I recently acquired two Intel NUC5i5MYHE for my home lab. This specific model features Intel AMT/VPRO technology. This means that you can connect to the NUC remotely via IP independent of the operating system installed on it. This has several benefits
– Power On , Power Off , Reset the NUC
– Hardware information
– Remote Console access
My plan was to run the Intel NUC’s headless. I don’t have any monitor or keyboard connected to it. So I needed the AMT / VPRO technology. When I installed the NUC’s the first time they were both connected to my living room TV through HDMI. The NUC only got Mini Display Port 2 interface – so I had to use a mini display port to HDMI adapter. This worked perfectly and I also tested the AMT technology and got the remote console to work.
Once i put the NUC’s in the closet and powered them on the remote console was black. I did not get any picture when connecting. I had just seen this work when connected to my living room TV… Maybe that was the issue I thought, maybe it don’t send anything out of the display port when it does not see a monitor connected. After some google activities I found the following used for MAC minis to run them headless. It is called Fit-Headless and is a small HDMI dongle you plug-in to a HDMI port, then the MAC Mini / NUC will think a monitor is connected and remote console will work.
Of course I could not just connect this to the NUC since I did not have HDMI in it. So I also bought an adapter like this:
The result was perfect. Once I rebooted my Intel NUC’s with the display port to HDMI adapter and Fit-Headless connected I got the console back and it was not black. I use VNC View Plus that can connect directly to the IP address.
So if you want to run the NUC and use Intel AMT / VPRO you need either a monitor connected, or use a dongle that “fakes” it.
What’s the version of the vPro that is running on your NUCs?
I got a pair of Optiplex 780 that came with vPro, I can power on/off but the console never works, maybe it has the same dependency on the vga port as your NUC in the HDMI display.
Intel NUC5i5MYHE is of the 10th generation Intel AMT. Using SoL does work headless natively, but at the current time you do need a mDP dummy to run headless remote KVM.
Any word on whether this has been fix in AMT? I did find minidisplayport headless dongles available for about the same prices as the others. Although have to add to the box already to get KVM to work is a PIA.
Version 0028 of the BIOS now correctly allows you to manage the NUC via remote console on them without having a dongle or monitor connected.
Thanks for the update Larry, I will try to update the BIOS and see if it works headless without the dongles.
The newer BIOS updates now allow remote without a monitor connection. That said each operating system will need to be configured to display when no monitor is detected.
@jeremykuhnash:disqus how did you update the BIOS (EFI)? Could I have more details? Thanks!
I downloaded the latest bios and put it on a USB key. Connect the USB to the NUC – and during reboot you hit F7 on the keyboard. Then you can select to upgrade bios from USB
Ok, I get it. But, where can I download the EFI? I cannot find anything at MINIX site. Thanks