Subject: From: Date:

Re: [ECS] Cable Modem - Feature suggestion Mark Gilmore Fri, 25 Sep 1998 08:12:32 -0700

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Kevin, what was the "problem" ?

Kevin Keast wrote:
> 
> 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
> >>
> >>

-- 
Mark Gilmore
Omnipotence
http://members.a2zsol.com/omnipotence.html

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