OT: Computer controlled home automation

[geoschmo]

Anyone here have any experience with this stuff? Let me back up a bit.

The problems we've been having with the PBW site going down lately are pretty simple. The cable modem that connects the server to the internet goes offline occasionally. Usually if I leave the thing alone long enough it comes up on it's own. Or if I power cycle the modem it comes right back up. I've talked to the ISP and they aren't much help unfortunatly.

What I was thinking about was investing a little bit in some hardware that will let me power cycle the cable modem remotly. I can get the hardware I need for about 50 bucks. Basically it's a unit that the power cord for the modem plugs into, and a controller unit that has a USB connection to the server. Then I'd need some software running on the server that would monitor the internet connection, and if it loses it, it sends the signal to the recieving unit to power cycle the cable modem.

Anyone here done anything like this before? Maybe you could give me some advice?

Geoschmo

[Thermodyne]

You could prolly do it with a little vb script.

Have it ping a remote host
on success wait then loop
on failure call the program that cycles the switch
then wait and loop.

Or get rid of the loops and schedule it to run every so often.

[Jack Simth]

Sorry, it just strikes me that it would be much simpler just to get one of those little power timer things that people use to control their Christmas Tree lights - set it to drop power for 15 minutes a day, and then that problem won't cause you more than 1 day of down-time at a stretch.

[geoschmo]

Jack Simth said:
Sorry, it just strikes me that it would be much simpler just to get one of those little power timer things that people use to control their Christmas Tree lights - set it to drop power for 15 minutes a day, and then that problem won't cause you more than 1 day of down-time at a stretch.

That would be simpler, but it wouldn't do anything useful. The only time that that I'm away from the server more than a day is if I'm on vacation. The rest of the time I can always reset it manually when needed when I get home. What I'm trying to do is figure out a way to get the thing back online in a few minutes instead of you all being down for hours waiting for me to get home.

[Sivran]

You could invest in a new modem

[geoschmo]

Well, true, but I wasn't totally convinced the modem hardware is the problem.

[Strategia_In_Ultima]

Two words: Cable Connection.

[NullAshton]

You could have multiple servers...

[Suicide Junkie]

StrategiaInUltima said:
Two words: Cable Connection.

Yes. That's what he has.
"Cable Modem" he said.