Power/Internet Outage Program...

[jmed999]

How do I write a program to notify me when the power goes out and comes back on and when the internet goes out and comes back on? I have an Elk M1G...not sure if it's needed to do this or not.

 

Thanks for your help!

[Xathros]

Hi jmed999-

 

Power restored is simple. Just write a program to send a notification and make that run at startup.

 

Power out is slightly more complex. Assuming that your insternet (Modem, router, switches) and ISY, PLM are UPS powered (some issues with this), you can write a program as follows:

 

Program: CheckPower

If 
  Status [i]Some Insteon Device[/i] is Responding

Then
  wait 2 minutes
  Run CheckPower (If path)

Else
  Notify - Your Cell - Power Lost

 

As for the internet, I built a test that works for me and some others that depends on a DNS lookup to prove internet connectivity and set a variable. This works for some but depends on the ability to get a true response from an external DNS server without your Router or modem answering from cache. Requires UDI Network resources module.

 

Here is the thread on that: http://forum.universal-devices.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=9201&hilit=check+internet

 

-Xathros

[jmed999]

Thanks Xathros! Would all those work if the ISY, router, modem, is on UPS?

[Xathros]

Thanks Xathros! Would all those work if the ISY, router, modem, is on UPS?

 

Yes, in theory.

 

The issue I alluded to above is related to how the UPS and PLM react to each other. As you have no doubt seen in many other threads here, a UPS can cause significant comm problems if not filtered. If you filter the UPS and your PLM is on the UPS, you have effectively broken you powerline communications between the PLM and the rest of your Insteon network. To resolve this, you would either use a dual band PLM (2413S) on the UPS and an access point not on the UPS but within RF range to bridge the USP/Filter via RF. Best setup in my mind would be 2 access points on opposite phases at the service cabinet and the ISY, PLM (2413), Modem, Router on a shelf next to the service cabinet all on the UPS. If you are still using an older 2412S PLM like me, you could add another access point plugged right into the PLM to jump out over the UPS/Filter via RF.

 

The other issue with the internet test is related to your router. Some routers try to be helpful and cache DNS lookups. If yours does, then the test may indicate a false positive even when your internet is down. This works for me using a dd-wrt based Linksys WRT54-GL and currently with DD-WRT x86 v24-Sp2 running on a mini PC. I think it DID NOT WORK on an Actiontec combo modem/router but that is a vague memory. the fail report may be in that same thread that I linked to earlier.

 

-Xathros