Remote Control Power Switch

Should have looked here first, but for the record, here it is:

I did this for awhile through Homeseer. It worked but if you have a UPS nearby it can cause problems and may need a filter.

you may also check into updating your firmware. This helped my Linksys cable router but I've since switched to DSL.

The quick search I did on intelligent UPS seems to put it out of my price range.

The solution from X10 is about $30 delivered.

BTW, I do run the router and modem off a (dumb) UPS, but the X10 sales rep said that should not be a problem because it is a radio vs. power line signal.

I have four routers on my network. Updating all the firmware and then reconfiguring them isn't something I really want to do at this point when it might not even solve the problem.

I'll post results next week.

If you have an inteligent UPS, you may be able to control the UPS output remotely.

I've purchased new Belkin FC6 series UPS's for as little as US$35.

These can be controlled with UPSMON Plus v.2.73 (free) which has email and pager notification, timed running of exe files, timed weekly/hourly shutdown/startup for auto-recycling of power and other features. Check eBay for Buy It Now of new equipment

(The batteries in your existing UPS may be ready to give up the ghost anyway. UPSMON.exe is a good tool for testing battery capacity *under load* --- nothing else matters. Many UPS including some/most Belkin FC6 series use the ubiquitous 12vdc 7AH sealed lead batteries.)

An X-10 'solution' to improve reliability. What a concept! ;-)

Marc Marc_F_Hult

Sure. Use an unused pair in the existing CAT-5 (or preferably pull another cable) and wire in a low-voltage relay with the contacts in series with the power strip or (safer) the conductor in the low-voltage wire from the wall-wart to the router(s).

$1-$3 for the relay if you don't have one. For power, use a battery or an old wall-wart transformer from dead/unused gear.

Worst case cost is $5 and more reliable than the X-10 'solution' you've proposed. If you pull another CAT5 (eight conductors) you can easily control seven different devices independently.

Marc Marc_F_Hult

Make sure you factor in aspirin for the headaches you're about to start having.

Yeah, well, the range on X-10 RF devices is nearly as miserably bad as their powerline noise problems. Try it but don't be surprised if it's unreliable. Just resign yourself to making a $30 bet and just throw it away when it doesn't work.

4 routers? For what and how are they configured such that it's not a simple reload of the stored settings?

With pictures before and after you tear out the hair?

Believe it or not, the four routers each have a purpose, but nothing I want to describe on the internet.

Couldn't find anything about the Belkin UPS described, but I didn't look that hard. I assume it can be remote controlled, since that is the basis for my post.

For $30, I don't plan on tearing out any hair. If the thing doesn't work right away, my credit card charge will be disputed and nothing paid. Companies cannot charge shipping for products that don't work. At least, they never have successfully charged ME.

Nice solution, but my labor rate pushes that solution out of the budget. Pulling another cable from the basement to the second floor would be a hell of a pain. Should have done it when I built the house. Oh well.

Unless you are using Gigabit, you could use the unused pairs in the existing Cat 5. If the voltage regulation is in the device and the wall-wart is unregulated, you might even get away with moving the wall-wart upstairs, and feeding the power down the ethernet to it. This is a kind of poor man's replacement for 802.3af (Power Over Ethernet spec). Then you could momentarily flick the power off and on again.

There's an article on (real) 802.3af here:

My burglar alarm has a built-in X10 controller, so I do remote control with X10. I access my network remotely sometimes, and this also enables me to power cycle any of the bits of kit by calling up the burglar alarm if something's gone down when I'm not at home.

What's that? You don't believe that "open" security is the best?!? (Sorry, but I couldn't resist!)

It's more than likely you'll be successful. Most X-10 problems don't materialize until you have installed more than a handful of devices. For the application you're considering, you'll very likely be fine. The TM-751, IIRC, will be *between* the router and the UPS and operated by RF so there won't be any PLC issues. Even if your UPS tursn out to be the mother black hole of all signal suckers, it wouldn't matter a bit for this job.

Now if you wanted to reset all 4 routers at once, that might be a little dicier. I would recommend getting a TM-751 for each of them. You can find them on E-bay for $12 or so each. That way, they would all be RF dependent. Any signal sucking properties of the UPSs (known offenders in the X-10 world) would then be irrelevant because no powerline signals are being used.

If the RF signal isn't strong enough you could try several things. First, trying changing the orientation of the chrome telescoping antenna. Then, try relocating the TM-751 closer by means of an extension cord. If there's still a range problem, consider buying a more powerful Palmpad remote or doing one of the antenna mods found on the web.

Most times, just changing the angle of the TM751 itself will work wonders. I control my porchlights with one, and that's going through at least two plaster and lathe walls and a distance of about 18 feet. I used extension cords to mount my transceiver high up behind a valance with extension cords. If I were staying in this house, I might have run an outlet up there.

I doubt if you could find anything cheaper to do the job, especially if you are wise enough, as you did, to factor in what your own time is worth. I hope you'll report back on the end result.

Good luck!

-- Bobby G.

Andrew,

Thanks for the very helpful tip. The X10 equipment arrived and works fine for the original application, but I might use your advice to run my VoIP line up here so I don't have to use a wireless phone.

wasn't immediately apparent exactly what I need to do, but I haven't really read it carefully yet.

Brian

Thanks for all the replies to my original post.

The X10 equipment arrived this morning. I plugged it in, and it works fine from the 2nd floor to the basement. A bit of interference with a

900 mhz phone, but that's no problem. Unfortunately, I haven't needed to reset my equipment for a couple of days. Hopefully, my setup will have frequent outages so I get to use my new toy.

One last update. The remote switching was not very reliable from the second floor down to the receiver unit plugged directly into the basement UPS, so I used an extension cord to move the receiver unit away from the UPS. I also mounted it close to the ceiling to decrease the distance the signal has to travel. Now it seems to work perfectly.