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- From: gag@nosc.mil (Gary A. Gilbreath)
- Subject: Resetting a computer by phone
- Message-ID: <1992Aug21.033107.9085@nosc.mil>
- Keywords: reset, computer, phone, remote
- Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego, CA
- Distribution: usa
- Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1992 03:31:07 GMT
- Lines: 26
-
- Has anyone seen a product that will allow you to remotely reset a
- computer by using a phone? I often use a program that allows me
- to remotely access my computer from home, but sometimes the computer
- hangs and I have no way of restarting it.
-
- I would prefer to only have to use one phone line. However, if there
- is some very simple/cheap device that can do the job from a second line
- that might be OK (it would have to be pretty cheap or easy to build).
-
- The only way I can think to get a single phone line to work would
- be to monitor the serial line between the computer and the modem. The
- device would look for a specific character sequence (possibly including
- BREAK and/or critical timing to avoid inadvertently resetting the
- computer with arbitrary binary data), and then either close a relay/
- solid-state switch/FET to toggle the reset line, or actually cycle
- the power to the computer using a S-S switch or relay.
-
- I think this could be done without too much trouble with a simple
- microcontroller and a few external components, but I wondered if
- someone knew of a device I could just go out and buy.
-
- Thanks,
-
- Gary Gilbreath, NCCOSC, RDT&E Division, San Diego, CA
- Internet: gag@manta.nosc.mil
- uucp: {ihnp4,akgua,decvax,dcdwest,ucbvax}!sdcsvax!nosc!gag
-