X10 Community Forum

🔌General Home Automation => Automating Your House => Topic started by: kevin on May 25, 2005, 12:12:10 PM

Title: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: kevin on May 25, 2005, 12:12:10 PM
I am thinking of buying the X10 ActiveHome
Pro software with the USB computer
tranceiver. Mainly what I want to be able to
do is turn computers on and off remotely. So
for instance, I can remote desktop into my
home computer while I am at work, open the
x10 software and send a command to turn a
certain computer in my house on or off. I
need to know what particular module I need
to do this... I am sure I need a 3 pin
module but was looking at these 2 different
ones:

-X10 Pro Appliance Module with AGC (3 Pin)
(http://www.activehomepro.com/accessories/pro
/pam02_wa1_s.html)

OR

-X10 Appliance Module (3-pin) Grounded
(http://www.x10.com/automation/am466_s.html)

Do I need the more expensive AGC one if I am
hooking computers to this? what will having
AGC do for me that the second one without it
won't do?


The next thing I was wondering is, I have
about 4 server computers all plugged into
the same power strip. The power strip is
plugged into a single wall outlet. Can I put
4 of these x10 appliance modules into the
power strip, and then one computer into each
module? will this still work turning on and
off each computer seperately? or will it
turn the ENTIRE power strip on and off?

Thanks!
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: X10 Pro on May 25, 2005, 01:18:47 PM
Kevin: A regular X10 appliance module should
be fine. If you plug 4 appliance modules into
a power strip you will be able to control
each of them separately. Your biggest problem
is likely to be getting your computer to
start up when power is restored. Most PCs
these days don't have hard power switches.
Instead they work like your TV probably does
-- when you plug it in, it has power but
doesn't start until you press the button. If
you can find a way around that you should be
good to go.
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: Tigger on May 25, 2005, 01:42:44 PM
 
I use one of the X10 outlets for this
exact purpose.  An alarm panel turns
off this outlet daily, and then back on
again a minute later.

The computer (running windows ME) is set
to ALWAYS start up in normal mode.

The computer is in a remote area, and this
was done to ensure that the system is always
up-and-running.

Initially, the machine was an old 233-mhz
system with an "AT" power supply, so it
wasn't an issue.

When that motherboard failed due to age,
I replaced it with a newer unit,
with an ATX power supply.

Since I needed the PC to power up whenever
power was applied, I tied the GREEN WIRE
on the ATX motherboard connector to GROUND.

This basically straps the power supply "ON".

(You won't be able to just short the power
switch - this will cause the machine to
either cycle on/off or go into standby mode.)



T
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: roger1818 on May 25, 2005, 02:36:50 PM
Kevin,

A few things you need to consider:



[TTA Edit: Re-formatted to utilize new forum software's full screen width (and added a couple of LISTs) for improved readability. ;) ]
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: zotee98 on July 03, 2007, 11:24:33 AM
has anyone had any luck with wake on lan and routers. i tired this method but have not been able to get it to work. good suggestion about the grounding! might go that way.
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: Oldtimer on July 03, 2007, 09:30:58 PM
Here's a bit of history to show how far we've come.

In the early 1980s I wanted to be able to access my IBM XT DOS home computer from work to be able to grab the occasional file I needed:



[TTA Edit: Added WHITESPACE to improve readability.]
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: TakeTheActive on July 04, 2007, 03:07:54 PM

...A better option might be to use a universal module in “momentary” mode and connect it to the power switch on the computer.  The computer will do a proper shutdown when turned off this way.  It will also turn on the computer.

The most recent computer hardware and OS that I'm familiar with is my 2001 Dell Dimension 4100 running Win2K Pro SP4. (I also have a 2003 Dell PowerEdge 400SC, but I'm only now getting around to setting it up. :-[ )

It is my experience that turning a computer off by pressing the Power Button or removing power (i.e. unplugging it from the wall outlet) *BOTH* result in the possible corruption / loss of files and the *ONLY* safe way to power down is by CLICKing on START -> Shutdown -> Shutdown. If the computer is ACPI-compliant, it will turn off at the end of that sequence. Otherwise, there will be a message on the screen stating (words to the effect of) "It is now safe to turn off your computer."

Have things changed since then? ???
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: TakeTheActive on July 04, 2007, 03:29:21 PM

I've given this subject "random thought" on-and-off over the years and the POWER DOWN was always the "stumbling block" for me. Looking at it again today, after a long absence, I'd suggest:


Note: Within the next day or so, I'll try to look at the BIOSes in my three latest computers (Dell 400SC, Dell 4100, Gateway 6400) and see if there are any options for changing the function of the PUSH ON / PUSH OFF Power Switch that I'm currently not aware of.
Title: Re: [How-Do-I] Turn a Computer ON and OFF With X10 Modules?
Post by: Oldtimer on March 08, 2008, 11:01:50 PM
I'm adding this post to this thread because I think the program "Poweroff" might be a useful tool if you're trying control a computer remotely, particularly since it has a rich set set of command line options for use in batch files which are supported in both AHP and several 3rd party add ons.

We have been using the scheduled POWEROFF function for over six months on my wife's computer without any problems and I just added it to my computer. Our computers power down automatically just after our normal bed time in case we forget to do so or are late getting home. I expect to start experimenting with the remote control POWEROFF and WAKE-ON-LAN functions soon. These applications do not require batch files, by the way, unless you want to use them that way.

The other functions directly supported are LOGOFF, REBOOT, SHUTDOWN, STANDBY, HIBERNATE, TURN ON MONITOR, TURN OFF MONITOR, NO ACTION and LOCK.

Click on this link to get more information and download your own copy to play with.  The manual is included.

http://users.telenet.be/jbosman/applications.html

I'd suggest creating a "Poweroff" folder in "Program Files" to download the zip file and extract it.

The manual is included in the zip file.  It's eleven pages but you only need to print the first eight since the rest is a change history.

Pay particular attention to the "Save Settings" explanation under Figure 11 and the "Create Service" explanation under Figure 12 if you want to schedule regular occurrences of a particular function such as POWEROFF.