[GTALUG] X10 - Gear you don't want? Or replacement suggestions?

[Alvin Starr]

On 2022-01-16 12:50, Giles Orr via talk wrote:
> X10 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X10_(industry_standard) ) isn't
> directly related to Linux, but this seems like the right group to ask
> about it ...  I've been happily using X10 transmitters and receivers
> to automate switching lights on and off around my place for about two
> decades.  These days that requires a USB-to-serial converter cable,
> but otherwise works just fine.  X10 has significant limitations
> (unencrypted, local interference, very slow, one-way) but works well
> for the simple things I want it for.  Which leads me to my two related
> but rather different questions.
I also ran X10 for a lot of years but moved over the summer and got rid 
of all my hardware.
Which kind of sucks because they all ended up as e-waste.
> First Question: Does anyone have any X10 gear they'd like to get rid
> of?  I'll happily take it off your hands.  If you'd prefer to sell it
> rather than giving it away, we can talk.  I'm particularly looking for
> a "Transceiver Module."  I can still buy these from x10.com - but
> they're an American company without a Canadian customs broker.
> They'll happily ship me stuff ... but whether or not it arrives, how
> much I have to pay in duties, and whether or not I have to travel to
> Niagara Falls to pick it up ... all my problem.
Last time I bought some X10 products was in 2011 and I got them from 
AARTech (aartech.ca).
It looks like they have dropped the X10 product line but if you contact 
them you may have some luck.

>
> Second Question: What's a more modern replacement for X10?  Keeping in
> mind that I have several limiting caveats.  The first of which is, no
> "calling home."  All interactions should happen within the confines of
> my computers and my residence.  I would also fairly strongly prefer
> not to rely on a local wireless network: I have wireless, but it's
> deliberately off most of the time and I prefer it that way (for
> misguided security reasons, not misguided health reasons ... I like
> wires).  I also don't want to have to do my own soldering (I'm capable
> of it, barely, but would prefer plug-and-go).
>
> Thanks.

For better or worse the wifi enabled products are just about the 
cheapest and most popular.
The Tuya esp32 based products are out there just about everywhere.
With the esp32 wifi controller modules costing only  a few dollars ( 
take a look at adafruit.com )  they are likely to dominate the market 
for the foreseeable future.

If your concerned about a constantly available and attack-able network 
you could put up a separate AP that is not connected to your network and 
is only available through some kind of app server type box.
If you carefully locate your AP and control the power you could make 
sure that someone would need to be parked in your drivway to try and 
hack into your network.

On the other hand someone could easily hack your house and control your 
X10 products by plugging a controller into an external plug.
Its not a likely scenario but would not be technologically hard to do.

I have also been looking at times for other solutions with little luck.
The zwave and zigbee stuff seems to be more expensive and looks to be 
more wired into proprietary product lines that may or may not play well 
with others.

-- 
Alvin Starr                   ||   land:  (647)478-6285
Netvel Inc.                   ||   Cell:  (416)806-0133
alvin at netvel.net              ||