- I run two installations of AHP, each on it's own PC.
All my video runs on a XP Desktop. That AHP installation is 3.236 with all modules EXCEPT OnAlert.
My main system is AHP 3.228 – all modules EXCEPT iWitness, on a WIN7 Ultimate (RTM). AHP runs in XP compatibility mode as Administrator. (Don’t need to use resources running Virtual XP) And it was cool to have Win 7 update the CM15A driver during install!
Once I got all the components to 3.228 (took a couple of downgrades an upgrades to get the KR10A signals to be interpreted correctly), everything is working.
I’m dependent upon my systems being up and running and sometimes the router/modem hangs, or one of the PC’s gets an update and restarts. Sometimes AHP throws an error (mostly on the XP install – very little problems with Win7). There are lots of reasons connectivity between AHP and my BlackBerry can fail. I use email and macros to request & send status, alerts, and pictures via BlackBerry when I’m not able to use a laptop/PC for remote connections.
So I have a timed macro that
1. Flips a MONITORED phantom switch ON
2. Send myself an email with keyworf “X10:RouterReset” in the subject
3. Wait 15 minutes
4. Trigger RouterReset Macro
My Outlook does a Send/Receive every 7 minutes (always-on DSL) and has a rule to execute a RouterReset.bat file whenever it receives an email with “X10:RouterReset” in the subject.
The batch file runs “ahcmd sendplc F10 OFF” to flip the phantom off. If everything is working, this happens before the 15 minute WAIT completes.
The RouterReset macro looks at the phantom F10 and if it’s still ON, it turns OFF the Appliance Module that powers my Modem/Router for 10 seconds, then turns it back on. Otherwise it does nothing.
(There are emails embedded within the macros to let me know success/failure/status)
I have a similar set of status checking and reporting macros on the XP AHP Video system on the other PC, so my system(s) can never be down for more than 2 hours without me knowing (unless my BlackBerry is dead).
If WHEN MyHouse is down, the Modem/Router does get power-cycled, and the lack of status does cause me to LogMeIn or Remote connect to see/fix what’s going on – but that really doesn’t happen much.
CAUTION: - You have to make sure your email system does not send the AHP incoming emails to the JUNK or SPAM folders. – and Outlook 2010 has a problem with “remembering” the SAFE-Senders – I expect it to be fixed soon, but for anyone doing the Technical Review or Beta of Office 2010 – beware!
I catch a lot of grief and kidding from my better half and friends because of my “gadgets”, but when we’re out somewhere and my BlackBerry alerts me and shows me a picture of the UPS, Fed-Ex, or pest control guys entering my back gate – the kidding usually changes to, “Way cool – how can I do that?”
And to blow them away, I send a request for a camera scan which returns a spread of pictures covering every room inside, and all elevations/views outside – about 10 minutes later.
You gotta have some fun………………right!
