Monument V1 Photo Storage Device (Model 217A12 – Monument Labs) – Looking for Ideas, Hacks, Repurposing, or Alternative Uses

Hi everyone,

I have a Monument V1 photo management device by Monument Labs (Model 217A12). Unfortunately, the company appears to be inactive, and the cloud services/app support seem to have been discontinued, leaving the device with very limited functionality.

Before recycling it, I’d like to explore whether the hardware can be repurposed.

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Device Details (from inspection)

Based on external inspection and photos:

• Model: 217A12
• FCC ID: 2AJFS-MN217
• Power: 12V / 4A
• Ports:
  • Ethernet (RJ45)
  • HDMI output
  • 2× USB 3.0
  • USB-C (unknown function)

Packaging indicates:

• Requires external USB storage
• Designed for AI-based photo management

Internal board appears to contain:

• ARM-based SoC (exact chip not yet identified)
• Onboard RAM + flash storage
• Embedded Linux is likely

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What I’m Interested In

I’m open to any ideas, including:

• Running it as a Linux server
• Using it as a NAS or backup device
• Home automation node
• Network tools or monitoring
• Ad blocking (Pi-hole / AdGuard)
• Media server
• Installing alternative firmware
• Gaining root or SSH access
• Hardware modification
• Reverse engineering firmware

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What I’m Looking For

Has anyone worked with this device or similar hardware and:

• Identified the exact SoC or board platform?
• Found UART / JTAG / debug interfaces?
• Accessed a shell or bootloader?
• Dumped or modified firmware?
• Bypassed the cloud/app dependency?
• Installed custom Linux or other software?

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I Can Provide

• High-resolution teardown photos
• PCB markings / chip IDs
• Serial/UART logs (if accessible)
• Additional testing if needed

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References

• https://www.getmonument.com
• https://a.co/01xDhsV1

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Thanks in advance — any ideas or technical insights would be appreciated.