Wake-on-LAN - hardware solution?

Black Hole

Black Hole

May contain traces of nut
I think it would be great to have Wake-on-LAN - it would mean not having to have the Humax on all the time in case we want to access it from elsewhere (without having to go and turn it on). AF123 has tried to make it work without joy.

Another reason to have to visit the box is to do the decrypting copy - which as far as I know is only possible using the remote control and menus.

I have a blue-sky half-solution. What if there was a box that could plug into your network and be commanded to blast out infra-red in the manner of a universal remote control? Does such a thing exist? I know clever individuals have made a web server out of a tiny microcontroller so presumably somebody could do it if they wanted (I dare say, if I had the time...).

Even better if it could harvest its power from the Ethernet connection itself (asking a bit much without Power-Over-Ethernet I think).

It is POSSIBLE that, if you have the Humax networked by USB WiFi, the Humax Ethernet port will also be on the network. That would make things very easy.

Like I said though, this is only a half-solution. Not much good being able to send in IR commands (OK for on/off) if you can't see the menus responding. Ideas, anyone?
 
Black Hole said:
What if there was a box that could plug into your network and be commanded to blast out infra-red in the manner of a universal remote control? Does such a thing exist?
Click to expand...

Oh yes, but not too cheap: http://www.irtrans.de/en/shop/poe.php
The non-poE version is slightly cheaper..

Just what I needed, another project idea ;) I have a small 5W plug computer on top of my Humax which runs Linux. Now I'm thinking of getting a USB to UART cable and building my own mini transmitter so I can remotely control the Humax...
ftdichip
hw_ftdi.geschaald.jpg


(I'd add a series resistor!)
 
Black Hole said:
It is POSSIBLE that, if you have the Humax networked by USB WiFi, the Humax Ethernet port will also be on the network. That would make things very easy.
Click to expand...

In standby, the Humax doesn't power the ethernet port so unfortunately it wouldn't work for a WOL function.

Black Hole said:
Like I said though, this is only a half-solution. Not much good being able to send in IR commands (OK for on/off) if you can't see the menus responding. Ideas, anyone?
Click to expand...

You just need a webcam too :cool:
 
Oh yeah, great! You just blast "on" signals to the Hummy and the TV, and watch the telly through an IP camera. Instead of getting out of bed (or the loo) and doing it in person. I happen to have a (currently unused) AV-to-IP converter I could wire the SCART to, and an RF AV link with an IR back-channel.

There ought to be a way to inject commands on the relevant pipe, but still a bit tricky getting the feedback.
 
I think it might be technically possible to have the box "wake up" periodically, by giving it a fake recording, the while its awake, it could check for some flag on a server somewhere, and if its set, stay awake. That way if you wanted to connect to it from remotely, for example to tell it to record something via the web interface (seems to be getting close:)), you'd just have to set the flag, and wait for the next scheduled wake up.
 
Interesting idea, but af123 might tell us that the network adapter is actually embedded in the SoC.
 
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