I've been toying with a number of ideas for a desktop control unit for a hidden-away PC that would avoid the need to clamber under the table & behind a filing cabinet every time I needed to power on/off or reset it. I've found a number of options that would, for example, allow me to add power & reset switches into a drive bay frontage, the most promising (or at least the most pre-developed) being something like this: http://www.kustompcs.co.uk/acatalog/info_2836.html I'd then run extension cables from that down to the system unit. However, I've just found this, which solves the power/reset issue and wondered if anyone has used one: http://www.frozencpu.com/products/16924/bus-317/Logisys_PC_Remote_Start_Reset_Controller_RMPC2.html It doesn't solve the problem of making the other ports easily accessible, does look an easy fix for the power/reset extension.
Nifty Hope by now you have used this kit. I installed it yesterday in mt HTPC. I have an entertainment cabinet which holds my HI-FI equipment and my Home Theater equipment. My wife always objected to having my HTPC outside of the cabinet. Our 32" CRT TV finally died. The cost of diagnosis and repair exceeded the cost on a new flat screen TV so I bought a 32" widescreen flat LCD. That left space behind the TV for a PC but access to the push-button was difficult. This kit solved the problem, I can turn on the PC from my sofa and use the equipment remotes to get what I want. The Logisys description might scare you away if your motherboard does not have an open PCI slot but you do not need one. Any un-used case opening that has space behid it will do. In fact you can remove the mounting bracket and devise a jerry rig mount since once installed you need no access to it. I had an open slot to use for mounting. The only problem was the length of the Front Panel cables. My case (Ultra Microfly) has a slide out motherboard tray. With the tray backed out the FP cables were not long enough to reach the new control board. So I could only attach the cables when the tray was back in it's operating position. Actually this could be remedied with splitter cables for the reset and power connections. So now my equipment is fully contained within a space whose dimensions are 43" wide 42" high and 20" deep, it has one shelf 9" below the top. In that space I have: 32" LCD TV 40" soundbar DirecTV HR-24 Satellite Receiver Sony CD Carousel for 400 CDs Sony DVD Carousel for 200 DVDs Sony STR-DE995 Home Theater Receiver ROKU2 for Netflix & Pandora & Hulu Dynex 4 port composite switch for video inputs PC with Keyboard and trackball Ethernet switch below that space is an old VCR for viewing tapes. My internet connection is in another room and the HTPC connects to the network through a pair of Powerline adapters. That makes everything hardwired. Wife is happy and only frustration is "which remote do I use?" With cabinet closed no equipment is visible.
