Two days ago, I finally got to a point where I made myself designed a more automated system for resetting the troublesome router craches at NYGC. The cause is yet unknown to be, but I would imagine it has something to do with heavy piracy downloads upon heavy connections of at least 30 stations.
I already used a remote appliance switch, which works quite well when attached to the CD-ROM Driver tray of a computer in a way I could use the computer (even remotely) to switch off and on the router by opening and closing the CD tray, thereby resetting the router.
But this took time. And to use the iphone to control this mechanism, it takes even longer to achieve. Not to mention the time it takes to detect a crash by a special detection host (30 minutes for free version) or when someone started complaining about the crash.
So, on Wednesday, during my usual check in, I looked up a few references to C# programming, which is supposed to be the latest most efficient windows programming tool, downloaded the free compiler from Microsoft, and did a skeleton coding. So it will not be relying on any other detection service except for its own. I set the loop to 3 minutes and not less so I don't put too much data on the network, not that it actually matters, I just don't like the idea of spamming servers every minute.
So now, it will do a detection every 3 minutes or so and reset the router if it has crashed. It is programmed to open the CD tray thereby turning the switch off and on. All I need to do is just sit back and receive notification emails which the program is also programmed to do.
Of all the programming I did, this is one windows based I find most useful thus far.
Now, I just need to put some covering on this skeleton program. It is still running from the compiler itself without any user friendly features nor is it compiled to run standalone.
At least I won't be getting text messages almost every day about the router crashing complaints.
Note to self: The cause and a more efficient remedy of the router problem is a mystery that needs to be solved as well.