Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion Kevin Keast Thu, 24 Sep 1998 21:09:42 -0400

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Sorry about the dupe message.

I am having problems with ECS LITE at the moment.  I looked into the Winter
home page.  I snagged and modified one of the pearl scripts and put in on my
ISP server.  ECS writes a log states to a text file, then you can use
Launchpad to ftp the file to the server.  When my web page is accessed the
cgi script runs and shows whatever states I want to see.  ECS and Launchpad
can be set to upload at whatever time interval you want.  Probably not ver
secure but it works.  The download side will be similar with a few
differences (changing states) once I get the full ECS version.  I am Still
troubleshooting ECS LITE on my new system.  Anyone interested in the perl
script I can send if you like.  It used cgi-lib to parse the text file and a
program I threw together to create the html.  They moved my cgi to a new
directory so my page is down at the moment.

Kevin
-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Terry <Martin.Terry@mail.tribnet.com>
To: 'ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org' <ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org>
Date: Thursday, September 24, 1998 11:16 AM
Subject: RE: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion


>
>
>I've given some thought to ECS<->TCP/IP gateways myself, and I think the
>simplest short term solution would be to use a machine such as a small
>linux server that operates as the TCP/IP gateway, with an output to a
>serial port. Basically a web server that when given certain commands can
>send a formatted output to a serial port.  Then you can use this to
>interface to ECS with a serial byte item.  I don't think this would be
>that hard, and existing servers already have built in security services.
>
>Long term, divorcing the "thinking" side of ECS from the user interface
>and changing it to a service would be the better goal. This would allow
>the user interface to exist anywhere, either locally or remotely.
>
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Ingo Pakleppa [SMTP:ipakleppa@ecs.com]
>> Sent: Thursday, September 24, 1998 7:44 AM
>> To: ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org
>> Subject: Re: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion
>>
>> Reddy,
>>
>> personally, I would prefer using HTML and/or Java and/or a Telnet
>> interface.
>> PCAnywhere is good as a stopgap. Its main drawback is that it requires
>> a PC,
>> won't work through most firewalls, requires you to install PCAnywhere
>> on the
>> controlling PC, and it pokes a big security hole because essentially
>> anybody
>> with PCAnywhere can take over the whole ECS machine. I'm often at a
>> client's
>> site where I don't have control over what kind of machine I have, so
>> some kind
>> of portable access that works on any type of machine would be great.
>>
>> Telnet's main advantage is that it is available on pretty much any
>> type of
>> machine, even old DOS boxes or text-only terminals on a Unix system.
>> but many
>> firewalls will block it. Java is available on many of todays machines
>> but for
>> the most part will require graphics capabilities (OK, you can write a
>> text mode
>> program in Java...) and a fairly new OS.
>>
>> I have an idea how this could work myself, but it would probably
>> require a
>> significant redesign of ECS: the engine that actually runs the system
>> would have
>> to be converted to a service without a user interface. Instead, it
>> would have a
>> Telnet port and a proprietary TCP/IP control port. The user interface
>> would be a
>> Java application or applet that uses the proprietary control port.
>> These two
>> would communicate through TCP/IP. Not exactly a weekend project, I'm
>> sure...
>>
>> Ingo
>>
>> William Biggs wrote:
>>
>> > Ingo,
>> >
>> > My thoughts exactly. I've seen Bruce Winters' web site, and it seems
>> that
>> > the house itself is rarely online.
>> >
>> > Their temperature page is uploaded once a day to an ISP.
>> >
>> > I have a couple ideas on how this could work. PCAnywhere can be used
>> across
>> > the internet to give you control , but it is relatively slow. I
>> would rather
>> > use html and write hooks into ECS.
>> >
>> > I'm going to start on this project when I get my Windows setup,
>> probably
>> > within the next 2 -3 months.
>> >
>> > Reddy
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: Ingo Pakleppa <ipakleppa@ecs.com>
>> > To: ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org <ecs-list@vancouver.ml.org>
>> > Date: Wednesday, September 23, 1998 11:12 PM
>> > Subject: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion
>> >
>> > >I've got a cable modem, too, and what I love most about it is the
>> "always
>> > >on" feature; no more dialing to the Internet!
>> > >
>> > >And since I'm travelling a lot, I've always thought that there
>> would be one
>> > >feature that would be fantastic if ECS had it: allow remote control
>> through
>> > >the Internet - for instance, view the status of all items in a Web
>> page,
>> > >listen to messages, ...
>> > >
>> > >OK, one can dream, right?
>> > >
>> > >Ingo
>> > >
>> > >At 03:23 PM 9/23/98 -0500, Bill Walters wrote:
>> > >>All -
>> > >>
>> > >>I've got a new e-mail address -
>> > >>
>> > >> wtwalters@home.net
>> > >>
>> > >>
>> > >>Up and running on a Cable modem as of last night; blazing fast!
>> > >>
>> > >>Test download of ECS34v24.EXE (3.5 meg) from GALLOPS ftp site had
>> it
>> > >>residing on my hard-disk in 35 seconds......  Ya' gotta like that!
>> > >>
>> > >>Will be trying to bring up a network to use the cable modem from
>> other
>> > >>locations in the house; don't know what security issues that will
>> open,
>> > >>so will go v-e-r-y slowly.  If anyone has any experience with
>> same,
>> > >>please e-mail privately since it doesn't really pertain to
>> ecs-list.
>> > >>
>> > >>Bill Walters
>>
>>

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