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[hdtvjeff]

When I had strictly a landline phone, rebooting a Modem/Router was easy. I would simply call my number, and turn off then on the modules.

With Internet Telephony where one uses a  modem to get their phone or has magic jack connected to their router how does one achieve this?

I have a x10 TR551 and various modules too.

All I wish to do is send a command to turn the router off then on, but if I send a command to turn it off, power and internet is lost and I cannot turn it back on until I am physically back on site.

Is there a module or a mod that would allow it to be on all the time then a command to momentarily turn it off and then retrigger "On' sequence without a command?

I do member an anomaly where I put a 3 prong appliance module into a power strip and I don't know why but when I sent a command  to turn it off it did, and without my doing anything momentarily thereafter it turned it back on.

Thank you for any information!

[HA Dave]

You can write a macro. Send an OFF command.... wait one minute then send an ON (as a safety... wait another minute and send ON again). The macro would run on the computer which will continue to function during the modem/router reboot.

[dave w]

HA Dave's solution is the best way to go, but requires computer control of your modules. You did not mention having any sort of computer control i.e. CM15A and AHP software.

The link is for modifying an Appliance Module for "momentary" operation. Actually all it does is break the loop of feedback the AM controller chip uses to detect the open or close status of the relay. When it does not see a change of status after a command it will "fire" the relay two more times. This (marginally) causes momentary action. If the AM is on and an OFF command is received, the module will rapidly turn off-on-off-on. Whether the two off cycles will be enough to reboot your modem is the question.

I believe this mod may only work on the older style modules (controller chip is a "black caterpillar" leaded style chip, not the solder side of PC board, surface mounted chip). 

http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/modifying_appliance_module.htm

Stupid question follows: If you have a telephony modem (cable modem?) doesn't it have battery back-up?

[dhouston]

Does your router have a Restart feature?

[hdtvjeff]

Thanks for the replies.

It is a Netgear router.

I just thought there was a standalone x10 module that would without mod after receiving "off" signal automatically go back "on"

Once I trigger the off command I lose internet ability since the phone line is IP based, hence the need for a smart module which would only be a momentary off.

Ironically, I connected a module to a power strip and funny enough as I tested it, it fired back to on automatically when I sent an off command.

I do not know why it did this or I can replicate that.

Thanks!

[Brian H]

There is no X10 module designed to do a momentary Off and back On.
It almost sounds like your module had a Local Control Sensing feature or the module you had was re-triggered by a noise spike from something on you power strip.

There was a momentary modification for the older Appliance Modules. Where you sent it an On and it pulsed from On to Off and back On.
I don't believe it worked with the later electronics CFL Friendly Models.

Also you may need a small time between the Off and back On. To short and the Router may not have enough time to do a power up reset properly.

[dhouston]

http://lifehacker.com/5548323/remotely-reboot-your-router-from-any-browser

[hdtvjeff]

There is no X10 module designed to do a momentary Off and back On.
It almost sounds like your module had a Local Control Sensing feature or the module you had was re-triggered by a noise spike from something on you power strip.

There was a momentary modification for the older Appliance Modules. Where you sent it an On and it pulsed from On to Off and back On.
I don't believe it worked with the later electronics CFL Friendly Models.

Also you may need a small time between the Off and back On. To short and the Router may not have enough time to do a power up reset properly.



I have several appliance modules from 10 to 15 years ago by radioshack. How might I know if it can be modded? Is there a tutorial?

Thank  you!

[Brian H]

The link was in dave w's post.
http://www.idobartana.com/hakb/modifying_appliance_module.htm

Radio Shacks X10 modules where an OEM from X10 and had the same internal parts. Different case and label.

On the same link page.
Further down is a photo of Disable Local Control Newer Modules.
The 330K {Orange/Orange/Yellow} is the one next to the outlet pins
Remember do the mod after making sure the Appliance Module was On before the mod.

[Noam]

I've done something similar - in two different ways:
1. For a while, I had a secondary (Verizon) router that would lock up. It sat behind my rock-solid primary router, so I had a script that passed a command through to one of my local machines that was running X10Commander. The command kicked off a macro to kill power to the router (via an appliance module), wait 30 seconds, and then power it back up (with an extra "on" for good measure). That worked file while I needed it (sometimes several times per week). I've since changed routers, so that method isn't usable anymore.
2. Now that my primary router is the one that has occasional hiccups (thanks, Verizon). Since I can't hit it remotely when it has problems, I'm using a rather old program called X10Ping , which checked for external connectivity (from one of my local machines), and then power-cycles the router (using an appliance module) if it loses the Internet connection for more than a few minutes. It keeps a nice log, and has only been needed a few times - but it is fully automatic.