VGA on the PC, HDMI on the monitor, how good are the adaptors out there?

[swapjim]

I'm considering buying a barebones mini PC for a pfSense router. It has a VGA output which will help when I need to troubleshoot something. Problem is, my display only takes signal from HDMI.

I know there are adapters, but how good of a job do they do?

 

[Bacon1]

The adapter is probably $30 or so, not sure how far the signal will go, is it near the monitor? Your best bet would be to just use some kind of remote connection to the box or ssh in if you'll be doing it from command line anyway

 

[swapjim]

Using a VGA or HDMI cable extender is going to weaken the signal?

pfSense is primarily handled via it's web UI. ssh is there too. I need to have direct access to the machine (as opposed to web UI or ssh) to install it and because I'll probably screw things up at some point.

For machines that don't have a graphics card, the pfSense guys recommend having a serial connector to manage the server from there.

It's ok if I have to move the box close to the screen. What I'm concerned about is if it will work. I only need console, no graphics. Installation asks a few questions and takes less a few minutes to complete.