Ethernet Direct Mode¶

FlexKVM becomes a DHCP server — connect a computer directly with a single Ethernet cable, and the computer automatically gets an IP to access the management interface. No router needed, no dependency on on-site network. Long-press Button B for 1–3 seconds to toggle on.

In Direct Mode, the device assigns IPs in the range 192.168.x.2 ~ 192.168.x.254 to the connected computer (x defaults to 100, i.e., default subnet 192.168.100.x). The subnet segment x is configurable and defaults to 100.

Specifications¶

Item	Details
Mode	DHCP server (device side)
Interface	RJ-45 Ethernet port
Default subnet	192.168.100.x
Device IP	192.168.x.1 (gateway + DHCP server)
Client IP range	192.168.x.2 ~ 192.168.x.254
Client count	1 (direct connection to a single computer)
Default state	Off

Typical Scenarios¶

🖥️ Direct Connection to Laptop¶

No router on site? No network? One cable to your laptop, and you can still manage the server remotely:

┌──────────┐    Ethernet direct    ┌──────────────┐
│ FlexKVM  │ ←──────────────────→ │    Laptop     │
│ DHCP server│                      │ Auto IP from │
│192.168.100.1│                     │192.168.100.x │
└──────────┘                        └──────────────┘

Combined with WiFi AP Mode, you get wired direct + WiFi hotspot dual insurance — connect via laptop on Ethernet or phone on WiFi, either way works without a router.

OLED Display¶

When Direct Mode is active, the OLED network icon switches to the direct-mode icon, and the IP prefix becomes S (e.g., S192.168.100.1), S = Server.

ETH Server OLED

Direct Mode and normal Ethernet mode share the same physical port — the OLED icon differs to distinguish the current mode.

Button Toggle¶

Long-press Button B has three stages. Release at the first stage (1–3s) to toggle Direct Mode:

Current mode	Action	Result	OLED preview	Wait time
Ethernet client	Hold B 1–3s, release when OLED shows "ETH SERVER"	DHCP client off, Direct Mode on	ETH SERVER text	~5s
Direct Mode	Hold B 1–3s, release when OLED shows "ETH CLIENT"	Direct Mode off, DHCP client restored	ETH CLIENT text	~5s

Keeping the button held: 3–5s enters WiFi/hotspot toggle preview, 5s+ enters return-to-home preview. See Physical Buttons.

Software Configuration¶

Go to Web interface → Settings → Network → click the gear icon on the Ethernet card → Direct Mode tab.

Direct Mode settings

Enable / Disable¶

Toggle "Direct Mode" on, set the subnet segment (0–254), and click save — takes effect immediately.

Setting	Description	Default	Range
Direct Mode	Toggle switch	Off	—
Subnet segment	Third octet of IP (`x` in `192.168.x.1`)	100	0–254

If you can't connect after changing the subnet segment, normal Ethernet mode will attempt to restore DHCP automatically. Remember to refresh the IP on your computer. If still unable to connect, use Provisioning Mode (long-press Button A 1–3s) to recover.

Verification¶

Check	How
OLED	Does the IP start with S?
Web interface	Does the Ethernet card show "Direct Mode: IP"?
Client	Set the computer's Ethernet to DHCP auto — does it get a `192.168.x.x` IP?

Troubleshooting¶

Symptom	Likely cause	Try this first
Computer gets no IP	Cable loose, or Ethernet not set to DHCP	Re-plug the cable, check computer network settings
Got an IP but not 192.168.x.x	Computer may be connected to another network	Turn off computer WiFi, keep only wired
Can ping but page won't load	Browser cache or proxy	Clear cache, disable proxy, try incognito mode
Can't connect after changing subnet segment	Computer still holds old IP	Disable then re-enable Ethernet on computer, or `ipconfig /release && /renew`
Switching between Direct Mode and normal Ethernet keeps failing	Stale route table entries	Wait ~10s for auto-recovery, or reboot the device

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