A Sad Commentary on the Wireless Router.

While I was working on Riblet’s Twitter feed this weekend I ran across true genius. Those of you with wireless routers at home will instantly recognize the greatness of this idea.

I was perusing the SDK forum at the X10 site and reading about other home automation projects people were working on. One of them used the same computer interface that I’m using and an appliance control module.

For background, let me explain how the appliance control module works. You plug the appliance control module into a wall outlet and then you plug an appliance into the appliance control module. The computer interface can then turn the appliance on and off by switching power on and off on the appliance control module (assuming that the appliance will power up automatically when it gets power).

What the genius application did was write a program that tries to hit three major websites every minute or so (I think it was Google, MSN, and something else). If the program is unable to reach all three major sites it concludes that the router has lost internet connectivity. It then uses the home automation modules to command that the power be turned off to the wireless router, waits a few seconds, and turns the power back, thusly power cycling the wireless router. Isn’t that cool. The house’s computers can automatically reboot the router whenever it craps out. No more having to swear under your breath, get up and walk through the house to wherever you have your router hidden, then manually unplug it, glower, and plug it back in. Now you can simply swear under breath and wait a moment or two for it to fix itself.

Isn’t it amazing that we live in an age where modern technology can help mitigate some of the constant irritations and ailments thrust upon by modern technology?