Interesting remote access product

[stubones99]

I found a low cost gadget that lets you control up to 4 electric circuits remotely, as long as there is Internet service to the device. As far as I know, you can't talk to it directly, which means that if you're away from Internet access, you can't switch it on or off via an app. The app works on both android and IOS devices and it is compatible with alexa and google home products.

https://www.amazon.com/Sonoff-4CH-A...ie=UTF8&qid=1514681729&sr=1-7&keywords=sonoff

 

[stubones99]

Apparently the sonoff product line includes a minimal web server for each switch. This means that you can use a web browser to access the device even if you have no internet access off the boat. If you have a local router on the boat, your laptop / tablet, etc. can turn the switch on or off as long as you can reach the router.

I a have a few on the way to play with and will report on it further once they arrive.

 

[ksanders]

The challenge with stuff like this is reaching your boats router.

You need a public or routable IP address, then you could set up a ddns to have url based access if you want.

Most if not all access available at a marina will not provide a public IP address. Cell based services are hit and miss. ATT uses a private IP address schema for example.

Pretty much any WIFI will not be a public address either.

The “best” solution to this is a client side tunnel, smething all but the network engineering tyes will not be able to do.

Another solution is to leave a computer on the boat running a service like teamviewer.

Or use products that set up their own connection to their manufacturers server, and you access them by logging into the manufacturers server with a url, or a program, or a app. This is how the Dlink cameras and my Lowes Iris system works.

 

[stubones99]

The Gmyle devices I have use a shared server on the internet for remote access. You tell their server what to do (as does Alexa and Google Home) and the device checks it regularly for updates and follows the requested change. The switch device uses http I think to contact the server so the data flow is inside to outside, and the response is http as well. This way, even a NATed address on your boat (even several times) will still work.

The odd part would be switching it on or off aboard your boat when away from Internet, since it won't have network access to check for status changes.

 

[yarradeen]

Techno-bable Warning.

On the remote connectivity issue with multiple internet feeds.

There are a number of devices that will provide a managed vpn over dynamic services. I remotely manage a number of on board systems on vessels. At different times they are using VSAT , 3g 4g or WIFI. These devices regardless of internet supply will connect and VPN back to my office. From there I can access the vessels on board systems. Using my office as a staging point connectivity can be achieved from any internet connected location I may be working from.

https://www.peplink.com/technology/pepvpn/

disclaimer "I resell these products commercial but only cause they work"