TED API via 3rd Party Applications and Data Collection Configuration

[justin0530]

Greetings,

I am working on a personal project whereby I install a TED device on my neighbors home and pull the data directly from the device remotely. Is there a way to accomplish this without re-configuring the router/having my neighbor provide open-door access to their network? I want to be able to scrape the data directly off the device onto a separate server, plug into a database, and customize the display of that data, all in a remote setting without needing to tap into the home area network. Any insight or guidance would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Justin

[pfletch101]

You could set up a web application on a server somewhere on the internet and have the TED device post the data to it. You could then query the web application from anywhere. I am not sure why you would want to do this, since I would expect your neighbor's interest in his/her power usage to be much greater than yours, and there are a lot of easier ways of looking at the data on his/her local network.

[RussellH]

This is a networking question.  Really, the only way to go into the network is to configure the router to allow it - what you're trying to avoid.

The usual workaround is to have something in the network "call out" to something on the internet.  TED does support posting to external devices.

But since they are next door, what about configuring something to use their wireless network so you're actually "inside".

[ThermoMan]

(bad idea) You could configure their router to put the TED in the DMZ - this means that access to it is not open access to their whole network, but it does mean the device is discoverable and I have noticed that my usage details accurately predict if I am home or not - a garage door has a pretty unique signature when it opens and closes.

(better idea) What I do is pick a port number on my router and forward that to the fixed IP address of the TED.  For me posting stopped working after the first year, so I poll mine once a day.  I use a DNS service so that I have the same address when my ISP changes up my actual external IP address.  Most modern routers support some kind of dynamic DNS updating.

Perhaps plug the TED into a WiFi extender that is logically configured to be part of your network.