I’m running a custom linux router using Shorewall. The router is not the problem. The actual dsl line is not the problem. The *modem* is the problem. I had a linksys router prior to this, and it only muddied the waters when it came to fixing the internet when the modem blanked out – turn off the modem, turn off the router, pluf the modem directly into the computer, turn the modem on, request a webpage, plug the modem back into the router, reset the router … pass. This is simple and automated. As i stated in the article, when this stops working, i’ll buy a new modem. No big deal.

The other problem is that lamp and appliance modules support a thing called local control (current sense). The problem that appears is that either the device doesn’t fully shut off (very bad if your rebooting a router and it doesn’t reset) or you shut it off and a couple of seconds later it turns it self back on. I’ve seen this problem with my old Netgear router (linear) and 3Com Audrey (switching, rated 50/60 Hz 100-120VAC). Neither would properly reset because the voltage outputs never dropped low enough for a proper reset.

On the subject of the UPS (I didn’t mention this), if a UPS were simply a relay controlled power source it would work fine but it’s not. Most UPS have some form of filtering and the X10 signal gets eaten (a black hole). When on battery backup X10 usually fails because it’s not a true sine wave. I’ve been told that high end UPSs reproduce a much more faithful sine wave but the normal UPSs fail. Whether it’s because it sees the pseudo-sine wave as multiple zero crossings, the pseudo-sine wave makes a bad carrier or something else I don’t know. The filtering is usually enough to keep X10 from not working so it’s avoided. My X10 is on the utility side of the UPS and it the UPS has a ‘filter’ to make the UPS’s impedance look close to infinite to the X10 signal (no black hole).

All of these subject have been covered on the newsgroup: comp.home.automation

BTW, I prefer the Insteon technology also. Too bad the Insteon products have of problems also (I won’t go into that right now). I’m also looking into UPB.

Furthermore, plugging an x-10 module into the batter lines of an UPS will work most of the time, as the the majority of all ups just have a relay that connects your computer to the wall when you are not on battery. When you switch to battery power obviously the modules not on the battery powered output of the ups won’t respond (since they don’t have power), but everything on the battery line of the ups will work fine. There will be a little more noise from the inverter circuitry, but since the modules are right next to each other they still work fine. There is no chance of damaging the x10 module.

In any case, I prefer the insteon implementation of the x10 standard (I have found it to be much more reliable, and often times much faster), but then again the ‘original’ x10 stuff is usually much cheaper.

And now that your computer is on the x10 network it is time to start having it control everything else in your house!

If this fails, it waits 5 minutes and tries again.

Paraller port lights up led-light to control the ADSL’s power, there is light-controlled power switch for booting ADSL-modem when the led lights up. So the computer’s paraller port is totally isolated from the electrical network.

http://www.geocities.com/idobartana/Modifying_Appliance_module.htm#Modifying%20appliance%20modules%20for%20local%20control

You just need to clip the appropriate diode and you’ll fix the problem.

And yes I know what I’m talking about. I wrote the book: “Linux Smart Homes For Dummies” and I have a chapter on using X10 to control a printer in a similar manor. :-)

It was sloppy, but worked great.

Wish I had had some of those x10 devices back then, but it probably wouldn’t have looked as cool.

http://misomosi.free.fr/?p=3

HTH.