Here’s how I can now reset my WiFi box all on my own!
I’m so happy to know smart people who truly care about me.
So, how do you reach/reset your WiFi box if it goes down? Mine is unreachable from my chair, hence my need for this handy dandy invention.
– Tiff
that looks pretty cool, i don’t have a wifi, but i tap the powerstrip button with a reacher to reset my cable modem.
can i call you if i need some wireing done in my home/office:)
well, i wouldnt be the one to call. it’d be my friend. if you ever seriously need his services, send me an email and i’ll connect you two.
ps. no wifi?!
ok no wireless yet, office is under revamp, i may need a sexy teck chic though i know you can pull that off:)
Have you ever heard of X-10 ?
It is a system of transmitters and receivers that allows control of electrical devices using the house wiring as the medium to send signals.
Very simple example : Plug a lamp into a receiver, which plugs into a wall outlet. Plug a controller (transmitter) into a different wall outlet. The controller can turn that lamp on and off, even dim it, even from another room in the house.
There is also a wireless capability, so that a handheld wireless transmitter (like a TV remote) can send an RF signal to a wireless RF receiver that is plugged into the wall. That receiver than sends the x10 control signal into the house wiring to the x10 receiver connected to the controlled device.
Check out http://www.x10.com (and don’t let the racy graphics deter you), as well as http://www.smarthome.com. Smarthome also sells another similar system called Insteon.
Both of these have many different devices that work with their systems. I think Insteon is better but a little more expensive.
Many devices can be plugged in, but some can be hard wired – meaning you can replace an existing wall switch with an x10/insteon receiver, and make the light controllable with an x10/insteon transmitter.
One way I use it is to turn on the floodlights around my house – and I can do so from any part of my house.
So – to answer your question “how do you reach/reset your WiFi box if it goes down?” — you could plug the WiFi box into an x10 receiver module, plug an RF receiver in a wall outlet and keep an RF transmitter handy – pocket, velcro or sit on a desktop. Then you can turn off, then on the WiFi box.
Also note that an x10/insteon transmitter can control 2 to 16 different devices. Each receiver gets set to a unique code, but one transmitter can send many codes. So, you can use one transmitter to control your WiFi box, as well as lighting. SmartHome.com has some good explanations on how the whole system works. Sign up for their catalog for easy browsing.
Please note that I am not a salesman or stockholder for either of these companies – just a geek who loves technology and making it work for me 🙂
— Steve D., Gillette, NJ
Steve,
Damn. That’s a heckuva lot of GREAT info! Thank you so much for posting!! I don’t know a lot about technology, but I’ll save this info incase I run into more electrical-based issues in my home.
Tiff
You’re welcome! I forgot to mention that prices for X10 stuff is usually better at their website than at SmartHome, though SmartHome often has a greater selection of devices.
Also, you can find some X10 stuff on eBay, so shop around a bit.
I don’t follow this blog – in fact just came across it yesterday – so if you have specific questions you can get me at techwiz@webyte.us — I’ll be glad to help as much as time permits.
– Steve