[ale] Q: IP-based remote On/Off suggestions?

[John Mills]

Geoffrey -

Thanks. You beat me to it, but my plan is slightly different.

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004, Geoffrey wrote:

> Keith R. Watson wrote:

> > If the router at home is down and needs to be rebooted then how would 
> > you connect to your network device over the net from your office?
 
> The original question was how to reset his dsl modem via IP, thus I 
> assume he has another way to get to it, say dial in to a separate 
> machine that is connected serially to the power source.

It is indeed true my objective is to recover access to my system when it
has been lost from the net. Automatic recovery for domestic use isn't so
important, because I can go into the basement, climb up on a stool, and
cycle power on the *&^!! DSL modem myself. Much more difficult from
another city (though sometimes a fortuitous power outage in ATL brings
access back &8-).

The idea is for the computer to test if it's lost to the world (really, if 
the world's lost to it), and act to restore the connection.

Historically, power-cycling the DSL modem recovers access >90% of the
time.

I plan an intermittent task on my computer to 'ping' a reasonably reliable
outside host. If the outside host responds, the task would go back to
sleep for [say] 10 minutes. If not, the task would cycle power on the DSL
modem, then go back to sleep (possibly for a shorter interval). Actually
this should eventually deal with even a broad-scale net flops by
periodically attempting to reconnect. Sometime after the net was again
live, the DSL modem would get the M$Win treatment, and re-establish its
slot vis-a-vis the outside world. I didn't think this up, but it makes
sense to me; I'm pretty sure the basics were suggested here on the ALE
list.

The home system, hub, and DSL router/firewall would not be power-cycled
(except occasionally by G~d, as noted above - this works just fine right
now). Hub and router/firewall are adjacent to the DSL modem, out of
convenient reach except by power line and ethernet.

So ... what do I need to get started with 'bottle rocket' and X-10? Fry's
and Radio Schlock both sell something called an 'Active Home' "starter
kit" under their 'Home Automation' sections. Neither has much info, though
R*S does give an inventory which includes a CDROM of software compatible
with Win3.1/95.  ("Be Still, My Beating Heart!") I can't figure from the
picture what R*S means by their "computer interface module."

Cheers.

 - John Mills
   john.m.mills at alum.mit.edu