I recently moved into a new house, and my older custom-built PC will need to stay in the basement. I used to move the entire setup into the living room when watching football on multiple monitors, but I would rather avoid carrying everything up and down the stairs every week.
The basement is roughly 50 feet from where I would use the computer. I am considering a fiber-optic HDMI cable for the display connection, but I also need a practical way to use a keyboard and mouse and turn the computer on remotely.
Would a wireless keyboard and mouse work through a floor, assuming the receiver is within its advertised range? I am concerned that insulation, flooring, and other obstructions could make the connection unreliable or laggy.
I am also wondering whether my ASUS Z170-A motherboard supports powering on from a keyboard or another remote method. If the PC is fully shut down, does a wireless keyboard remain connected well enough to trigger that feature, or would the computer need to be in sleep or standby mode? I am open to using USB extension cables, HDMI-over-Ethernet or fiber equipment, Wake-on-LAN, or streaming if those would be more reliable.
4 Answers
For powering the computer on, check the motherboard’s power-management settings for options such as Power On By Keyboard, Power On By USB, Resume By USB Device, or Wake on LAN. Wake on LAN is generally more dependable from another room, but the computer must remain connected to standby power and the network adapter must support waking from sleep or shutdown. A phone or another computer on the same network can send the wake signal.
A direct-cable setup is possible, but I would avoid a very long passive USB cable. Use an active USB extension, or use a purpose-built HDMI-and-USB extender. Keep in mind that some inexpensive extenders only support keyboard and mouse USB devices, not storage or webcams. Testing the exact equipment before permanently routing the cable would be wise.
I would not count on wireless keyboard and mouse signals passing reliably through a floor, even if the distance is within the advertised range. Insulation, wiring, and the floor itself can cause dropouts or input lag. An active USB extension cable is a safer option; place the receiver near your chair and connect the keyboard and mouse there. Another possibility is HDMI-over-fiber or HDMI-over-Ethernet equipment with a USB return channel, often sold as a KVM extender. Basic models support display, keyboard, and mouse, while USB 3 support costs considerably more.
If you are already installing cable, HDMI over fiber with KVM is worth searching for. A preterminated fiber run can handle the long distance cleanly, and the receiver end can provide the monitor and USB connections.
For a setup like this, I would seriously consider streaming instead of running long HDMI and USB cables. Put a small PC, laptop, or compatible streaming client in the room where you watch, then use Sunshine on the basement PC and Moonlight on the client. A wired Ethernet connection between the rooms will give you much lower latency and fewer cable complications. You can also add desktop applications or games to Steam if you need to use more than games.
The main drawback is that some streaming services or protected video content may not behave properly, and you may be limited by the client’s display resolution. For ordinary desktop use and games, though, it is usually a very convenient solution.
If the motherboard will not wake from a complete shutdown, leaving the PC in sleep or standby may be the easiest approach. You can also run two small wires to a remote momentary push button wired in parallel with the case’s power switch, provided the wiring is installed safely.