Controling your Garden from your IPHONE

Has anyone done this?? I think I'm going to do this to my grow trailer....

http://www.popularmechanics.com/home_journal/home_improvement/4301977.html


How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone

Home automation is still evolving, and getting it to work requires knowledge of both household electrical wiring and computer networking. But once everything is hooked up correctly, it can change the way you interact with your home. We show you how you can use your smart phone as a remote control for your lights, heat and security in your home.
By Glenn Derene
Published on: January 30, 2009









Home auto*mation allows you to preprogram and save multiple settings for various systems around your house (sprinklers, climate control, outdoor lighting and others), then log in and control them through a PC or cellphone. (Illustration by Gabriel Silveira)



Home automation exists in the curious realm where screwdrivers and drywall meet PCs and routers. The cat*egory is still evolving—there are multiple, incompatible standards—and getting this stuff to work requires knowledge of both household electrical wiring and computer networking, but once everything is hooked up correctly, it can change the way you interact with your home.

Last month, I wrote about installing Insteon networked lighting in my home, which allowed me to link up switches and outlets throughout my house regardless of which branch circuit they were on.

The Insteon system works by sending data signals over radio frequency (RF) waves and your home’s power lines. As each device receives a signal, it rebroadcasts it, creating a mesh network that bounces commands instantly from one end of the house to the other. It’s an effective system for connecting lighting switches and loads without extra wiring, but it also forms the basis for a more sophisticated home automation network.

Meshed Networks

Insteon’s SmartLinc bridges the home automation network with your local area network’s Wi-Fi router (left) via an Ethernet cable. The SmartLinc serves up a Web page interface (right) for programming and controlling all of your home-control devices from a PC or cellphone. (Photograph by Brad DeCecco)

Home automation is a broad and even somewhat vague concept. And plenty of companies sell systems that do everything from basic lighting control to full integration of home entertainment systems, motorized window blinds, climate control and home security. Many of these “whole home automation” systems from companies such as HAI and Crestron are geared toward the installer market and can cost many thousands of dollars. Other systems, such as SmartLabs’ Insteon and the competing Z-Wave system, tend to be more flexible and aimed at DIYers.

Obviously, since I had already outfitted my house with Insteon’s lighting controls, it made sense to build upon that system. The first step was to integrate my networked lighting into my home’s data network. Insteon has a variety of different network interfaces, but I went with the $120 SmartLinc controller. The SmartLinc serves up its own Web page on your home network, allowing you to control your system from a browser window on any computer in the house, or via cellphones with Wi-Fi capability.

Installation is simple: Just plug the SmartLinc into a wall outlet, then connect it to your Wi-Fi router via an Ether*net cable. The Web interface allows you to set up virtual On/Off switches for any Insteon controller.

More advanced users can even set up control of their home systems from outside the home network. By enabling “port forwarding” on your household router, you can access and control your systems from anywhere with Internet service.

Remote Climate Control

To integrate climate control with a home automation network, upgrade to a thermostat (left) that can interface with a compatible RF transceiver. (Photograph by Brad DeCecco)

Once the Insteon system was linked into my router, I was able to expand automation to other home systems such as climate control. If my wife and I decided to go out for dinner directly from work, I could log into the SmartLinc from my iPhone and change my thermostat’s program—no need to heat the house when no one’s there.

Hooking up that system was a bit more complicated and expensive than I anticipated. To use Insteon’s RF-based thermostat adapter ($100), I needed to replace my existing Honeywell digital thermostat with a compatible Venstar T1800 thermostat ($95). I also needed a two-pack of plug-in RF Access Points ($70) to link the thermostat with the SmartLinc. As I discovered during my previous lighting installation, the toughest part of swapping in Insteon equipment is deciphering the wiring of your existing system.

It took me 2 hours of experimentation and three calls to an Insteon rep to get my Venstar thermostat installed correctly. But after that, hooking it into the SmartLinc’s Web interface took only a minute or so—such is the gulf between my technological and household electrical faculties.

As I complete each new home automation project, my ambitions for the system grow. And there is a surprising array of Insteon equipment available to link into your network, from sprinkler controls to outdoor lighting to automatic pet-feeding systems. Sure, this sort of remote household micromanagement can get ridiculous, but ask yourself, which is worse karmically: Interrupting dinner with the family to check e-mail on a BlackBerry, or pausing for a moment at the office to water your lawn with your iPhone?

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6. RE: How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone
the topics are relevant and useful only i need more a more visual details on these coz i intend to my own house as well.

5. RE: How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone
Rather than just blindly forwarding ports to a web server, for example, some advanced users may instead opt to open a port for a VPN for external connections to their home network. Then, they can have full access to their home network with significantly fewer risks. However, I think discussing all the merits of the various network configuration options is probably beyond the scope of the article.

4. RE: How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone
What is On "Q" Wiring? And does it have to do with home automation? The new house me and my wife are looking at has a complete On Q Electrical system?

3. RE: How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone
How i can control my hom via my mobile phone ? please...

2. RE: How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone
Good point about the security risk although you can get dynamic DNS for free using DynDNS.com.

1. RE: How to Control Your Home with your Cell Phone
Website: www.lawncheck.com
You mentioned that more advanced users can set up control of their home systems from outside the home network. By enabling “port forwarding” on their household router. You might mention this could be a security risk, and also that you'd most likely need to pay for a dynamic DNS service. For home irrigation that you can schedule and control locally or remotely using a web-browser (including a web-enabled cell phone) check out LawnCheck. It was developed mainly for conservation reasons, but those interested in home automation might find it applicable. cheerio,

Granted there are a lot of young kids here, but this is retarded. It just asks for an invasion of privacy. It begs for it. And did you say you wanted to do this to your trailer? Uhh. Uhh. I think your money would be better spent getting that tattoo of Yosemittee Sam you have on your forearm fixed so its spelled right.

For that kind of money could afford a real apartment or house.

greensister said:

Granted there are a lot of young kids here, but this is retarded. It just asks for an invasion of privacy. It begs for it. And did you say you wanted to do this to your trailer? Uhh. Uhh. I think your money would be better spent getting that tattoo of Yosemittee Sam you have on your forearm fixed so its spelled right.

For that kind of money could afford a real apartment or house.

Click to expand...

STFU you are useless....

This is obviously over your head, and learn how to spell Yosemite tard..

Yaboii said:

STFU you are useless....

This is obviously over your head, and learn how to spell Yosemite tard..

Click to expand...

wow where did all that come from I don't see a tattoo?? and that was from an artice anyways. I'm confused.

Yosimittee

I dont see why you couldnt I monitor 5 security cameras where I work from my Iphone im thinkin next year they will have a app to drive my car for me

Ever hear of a hacker? Remember the iBooks with the built in cameras? Remember how those got hacked and peoples cameras were accessed without them knowing? Remember an article just a week ago about a school giving kids computers with webcams and secretly spying on them?

I doubt something like this would be set up just to hunt growers, but if you stopped to think about how much information about ourselves we voluntarily put out there, youd realize that if someone wanted to, they would have everytyhing they needed to completely destroy you. Thats why i have a seperate machine at home that is running Windows 2000 and not connected to the internet. Thats why i destroy most of my trash before i put it on the curb for pickup.

The more you rely on someone else to do something for you, the more vulnerable you are. The smart phone may be the greatest tool for most people, but its also a massive achilles heel because they put lots of eggs in that basket.

You may no proceed to the iApps store and purchace some of my cold fuck for your dining pleasure.

Well really none of that information could be used against you, atleast not in court because it would of been illegally obtained. Not to mention that is all web cam talk, turning on a light remotely is hardly a crime. Still though I do find this useless because everything in my room is already on some type of a timer or relay. If it was left for me to monitor all that is going on in there then all I can say is I'd feel bad for the plants.

theres an app to turn lights on and off, but thats useless for growers cuz we got TIMERS

and thermostats

Well not all of us grow where we sleep... So when I came across this and thought it was interesting and prob and overkill for 99% of hobby growers, but still a nice option. There is also a motion detector app so if anyone is snooping or the cops show it video records and I can view it remotely when wanted...

yea pretty cool.....NERD, lol no seriously with timers and controllers, whats the point other than bragging rights, by saying i can controll my garden with an i-phone! pretty soon they will have an app that wipes yer ass. People and their silly phones. Pacifiers for grownups.

greensister said:

Ever hear of a hacker? Remember the iBooks with the built in cameras? Remember how those got hacked and peoples cameras were accessed without them knowing? Remember an article just a week ago about a school giving kids computers with webcams and secretly spying on them?

Click to expand...

You need to have physical access to the phone or computer to install the rat you are speaking of. If the OP is controlling his remote grow then I doubt he would hand over the keys to his castle so to speak.

I think there is a potential for such remote technology given the OP's situation. If we were as quick to understand as we are to judge then maybe we all could learn something new.

Thanks for taking the time to share Yaboii. +Rep


peace.

paintsprayer71 said:

yea pretty cool.....NERD, lol no seriously with timers and controllers, whats the point other than bragging rights, by saying i can controll my garden with an i-phone! pretty soon they will have an app that wipes yer ass. People and their silly phones. Pacifiers for grownups.

Click to expand...

Agreed.

And no, you dont need physical access to the phone or computer to hack into it. I guess.

I once knew someone who had a friend who was a tech for SYSCO after they left Oricle. From what i was told, he knew a lot of backdoors that were easier to exploit than the average person would suspect. Esp when very different peices of hardware had to talk to eachother. They made this person sign a lot of confidentiality forms and agreements when they left that job.

greensister said:

Agreed.

And no, you dont need physical access to the phone or computer to hack into it. I guess.

Click to expand...

I was referring to this comment you made

"Remember the iBooks with the built in cameras? Remember how those got hacked and peoples cameras were accessed without them knowing? Remember an article just a week ago about a school giving kids computers with webcams and secretly spying on them?"

They were actually MacBooks and laptops have a built-in webcam with a security feature that can snap a picture of the operator and the screen if the computer is reported lost or stolen.

They were not "hacked" at all but software was installed to remotely monitor the IP and control the machine in the worst case scenario such as theft.

What your talking about though is exactly the type of program hes worried about. RATs have been used for years by hackers, and though most must be installed in person there have been exploited systems that allowed a RAT to be installed(Usually an automated installation that runs in the background). From there as the name suggest (remote administrator tool) you have much power over the system. I still don't really see that as the large issue here though. Simply it's useless IMO besides the security camera features. Those are pretty nice, but can probably be find in a simpler program then one designed to control everything. (If you don't like near the grow area, then you no doubt are already using timers, relays, etc.)

AquafinaOrbit said:

What your talking about though is exactly the type of program hes worried about. RATs have been used for years by hackers, and though most must be installed in person there have been exploited systems that allowed a RAT to be installed(Usually an automated installation that runs in the background). From there as the name suggest (remote administrator tool) you have much power over the system. I still don't really see that as the large issue here though. Simply it's useless IMO besides the security camera features. Those are pretty nice, but can probably be find in a simpler program then one designed to control everything. (If you don't like near the grow area, then you no doubt are already using timers, relays, etc.)

Click to expand...

I am very familiar with cerberus and other rat type gateways and maybe that's why I wouldn't be afraid of the potential security risks. It doesn't take much common sense to avoid that type of malicious attack but with as with most things in life, people tend to fear what they don't understand. If had a box running Windows 2000 I would most likely live in fear of "hackers" too!

It wasn't a Rat that was used in this case. It is a simple a systems admin tool called LanRev which automates and accelerates IT administration tasks. One of the features of LanRev is "Theft Track" and it allows the admin to remotely photograph potential thieves if the camera is stolen. If used maliciously it could be considered social engineering but far from hacking.

I think the security feature is the most valuable part of the OP'S entire concept. I use a similar setup to watch my rental properties and I can see how it can be used as an added security measure for an offsite grow.

I can't remember the site or forum but a few years ago there was a guy who experimented with a fully automated micro-computer controlled hydro setup. Perfect for extended vacations. I'll see if I can find it.....

Yaboii said:

STFU you are useless....

This is obviously over your head, and learn how to spell Yosemite tard..

Click to expand...

i'm gonna be laughing soo soo hard when some joker has tapped into your network suing something likebacktrack2 and has changed up your watering and light schedule what're the odds, i know, but they're still odds, i could happen

how damned lazy or stupid do people have to be to need a phone to help them grow.

I am amazed at the pointless rude comments and the ignorance blatantly shown to someone who is simply sharing an idea.

Seriously, crawl back to the rocks you live under and refocus your energy into evolving you gnarled trolls.

This is the kind of BS that makes RIU the sub par forum it is. When the RIU servers are shut down you can all pat yourselves on the back for assisting in the spread of this cancerous behavior.

sais the person with a signature telling noobs to stop posting... real freindly

and perosnally i don't see it as a sub-par forum in any way. ask a good question, i've never not given or gotten or read an answer, post stuff that the majority see as sumb or pointless and you're not gonna get the replies you want.

it's a risk as it is keeping photo's on your pc or just browsing without a proxy to hide under. there is no WAY i would rig my phone and computer upto controlling my grow, especially the idea of using a VPN, do you know how mind numbingly simple it is to ahck into a setup like that. a few weeks of pissing around at school and my dormmate and i had accessed the bursers private interntet connection, had accessed passwords, intercepted packets. like with growing, it's very very easy if it's your type of thing and you do your homework, now think about how easy it is for the police to do this kind of thing as well

The second and third post on this thread have to be the funniest things I've read in awhile. I'm still cracking up.