Remote rebooting of hung PC

[hdelman]

I'm wondering if there are any techniques, possibly involving external hardware or special software, that would allow me to remotely reboot a hung PC. I am away from home a lot, and use gotomypc to access my PC. As with all Windows machines, from time to time it hangs up. I'll get home and find some weird OS message on the screen, or some other "problem" that results in the machine being inoperative. I'd love to be able to remotely reboot... maybe some network hardware device; some software that runs outside of Windows; perhaps a "watchdog" of some sort? Right now, I can ping my router, so I know my network is up, yet gotomypc reports that my PC is offline. <sigh>

Howard

 

[Max Collodi]

I'm wondering if there are any techniques, possibly involving external hardware or special software, that would allow me to remotely reboot a hung PC. I am away from home a lot, and use gotomypc to access my PC. As with all Windows machines, from time to time it hangs up. I'll get home and find some weird OS message on the screen, or some other "problem" that results in the machine being inoperative. I'd love to be able to remotely reboot... maybe some network hardware device; some software that runs outside of Windows; perhaps a "watchdog" of some sort? Right now, I can ping my router, so I know my network is up, yet gotomypc reports that my PC is offline. <sigh>

Howard

Something like this might work if you can hook it up to the reset circuit on your motherboard. It does mention computer rebooting as one of its functions.

http://www.gsm-auto.com/

I have no personal experience with this device, but I am tempted to get one myself to give it a try.

 

[hdelman]

Hi Max. That is very cool, and is almost exactly what I want. The "almost" is because I don't want to spend $200! Surely, there is some thing or some technique equally useful for under $50.

Howard

 

[Max Collodi]

Hi Max. That is very cool, and is almost exactly what I want. The "almost" is because I don't want to spend $200! Surely, there is some thing or some technique equally useful for under $50.

Howard

Have you tried any of these remote computer software programs? They mention rebooting remotely.

http://www.remote-computer-access.com/remote-access-features/

http://www.anyplace-control.com/buy.shtml

Might be worth a shot.

---Max

 

[hdelman]

Have you tried any of these remote computer software programs? They mention rebooting remotely.

http://www.remote-computer-access.com/remote-access-features/

http://www.anyplace-control.com/buy.shtml

Might be worth a shot.

---Max

Hi Max,

Both of them are similar to what I use routinely, which is gotomypc. The problem is that when a PC hangs, the remote software is hung as well. What I am looking for would need to run outside of the OS, and probably not even depend on the CPU at all.

Howard

 

[DJRWolf]

Do you have a person you can just call and "sneaker-net" over and reboot it?

Also, after it is reset. How do you log back into the computer if you do use a remote device or software? Or does it just boot strait to desktop?

 

[hdelman]

Do you have a person you can just call and "sneaker-net" over and reboot it?

Also, after it is reset. How do you log back into the computer if you do use a remote device or software? Or does it just boot strait to desktop?

I've used sneakernet, but since that involves asking someone for a favor, it is not ideal.

I access my PC with gotomypc, which runs as a service, so it is available even if no user is logged on. Once I log on with gotomypc, I can then log on as a user.

Until I got rid of my landline, I used to be able to remotely reboot with X10 home automation technology. There is an X10 telephone interface, and I had my PC's power strip plugged into an X10 controller. I could call my home, and power the PC off and on. Worked like a charm, but it isn't work $22 a month for a phone line that I never use otherwise.

H.

 

[DJRWolf]

Until I got rid of my landline, I used to be able to remotely reboot with X10 home automation technology. There is an X10 telephone interface, and I had my PC's power strip plugged into an X10 controller. I could call my home, and power the PC off and on. Worked like a charm, but it isn't work $22 a month for a phone line that I never use otherwise.

H.

Vonage has a plan for only $12/month.

http://www.vonage.com/us-canada-calling-plans/?refer_id=WEBSR0706010001W1&lid=main_nav_calling_plans