Want to run house on server.

I wanted to run everything in my house through something like the Fusion Brain including the lights, all media, pretty much everything. And I also wanted remote access to all my files with secure weekly backups. So I'm thinking about going with a server type deal like here.
Would I need something like this? I'd like to be able to access and stream media anywhere in the world pretty much and also be able to run remote management via my Blackberry if I don't have a computer with me. Plus with a few relays and Fusion Brains, I can run the house. Am I overdoing it? Am I going in the wrong direction?

Check on the home automation forums, there are easier solutions.

haha, I went looking on mp3car.com for the Home Automation subforum, I'm an idiot. I get what you mean now, other forums. I'll check that out.

Of all the forums I looked at, these guys seem to be complete computer imbeciles. Can you recommend a home automation forum site where people are doing automation to their homes as extensive as what people here are doing to their cars?

The media is the easy part and fairly cheap but the home automation gets complicated and very expensive very quickly. Not least you will have to re-wire you house to the control point. There is kit specifically made for this but yes you probably could use fusion brains hooked up to relays or contactors depending on loads. The problem with doing a home made system instead of a proper system is general operating systems tend to be a bit unreliable so if your server goes down then so does your house. Custom built OS though tends to be much more reliable as is the hardware. In the past I have put in systems that were controlled either by dialling the server and entering numbers to a menu (press one for heating type of thing) or via a web interface. The web interfaces definitely weren't mobile phone friendly but it was a few years ago and they might have moved on now. These systems cost many thousands though both to buy and install. They were very reliable though and has fail-safe built it. You have to ask your self how much you want to spend to switch a light on with your phone remotely when you can do it with a switch already when you get home.

True about the rewiring unless I'm having the house built or unless I can find some sort of Fusion Brain type unit which works with radio outputs instead of wired. And then use a radio receiver at the chosen appliance.

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Originally Posted by Maheriano

True about the rewiring unless I'm having the house built or unless I can find some sort of Fusion Brain type unit which works with radio outputs instead of wired. And then use a radio receiver at the chosen appliance.

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x10?

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Originally Posted by Rob Withey

x10?

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Nice, though very unsecure. I wouldn't use it for entry.

So here's the idea I have right now. I'm ignoring the X10 until I can get a little more information on it and how exactly it would fit into my idea.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Setup.jpg

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Server.jpg -- I don't know much about servers but this is one HP has for about $700. I know it's not needed for the automation but you'll see further down why I want it.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Wi-Fi%20Router.png -- The server will be connected to the internet through a router, maybe wireless N or whatever the best is now.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/...f%20Defeat.gif -- I want to run a Day Of Defeat server so I can administrate online games since I play every day on other people's servers currently.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Network.gif -- The server will run a network so I will have access to my files securely from anywhere in the world as long as I have an internet connection. It'll also constantly run downloading movies and things, storing them for when I want to access them at any time.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Touchscreen.jpg -- I may or may not put a touchscreen near the front door for security codes or whatever else. Or even just to set things as I'm leaving.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Phone.jpg -- It'll run VOIP as well.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Projector.jpg -- For the projector I'm not sure if I should hook directly to it or simply hook it to a Media Center computer and stream the movies to it off the network. But there will be a projector.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Printer.jpg -- Print server.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Fusion%20Brain.jpg -- Fusion Brain to connect to any electrical components I want to control in the house like lighting, projector, curtains, stereo, pretty much everything restrictive of wiring. I'll also have voice control software on the server so I can control everything through voice commands.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/...e%20Sensor.jpg -- Temperature Sensor hooked to Fusion Brain to keep a regulated temperature in the house.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/WWW.jpg -- I have 2 websites hosted remotely right now, I'd like to run them on my own server. I would also create a new secure website I can log onto with my Blackberry to control everything in my house via the Fusion Brain.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Winamp.png -- Streaming radio from Winamp so I can listen to the radio on my Blackberry or any internet connected computer. And it will only comprise of my songs on my server.

http://www.danmaher.com/images/home/Bluetooth.jpg -- Bluetooth to wireless synchronize my Blackberry with the server when I'm in the house.

This post is more of a question than a statement, I'm asking if this is a terrible direction for what I want. Do I need everything? I also just realized I want to add a security system I can monitor via my Blackberry, complete with cameras and the server will run that as well. I'll add that later.

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Originally Posted by Maheriano

Nice, though very unsecure. I wouldn't use it for entry.

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I don't know how "unsecure" it is. I run X-10 throughout the house, security cameras, PIR sensors, etc. Its really is as secure as you want to make it. And there are interfaces for almost everything imaginable including voice control.

I have one section of my system setup to send a text message to my phone whenever a PIR sensor is tripped, the camera begins recording for 10 minutes and if the sensor is still active after 10 minutes it sends me a pic to my phone.

Based on the plan you laid out, Smart Home product (not cheap by a long shot) would be where I'd tell you to start researching for lighting, security, IR/video distribution, and touchscreen controls.

The rest could be achieved with other program choices. The trick is getting it all to talk to one another where needed. And for that, I had to do some programming of my own (Autoit is your friend).

There are several others here much more experienced than I on home automation, but if you don't want to rewire your whole house, X-10 is the cheapest, easiest, and most modular method available.