Need hardware (and software) to reset power when internet connection is lost

[Deozaan]

Hi all,

I have a few Raspberry Pis functioning as media servers or whatnot, including running other things (such as self-hosted version control) that require an external internet connection or allow other people connect to my devices remotely. But the problem is that my modem frequently stops communicating with the outside world and the only fix seems to be to reboot it. Otherwise it will happily sit there for hours without an internet connection and never self-recover.

If I'm home when it happens, it's annoying to have the frequent interruptions to streaming Netflix or YouTube or whatever, but it's not a huge ordeal to fix it. I just walk over and pull the power cord and plug it back in. But when I'm not home, which is ostensibly when I really need my internet to be reliable for accessing my files/devices, I obviously can't remotely reboot the modem. So hours go by without an internet connection at home because no one is around to reboot the modem.

What would be nice would be to have a "smart" power switch that could detect the lack of an internet connection, cut and restore power to an external device (the modem) and then wait a few minutes for the modem to finish rebooting before going back into internet connection detection mode and being ready to do it all again if/when necessary.

If something like this already exists and is fairly inexpensive, I'd love to hear about it. Otherwise, I'm thinking it must be possible somehow as a kind of DIY Raspberry Pi project. And as mentioned, I already have a few Raspberry Pis sitting around that I could use if needed.

Does anyone have any tips or suggestions--or even better: links to hardware and/or instructions--on how to get the desired result of rebooting my modem any time it loses its connection to the internet, so I don't have to babysit it all the time or be afraid of leaving my house for extended periods of time?

Thanks!

[wraith808]

I had this problem a while ago and looked into this solution:

http://whatimade.tod...01-and-single-relay/

I ended up getting in on a Kickstarter project that basically packaged that without me having to do it.  They still sell those items.

https://shop.wireboot.com/

[4wd]

https://shop.wireboot.com/

-wraith808 (February 13, 2021, 03:19 PM)

Another perspective with this device:
It depended on a server running under the control of the creator to set it up, (I don't even know if it's still running).
It was a Kickstarter project run by someone who apparently has a history of thinking up good ideas but then never fully follows through with them after an initial run. There are a ton of reports of people not receiving anything or that they didn't work properly.

Source: I had one and it's operation was "iffy".
https://www.kickstar...ically-rebo/comments
(As of 14 days ago there's still a comment about not receiving a product, the creator has not logged into Kickstarter for 14 months, and the project has never been updated from Pre-order - not updated since almost the time it was created.)

You could have had mine for free but I threw it out last year
I had the version with a 433MHz module for controlling respective power switches.

I was going to use it for when I'm overseas for 3-6 months at a time. In the end I set the computer up with a shutdown schedule, had it automatically boot on power on, and then used a timer switch to shut down the power to it and the modem for 15 mins every day at a time I wasn't likely to be using it.
It ran flawlessly this way for years.

Another alternative would be a ZigBee adapter for a RasPi along with a ZigBee controlled power switch, then you're not reliant on WiFi if it's provided by the modem/router.

Otherwise I would think an appropriately rated relay connected to the RasPi GPIO to switch the power to the modem would be easy enough.
eg. https://www.electron...-using-raspberry-pi/

Remember, you only need to switch the 12v DC, (usually), for the modem, not the 110v AC of the mains, so mains isolation is not a problem.
It should then be as simple as pinging Google every few minutes and triggering the GPIO on a run of 3 failures, (for example).

Also, you didn't mention, if your modem takes alternative firmware then maybe there's a facility in that to test/reboot.

[x16wda]

Well whatever you end up with, be sure to check "this" out first... Don't trust the title, check product description! 

[x16wda]

So that said, looks like this unit might actually do what you want. Seems a little pricey but depends on how bad you want it.

[wraith808]

Another perspective with this device:
It depended on a server running under the control of the creator to set it up, (I don't even know if it's still running).
It was a Kickstarter project run by someone who apparently has a history of thinking up good ideas but then never fully follows through with them after an initial run. There are a ton of reports of people not receiving anything or that they didn't work properly.

-4wd (February 13, 2021, 04:28 PM)

Thanks for chiming in. I never had a problem with mine, and used a throwaway google account for the service, so never knew things went so badly. I stopped using it a while ago when I was able to get my own modem.

But yeah, I don't think it would be too hard or expensive to hack this together yourself- I just used that because I didn't want to reinvent the wheel and it worked for me.

[4wd]

and used a throwaway google account for the service,

-wraith808 (February 13, 2021, 09:40 PM)

Same here, there's a mention in the comments that someone was getting an error when trying to login, that was about 3 years ago.

Anyway, some Python I hacked together that might do the job on the RPi, (TestNet.py):

Code: Python [Select]

1. #!/bin/python
2.  
3. # python TestNet.py
4.  
5. # Power to load goes through relay NC (normally closed) contacts so relay
6. # doesn't have to be activated all the time
7.  
8. # sudo apt-get install python-requests
9.  
10. import datetime
11. import requests
12. import signal
13. import sys
14. import time
15. import RPi.GPIO as GPIO
16.  
17. def exit_handler(signum, frame):   # releases GPIO when you hit Ctrl-C to exit
18.   GPIO.cleanup()
19.   sys.exit(0)
20.  
21. signal.signal(signal.SIGINT, exit_handler) # Handle Ctrl-C
22.  
23. pinNum = 8                         # GPIO pin relay is activated on
24. GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)             # numbering scheme that corresponds to breakout board and pin layout
25. GPIO.setup(pinNum, GPIO.OUT)       # replace pinNum with whatever pin you used, this sets up that pin as an output
26. url = "http://www.google.com"      # URL to test connection
27. timeout = 5                        # connection timeout in seconds
28. connected = 0                      # connection counter, incremented on failure
29. failNum = 4                        # number of consecutive failures before reboot
30. interval = 180                     # interval between connection attempts in seconds
31.  
32. while True:
33.   now = datetime.datetime.now()    # get the current date/time
34.   try:
35.     request = requests.get(url, timeout = timeout)  # connection attempt
36.     print(now.strftime("%Y%m%d-%H%M%S") + ': Connected to the Internet')
37.     connected = 0                  # reset counter on successful connection
38.   except (requests.ConnectionError, requests.Timeout) as exception:
39.     connected += 1                 # increment counter on connection failure
40.     print(now.strftime("%Y%m%d-%H%M%S") + ': No internet connection, failure: %s' % connected)
41.  
42.   if connected >= failNum:         # too many failures
43.     print (now.strftime("%Y%m%d-%H%M%S") + ': Rebooting modem')
44.     GPIO.output(pinNum, GPIO.HIGH) # output high, turn on relay
45.     time.sleep(30)                 # wait 30 seconds
46.     GPIO.output(pinNum, GPIO.LOW)  # output low, turn off relay
47. #    time.sleep(120)                # optional extra sleep period after a reboot, in case more time than normal interval required,  in seconds
48.  
49.   time.sleep(interval)             # sleep until next connection attempt

Sample output (you can comment out the print statements if output isn't required or redirect to null/file), this is before I added a timestamp to the output lines:

Code: Text [Select]

1. pi@raspberrypi:~ $ python ./TestNet.py
2. Connected to the Internet
3. Connected to the Internet
4. No internet connection, failure: 1
5. No internet connection, failure: 2
6. Connected to the Internet
7. Connected to the Internet
8. No internet connection, failure: 1
9. No internet connection, failure: 2
10. No internet connection, failure: 3
11. No internet connection, failure: 4
12. Rebooting modem
13. Connected to the Internet
14. Connected to the Internet

NOTE: Not tested with a relay connected but the GPIO commands are pretty basic so it should work, (plus it didn't blow up), using the same basic circuit as in the site I mentioned above.

[Deozaan]

I had this problem a while ago and looked into this solution:

http://whatimade.tod...01-and-single-relay/

-wraith808 (February 13, 2021, 03:19 PM)

Otherwise I would think an appropriately rated relay connected to the RasPi GPIO to switch the power to the modem would be easy enough.
eg. https://www.electron...-using-raspberry-pi/

Remember, you only need to switch the 12v DC, (usually), for the modem, not the 110v AC of the mains, so mains isolation is not a problem.
It should then be as simple as pinging Google every few minutes and triggering the GPIO on a run of 3 failures, (for example).

-4wd (February 13, 2021, 04:28 PM)

Both of these look like perfectly reasonable solutions, and I think I could buy all the parts needed to make it for under $5, including shipping, on AliExpress. But I'll have to wait 1-2 months for them to arrive. Or even longer, since the order won't even be processed for another 1-2 weeks due to Lunar New Year celebrations halting virtually all business in China.

The cheapskate in me wants to do this method. But it's far enough out of my depth of knowledge that I'm not even sure I'm adding the right parts to my shopping cart. I'd hate to wait the 2 months for the parts to arrive only to realize that I got the wrong things or I can't get it to work.

I don't have any training or experience with wiring circuit boards to things. And I don't know much about switches and relays and circuits and... electronics or electricity in general, I guess.

In the end I set the computer up with a shutdown schedule, had it automatically boot on power on, and then used a timer switch to shut down the power to it and the modem for 15 mins every day at a time I wasn't likely to be using it.
It ran flawlessly this way for years.

-4wd (February 13, 2021, 04:28 PM)

That won't work for me. It goes out sporadically. Sometimes it goes a few days without an outage. Other days I have multiple outages within an hour or two of the previous one. So only cycling the power once per day won't be robust enough for me.

Another alternative would be a ZigBee adapter for a RasPi along with a ZigBee controlled power switch, then you're not reliant on WiFi if it's provided by the modem/router.

[...]

Also, you didn't mention, if your modem takes alternative firmware then maybe there's a facility in that to test/reboot.

-4wd (February 13, 2021, 04:28 PM)

My modem and router are separate devices, so I can power-cycle the modem without losing local WiFi. I've been happily running custom DD-WRT firmware on my router for years, but I never thought of looking for custom firmware for my modem. I guess I always imagined it as a "dumb" or "black box" signal relay between my router and my ISP. It's an Arris SURFboard SB6190.


I didn't know what a ZigBee was so I looked it up and it appears to just be a smart plug. I actually bought a smart plug recently, but it was a Christmas gift for someone else. I got a really good deal on it (only $1!) but I thought I'd never want to use one, because I didn't want it snooping on me and phoning home without my knowledge/consent. Do you happen to know if smart plugs in general, or the ZigBee specifically, snoop and phone home about stuff? I guess there's not much data that could be gathered from a smart plug, assuming it doesn't have a (potentially hidden) microphone or camera. I think the only things it could know about are just the times/schedule when it is on or off, and perhaps the name of my SSID and nearby SSIDs. But even so, I don't like the idea of internet-connected devices which report on me to their overlords (says the guy with multiple Android devices and multiple Windows 10 PCs in his household...).

This looks like the middle ground as far as convenience and cost goes, considering I already have the RasPi. But it's still slightly on the spendy side when you account for not only the smart plug but also the USB adapter for the RasPi. Looks like it's going to be somewhere in the range of $35-50. To be honest, the ZigBee method seems kind of like the worst of both worlds. Kind of spendy compared to using a simple relay, but still enough DIY jerry rigging that I'm not confident about the process.

So that said, looks like this unit might actually do what you want. Seems a little pricey but depends on how bad you want it.

-x16wda (February 13, 2021, 07:40 PM)

Yes, that does look like exactly the kind of thing I want. It is a bit pricey, but I suppose that's the convenience cost of having everything done for me and being able to get it right away.


After thinking about it for a while (while typing this up) I've decided to go with both of the extremes, which I guess averages out to the perfect middle ground.

I see I neglected one important aspect of the problem I'm facing, which is that losing my internet connection isn't just a problem for me when I'm away from home. The reason this is a problem anytime I'm not immediately available to spring into action is because I also keep my RasPi connected to at least one cryptocurrency peer-to-peer network in which I can be penalized or deemed less trustworthy if someone tries to connect to my device and it doesn't respond. It's not making me rich, but it's earning me a decent amount of money simply for keeping a device running/connected that I'm already leaving running/connected 24/7 anyway as my personal media server and whatnot.

So this internet outage issue is a problem even when I'm at home: any time I'm sleeping, or outside doing housework, or even when I'm inside doing something (such as taking a shower) that makes me unlikely to notice or unable to respond right away when there's an internet connectivity problem. The issue can strike at any time and the consequences are not just "oh darn I can't listen to my music right now, I guess I'll have to be bored." It can actually "cost" me money in the form of missing out on opportunities to earn cryptocurrency.

So I ordered the ezOutlet3 because it's a finished product I can get from Amazon (2-day shipping!) and then I can start enjoying relative peace of mind very soon. I don't like the fact that it appears to phone home to some 3rd party server which they claim is only to help relay the connection between their device and the smartphone app. And I don't like how expensive it is.

But I'm also planning to order the parts to make my own solution following the instructions linked to by 4wd or wraith808. That way I won't feel stressed if it takes 3 months to arrive. And I can figure out how to put all the pieces and wires together and program it to behave the way I want to at a leisurely pace, without time pressure. And if it ends up for one reason or another that I ordered the wrong parts or I can't get it to work, then I'm only out an additional $5 and I won't be filled with regret about having to buy the ezOutlet3 anyway after months of waiting for the other things. But if I do end up getting it to work the way I want to, then maybe I can sell the ezOutlet3 on eBay to help recoup some of the costs.

[Ath]

I'm also planning to order the parts to make my own solution following the instructions linked to

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 02:10 AM)

In most countries there are shops that supply an assortment of AliExpress goods from local stock, their prices are somewhat higher than the Ali prices, of course, but they manage to deliver in days instead of months, on average. You just have to find the right shop in your country

[mouser]

On amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLTN49M/
and https://www.amazon.c...essary/dp/B07MCRQPCS

[4wd]

Both of these look like perfectly reasonable solutions, and I think I could buy all the parts needed to make it for under $5, including shipping, on AliExpress. But I'll have to wait 1-2 months for them to arrive. Or even longer, since the order won't even be processed for another 1-2 weeks due to Lunar New Year celebrations halting virtually all business in China.

The cheapskate in me wants to do this method. But it's far enough out of my depth of knowledge that I'm not even sure I'm adding the right parts to my shopping cart. I'd hate to wait the 2 months for the parts to arrive only to realize that I got the wrong things or I can't get it to work.

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 02:10 AM)

Mouser Electronics, all in stock:
1k resistor
1N4007 diode
5V relay
BC548 transistor
Total: $3.41 + Postage

Plus a plug and socket to match the output lead of the existing modem PSU, (I'd usually just cannibalise something I have laying around ... got a lot of old modem/routers atm because of the big NBN upgrade).

If you haven't got a soldering iron, etc then a cheap solderless breadboard is $3.80, (that one seems to be big enough to take the relay).
NOTE: This needs checking, lead length on the relay is 3.6mm - the specs for the breadboard don't mention minimum lead length for components but if my breadboards are anything to go by that lead length might be a little on the short side.

If you're wondering why the change of transistor, (BC548 vs original BC547), the relay draws 106mA, the BC547 is rated to 100mA.  The BC548 chosen is rated for 200mA, a little safety margin against the transistor going blah. Base-Emitter and Emitter-Collector voltage is a little less but the diode is there to clamp the spike from the relay so should be OK.

I didn't know what a ZigBee was so I looked it up and it appears to just be a smart plug. I actually bought a smart plug recently, but it was a Christmas gift for someone else. I got a really good deal on it (only $1!) but I thought I'd never want to use one, because I didn't want it snooping on me and phoning home without my knowledge/consent. Do you happen to know if smart plugs in general, or the ZigBee specifically, snoop and phone home about stuff? I guess there's not much data that could be gathered from a smart plug, assuming it doesn't have a (potentially hidden) microphone or camera. I think the only things it could know about are just the times/schedule when it is on or off, and perhaps the name of my SSID and nearby SSIDs. But even so, I don't like the idea of internet-connected devices which report on me to their overlords (says the guy with multiple Android devices and multiple Windows 10 PCs in his household...).

ZigBee is a closed network system, it has no connection to the internet or any, (normal), WiFi interworking at all, it's low power, slow (250kbps), and intended for home automation, set and forget remote sensors, battery powered sensors, etc.
Maximum of 100m range LOS and capable of mesh working, ie. the clients don't need to all be within range of the host, they can relay messages from client to client until it gets to the intended client.

I have a couple of ZigBee plugs here that I can control through the Echo Plus, (it has an inbuilt ZigBee host).

I wouldn't be surprised if there was an Alexa Skill to monitor an internet connection and trigger a smart plug ... I should do a search.

[Shades]

The electrical grid in Paraguay is flawed, to put it mildly. The office where I work is in an area. if you go to the second floor, you can see the outer wall of a power relay station from the national grid. Still, even there it is bad.

Anyway, these last few years there was only one company that could connect the office using a cable connection and because of that crappy grid we went through a lot of modems. Almost 2 years ago a similar problem like the one from the OP happened to the current modem. Being fed up with our ISP simply replacing the modem as a "solution" (and the configuration headache that gives me), the power supply was changed. Originally the modem comes with a "wall wart" power supply. As my boss is playing around with self build 3D-printers, there was a spare power supply for a heat-bed available and I used that instead of the original power supply. Volt output on both supplies were practically matching, the heat-bed power supply is capable of delivering more amps, but is "smart" and detects what amps are needed and only delivers what is needed.

Modem, till this day, works perfectly again.

My take on it is that the original power supply is made as cheaply as possible and electronics do degrade over time. The original power supply just couldn't deliver the required volts/amps reliably enough anymore, which introduced all kinds of weird behavior, including the need to reboot/power-cycle the modem once a day.

Still, if you need to do a power-cycle once per 24 hours, you could consider a much more basic (but very reliable) method, like programmable outlets:
APC-P4GC-Wall-Surge-Protector
GE-Programmable-Grounded-Intervals

Very cheap, very reliable.

Or if you want an analog one:
NSi-Industries-TORK-RTN312-Incandescent

Or one you can control by voice (if you have an Alexa):
LINGANZH-Required-Wireless-Remotely-Anywhere

[Deozaan]

On amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GLTN49M/
and https://www.amazon.c...essary/dp/B07MCRQPCS

-mouser (February 14, 2021, 04:54 AM)

Wow. I tried looking for similar, cheaper devices than the ezOutlet3 but didn't see anything that appeared to do the same thing. Considering those are half the cost of the ezOutlet3, I'm going to try to cancel the original order I made last night and go for one of those as my short-term solution.

Mouser Electronics, all in stock:
1k resistor
1N4007 diode
5V relay
BC548 transistor
Total: $3.41 + Postage

Plus a plug and socket to match the output lead of the existing modem PSU, (I'd usually just cannibalise something I have laying around ... got a lot of old modem/routers atm because of the big NBN upgrade).

If you haven't got a soldering iron, etc then a cheap solderless breadboard is $3.80, (that one seems to be big enough to take the relay).
NOTE: This needs checking, lead length on the relay is 3.6mm - the specs for the breadboard don't mention minimum lead length for components but if my breadboards are anything to go by that lead length might be a little on the short side.

-4wd (February 14, 2021, 05:55 AM)

Oh, double wow! I was looking at the relay module thinking it was going to be a lot of DIY. This is even more DIY, essentially building a relay module from its smaller components. I do have a soldering iron. I'm almost completely inexperienced with soldering, but I have replaced a couple of microswitches in my computer mice a few times. And I do have an old modem power supply which probably has the same rating as the current one, which I think I could cannibalize for this project. So it looks like that list includes just about everything I'd need, but wouldn't I also need some kind of breadboard wires (jumper cables?) for connecting the RasPi directly to the relay?

[Deozaan]

To everyone who has responded (or will yet respond) to this thread: Thank you very much for your input! I'm reading it all. If I don't respond to you directly or to something you said, it's not because I'm ignoring what you said. It's more that this is such a new area for me that I've got a bit of information overload and can't hold all these things in my mind at once. I don't know enough about these things to properly discern which information is most relevant and which is somewhat ancillary.

If you feel you've said something that warrants a direct response, please follow up with me so I can make sure to give you the response you deserve.

[wraith808]

The reason this is a problem anytime I'm not immediately available to spring into action is because I also keep my RasPi connected to at least one cryptocurrency peer-to-peer network in which I can be penalized or deemed less trustworthy if someone tries to connect to my device and it doesn't respond. It's not making me rich, but it's earning me a decent amount of money simply for keeping a device running/connected that I'm already leaving running/connected 24/7 anyway as my personal media server and whatnot.

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 02:10 AM)

You buried the lede. What is that, and how does it work? Maybe on a new thread. That sounds interesting...

[wraith808]

I do have a soldering iron. I'm almost completely inexperienced with soldering, but I have replaced a couple of microswitches in my computer mice a few times.

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 01:03 PM)

If you want to get familiar again before trying on your actual parts, there are a few kits on there. I used to pick them up to hone my skills when there was a lapse in my soldering. And they make cool gifts.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0006HJSIW/

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004NVVV3W/

[4wd]

I do have a soldering iron. I'm almost completely inexperienced with soldering, but I have replaced a couple of microswitches in my computer mice a few times. And I do have an old modem power supply which probably has the same rating as the current one, which I think I could cannibalize for this project. So it looks like that list includes just about everything I'd need, but wouldn't I also need some kind of breadboard wires (jumper cables?) for connecting the RasPi directly to the relay?

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 01:03 PM)

If you've got a soldering iron I'd order 2 or 3 of the transistors, (they're the only really temperature sensitive parts), just in case and a small protoboard instead of the breadboard.

Yes, you'll need a lead to plug onto the RasPi GPIO header, (I'd probably butcher an old IDE, SCSI, or floppy cable plug), but for simplicity a purpose made pack of leads is probably cheap enough.

Does the plug on the old PSU match the socket on the modem?
It needs to be a secure fit like the current PSU plug ... and then you need to find a matching socket.

Next time the modem needs a reboot can you take a good pic of the plug end on with a metric ruler for scale?

Actually, if the old PSU is still in working condition, has the same plug, and has the same voltage/current rating as the current one, it'll be easier to cut the cable and insert the relay board into it ... no socket required.

Jumper wires (10 pack)
Protoboard

[4wd]

The reason this is a problem anytime I'm not immediately available to spring into action is because I also keep my RasPi connected to at least one cryptocurrency peer-to-peer network in which I can be penalized or deemed less trustworthy if someone tries to connect to my device and it doesn't respond. It's not making me rich, but it's earning me a decent amount of money simply for keeping a device running/connected that I'm already leaving running/connected 24/7 anyway as my personal media server and whatnot.

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 02:10 AM)

You buried the lede. What is that, and how does it work? Maybe on a new thread. That sounds interesting...

-wraith808 (February 14, 2021, 02:23 PM)

Considering I have two RasPi 4B's on 24/7 running Docker services, (and spare 2B, 3B, & 3B+), I'm also interested in this.

[Deozaan]

Sorry for my delayed response. I got kind of overwhelmed and stressed out over things, so I decided to take a break from the thread to give myself time to process the information and not act too hastily.

I can report that the Keep Connect suggested by mouser seems to be working nicely since I installed it last Wednesday. It has reset my modem 6 times so far. 3 or 4 of which happened just yesterday alone.

That definitely puts my mind more at ease and allows me to feel less stressed and rushed about putting together my own device to do this for me.

If you want to get familiar again before trying on your actual parts, there are a few kits on there. I used to pick them up to hone my skills when there was a lapse in my soldering. And they make cool gifts.

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0006HJSIW/

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B004NVVV3W/

-wraith808 (February 14, 2021, 02:28 PM)

Thanks. That's a good idea. It didn't occur to me to train myself using kits which seem geared toward children. I guess it's more appropriate to think of them as kits for beginners.

I do have a soldering iron. I'm almost completely inexperienced with soldering, but I have replaced a couple of microswitches in my computer mice a few times. And I do have an old modem power supply which probably has the same rating as the current one, which I think I could cannibalize for this project. So it looks like that list includes just about everything I'd need, but wouldn't I also need some kind of breadboard wires (jumper cables?) for connecting the RasPi directly to the relay?

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 01:03 PM)

If you've got a soldering iron I'd order 2 or 3 of the transistors, (they're the only really temperature sensitive parts), just in case and a small protoboard instead of the breadboard.

Yes, you'll need a lead to plug onto the RasPi GPIO header, (I'd probably butcher an old IDE, SCSI, or floppy cable plug), but for simplicity a purpose made pack of leads is probably cheap enough.

Does the plug on the old PSU match the socket on the modem?
It needs to be a secure fit like the current PSU plug ...

Actually, if the old PSU is still in working condition, has the same plug, and has the same voltage/current rating as the current one, it'll be easier to cut the cable and insert the relay board into it ... no socket required.

Jumper wires (10 pack)
Protoboard

-4wd (February 14, 2021, 03:42 PM)

My old PSU is from a previous model of the same brand of modem, so I'm almost certain they're exactly the same. I'll of course double check before I tear anything apart, but that's the assumption I'm operating under at the moment.

Thanks for the links to the jumper wires and protoboard. It looks like I now have links to everything I need to build the device.

It's not making me rich, but it's earning me a decent amount of money simply for keeping a device running/connected that I'm already leaving running/connected 24/7 anyway as my personal media server and whatnot.

-Deozaan (February 14, 2021, 02:10 AM)

You buried the lede. What is that, and how does it work? Maybe on a new thread. That sounds interesting...

-wraith808 (February 14, 2021, 02:23 PM)

Considering I have two RasPi 4B's on 24/7 running Docker services, (and spare 2B, 3B, & 3B+), I'm also interested in this.

-4wd (February 14, 2021, 03:50 PM)

I should clarify that my definition of "a decent amount of money" is really not a lot. I usually start to question whether or not I really need/want something when the cost reaches the $25-50 range.

I tried to write a really brief summary of what it was, but I just kept feeling the need to add more details. So I think making a new thread about it would be appropriate. I'll try to get to that sometime over the next few days.