choose a storage mount or URL mount, pick CD/DVD for an ISO or Disk for an IMG, and mount. JetKVM mounts one image at a time and suggests switching modes if the computer will not boot. [5]

• Use CD/DVD mode for installer ISOs; use Disk mode for full-drive IMG files. [5]
• Keep drivers or recovery tools for the running OS on a read-write share, such as GL.iNet's GLKVM drive, not on the boot image. [3]

Get into the boot menu

Reboot the computer from its OS, the KVM's power control, or a keyboard shortcut. Press the setup or boot-menu key immediately. GL.iNet's walkthrough uses DEL to enter setup, then sets Glinet Flash Drive 1.00 as Boot Option 1 before saving and exiting. JetKVM's docs instead have you choose the JetKVM drive from the computer's boot menu, noting the key varies and is often F12, F11, F8 or Esc. [1][5]

A one-time boot menu is safer than changing the permanent boot order, because the machine returns to its normal disk on the next reboot. If you do change Boot Option 1, write down the original order first. Remote video can add a short delay, so start pressing the key repeatedly as soon as the screen goes dark.

Install, then clean up

If the installer reboots partway through and you changed the permanent boot order, the machine may boot the installer again. Unmount the image or restore the order at that point. When the install finishes, unmount the image, check the boot order, and do a final reboot while watching the KVM view to confirm the new system starts on its own.

• Unmount the virtual drive.
• Restore the original boot order if you changed it.
• Reboot once more and watch it come up unattended.
• Delete old images from KVM storage if space is short, and keep one known-good recovery ISO.

Pre-flight checklist

• Firmware screen visible over the KVM from a cold boot. [4]
• Setup and boot-menu keys for this exact machine written down.
• Installer ISO already on the KVM, or a URL the KVM can reach. [3][5]
• A power path tested for a hung machine: Wake-on-LAN, an ATX board or a button presser.
• A note of the disk layout, so you install to the right drive.
• Remote access to the KVM itself working over your chosen path, tested from outside the home.

Sources & verification

Product details and prices can change. Check the linked provider before buying.

1. GL.iNet KVM Docs: How to install OS remotely Accessed 30 Oct 2026
2. GL.iNet KVM Docs: GL-RM10 Console Guide Accessed 30 Oct 2026
3. GL.iNet KVM Docs: How to share files via KVM Accessed 30 Oct 2026
4. GL.iNet KVM Docs: Remote screen does not show the BIOS interface Accessed 30 Oct 2026
5. JetKVM Docs: Mount a drive Accessed 30 Oct 2026
6. JetKVM Docs: JetKVM device hardware Accessed 30 Oct 2026
7. Ubuntu releases: Ubuntu 24.04 images Accessed 30 Oct 2026
8. GL.iNet KVM Docs: How to set EDID for KVM Accessed 30 Oct 2026