On Mon, Dec 22, 2025 at 05:25:22PM -0800, Dan Mahoney via NANOG wrote:
Nobody's jumped up and said "This ioGear/Cyclades/Avocent thing rocks, and it'll have firmware for the next 10 years, for sure". My network hardware reseller hasn't gotten back to me (but it is Christmas week),
Because nothing rocks. They all have the problems you list. One-off embedded system the manufactorer developed once with zero product cycle in thought. Puts out for some number of years until they no longer feel like supporting it. And then goes end-of-life with no upgrade options. I feel like OpenGear (owned by Digi now) tends to be the most future proof at this point in time (which will probably change in the future) if you are looking for an embedded box, But I've done solutions like you list too, and been happy with conserver and a basic PC.