SkinnerVic
05-08-2021, 12:45 AM
Hi All - Hoffman reminded me in discussing the Smart Thermostat, that I owe a post on the digital side of the fence. This is my wheelhouse so to speak as I'm coming up on 25 year MCSE veteran doing computer/lan work for corporations, etc. This was an interesting project recognizing it needs to be low power, with significant flexibility for IoT (sensors, etc), kids, etc.
Base System:
We needed a computer to coordinate (think Intel NUC), which I sourced a cheaper AliExpress Intel 9K series off brand NUC with dual GbE connections running Win2019 Server. It runs Hyper-V with two guests, one PFSense firewall and the other an Ubuntu with a few Docker Containers (Ubiquiti Controller, Home Assistant, Portainer.) The Ubiquiti stuff is good if you stay off the all-in-one device and split it up. If you do their security box embed, it locks you out without Internet (which happens enough that's bad). SO, breaking it all apart helped a bunch to not require constant access. The Windows Server is natively running Plex Server (which holds all the movies and music) for the Sonos and clients access. As a side note, it's nice that people can watch stuff without killing our mobile plan just pulling it off the local server (that gets updated at night on WiFi wherever we're at.)
Things connected: One Ubiquiti Nano AP behind the central MDP with two 5 port PoE switches at each end of the coach. Hard wired things tap into those switches (like Sonos/AudioControl in the rear and A/V stuff in the front like Roku, etc.)
The Ubi controller container image keeps track of ALL items, and let's me know who's chewing too much power/bandwidth.
All told, the computer equipment, is using around 80 watts full tilt, but I can drag it down to hibernate at 18 watts in storage when just the Cerbo (Victron brain) is direct connected to the cellular modem - that way I get telemetry data from their VRM site and can see if she's slumming. I can kick on generator set remotely if the SOC on the batteries is too low, etc.
The Internet is currently on an older 2xMiMo Netgear modem through T-Mobile with the 100Gb plan, but it's going to get upgraded to 5G when MoFi gets their new stuff together later this summer. If people want, I can do a diagram/pics to show what/how that rolls.
OK, enough firehosing - If you have questions, fire away.
Base System:
We needed a computer to coordinate (think Intel NUC), which I sourced a cheaper AliExpress Intel 9K series off brand NUC with dual GbE connections running Win2019 Server. It runs Hyper-V with two guests, one PFSense firewall and the other an Ubuntu with a few Docker Containers (Ubiquiti Controller, Home Assistant, Portainer.) The Ubiquiti stuff is good if you stay off the all-in-one device and split it up. If you do their security box embed, it locks you out without Internet (which happens enough that's bad). SO, breaking it all apart helped a bunch to not require constant access. The Windows Server is natively running Plex Server (which holds all the movies and music) for the Sonos and clients access. As a side note, it's nice that people can watch stuff without killing our mobile plan just pulling it off the local server (that gets updated at night on WiFi wherever we're at.)
Things connected: One Ubiquiti Nano AP behind the central MDP with two 5 port PoE switches at each end of the coach. Hard wired things tap into those switches (like Sonos/AudioControl in the rear and A/V stuff in the front like Roku, etc.)
The Ubi controller container image keeps track of ALL items, and let's me know who's chewing too much power/bandwidth.
All told, the computer equipment, is using around 80 watts full tilt, but I can drag it down to hibernate at 18 watts in storage when just the Cerbo (Victron brain) is direct connected to the cellular modem - that way I get telemetry data from their VRM site and can see if she's slumming. I can kick on generator set remotely if the SOC on the batteries is too low, etc.
The Internet is currently on an older 2xMiMo Netgear modem through T-Mobile with the 100Gb plan, but it's going to get upgraded to 5G when MoFi gets their new stuff together later this summer. If people want, I can do a diagram/pics to show what/how that rolls.
OK, enough firehosing - If you have questions, fire away.