I need to replace a mechanical toggle on/off switch with one that can be controlled with a flavor of Ethernet (e.g. 10Base-T, 100Base-T, or 1000Base-T) using standard RJ-45 port.
The line in/out is just a low-voltage DC line controlling a fan.
I want my software to turn the fan on/off, and the software commands are sent out over Cat5e cable to an RJ-45 port.
I'm having trouble with search terms for Google. Something like: on/off switch with ethernet port, just returns a lot of ethernet switches of various port sizes. Or, I find lots of sites promoting how to add a mechanical toggle switch to an RJ-45 cable, which is opposite of what I'm trying to do.
Looking for a simple solution, and wonder if anyone has come across such a thing for their hobby projects.
Best Answer
Good search terms would be "Ethernet Relay" or "Ethernet I/O".
A quick search turned up several possibilities. An interesting on was from www.relaypros.com, look in the "Wired Relay" -> "Ethernet Interface" category.
I am sure there are other possibilities; this approach would be a little less work than creating your own with a microcontroller based board.