Linux Automation device, anybody?

elcano

Active Member
Starting with the Linksys WRT54G there have been a series of Linux based router with increasibly bigger capabilities. The ASUS WL-500g Premium is one of the fastest Linux based devices, with support for external USB hard disk, torrent applications, etc.

See review here:
http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=article&item=542&num=1

There are some open source Linux OS+Router applications (DD-WRT among them) that give these little toys the capabilities of Cisco routers thousands of dollars more expensice. These guys list the this ASUS router among some of the fastest in the category:
http://www.dd-wrt.com/wiki/index.php/Insta...mmended_Devices

I just wonder if it would be possible to use these devices as low power automation devices. If I have to keep a device ON 24hrs, I would like it to consume as little power as possible. Do we really need a PC to do basic automation? I dont think so. Even, if you have to have several servers, not all of them have to be so powerful.

I would be interesting to see Misterhouse running in this little box. Serving as Router, Web server, Automation server, VPN, etc. Probably video would be too much for it. The other things should be doable, dont you think?
 
There's a load of Asterisk PBX that runs on a Linksys gateway... I'm sure it'd be do-able to put MisterHouse or a subset of it on one of these type of boxes...

'course one could put that time to many other uses as well. :D
 
I wanted to do the same thing, basically making it a smart IP based controller (wouldn't use it as a router tho). I was going to interface it with the Elk M1, so didn't have to worry about writing drivers for UPB, etc., but it's low on the priority list now. Definitely a good idea tho.
 
I think Neil Cherry has put Misterhouse on a WRT54G. Not sure but I thought I remembered something about that on the Misterhouse list. There was a pretty good discussion about it a while back. I'm not sure if Neil is on CT but he frequents Misterhosue a good bit and just published a book: Linux Smart Homes for Dummies . He also has a couple of websites:

http://www.linuxha.com/

http://linuxha.blogspot.com/

He'd probably be a pretty good place to start.

Terry
 
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