... and, if you don't have Serial-over-LAN (SOL) access via IPMI, etc., you can always just wire the serial port up to another host to give yourself access to t

... and, if you don't have Serial-over-LAN (SOL) access via IPMI, etc., you can always just wire the serial port up to another host to give yourself access to that serial port remotely. Then, just SSH in to the other host and use something like "minicom" to connect directly to the serial port -- or use "conserver" (mentioned in TFA) when you've got multiple consoles and/or multiple users to deal with simultaneously. Plenty of HN'ers are all-in on "cloud" but for anyone dealing with physical devices (routers, servers, whatever), remote access to the console can be a lifesaver at times!