Bad Comcast Performance

Lots of people want to improve their on-line Internet performance.

Can you imagine a highway where the speed limit is 200 MPH in the eastbound direction, but 5 MPH in the westbound direction? It's completely nuts.

One problem is that some service providers, like Comcast, provide poor upload speeds. If you use services like Dropbox or Google Drive or Google photos, the upload speeds offered by Comcast could be peaking out - greatly slowing down performance across all your devices at any time of the day. And this poor upload rate is true even with many of Comcast's "Performance" subscriptions.

The upload lane on my Xfinity is often pegged out at the redline, even when I'm doing very little.

Why does Comcast have these decidedly old-school upload speed restrictions? Admittedly their upload rates were pretty good for 1998, but that was a long time ago. People use the Internet for more than AOL now, and Comcast has moved extraordinarily little. Insanely, the FCC allows for these excruciatingly slow upload speeds within their Broadband rules.

Strangely, many of "review" sites discount the importance of upload speed. I assume that's because the sites are looking to earn referral fees and don't really care to be practical.

Repairing an HP Pavillion DV6 Motherboard

Here's my procedure on how to remove and replace the logic board of an HP Pavilion DV6. My model is a DV6-3122US, and many DV6s of the 3000 series are similar. These machines often fail to start due to a motherboard failure. With a motherboard failure, upon pressing power the fan will first spin and the power light comes on. The capslock key will flash white once every 4 seconds, and the f12 key will stay a solid orange, and the screen - although powered up - displays black only. Although the caps lock "single blink" indicator at boot implies a CPU failure, in my experience it is not due to the CPU itself but the supporting components on the motherboard. The only solid solution is to repair or replace the motherboard. Replacement boards are readily available. I bought one and replaced it myself. Disassembly Procedure NOTE: The screws are different sizes, and its important to reinstall them correctly. I color-coded the different screws in the photos...

Hot (and Cold) Attic Tempertures and Electronic Equipment

An unfinished attic can be an extreme environment for electronic equipment, with conditions that are very unlike what is experienced inside normal living spaces. What's the deal with installing electronic equipment in an unfinished and uninsulated attic? I wanted to install a standard WiFi router in my attic to function as a Wireless ISP (WISP) gateway. My attic is a fantastic location from a radio signal perspective, but it is an uncomfortable place for both people and electronic gear. Although the attic is well insulated, that insulation is on the floor, designed to keep the living space of my home at moderate temperatures. As a WISP gateway, my WiFi router is best mounted above the insulation and close to the roof, where the only protection from weather extremes is the wood of the roof and a layer of asphalt shingles. Equipment Specifications and Extremes Almost all electronic equipment has a set of specifications regarding operating environment. These specifications state the...

Various ways of powering the MikroTik hAP

I have several MikroTik RB952Ui hAP AC Lite routers. They're located in closets, basements, attics, and on desktops. Each location results in different needs in terms of power. Happily, the hAP AC Lite is quite flexible when it comes to power. Here I document the three different ways I have powered my MikroTik AC Lite routers. Power Solutions: Active PoE+ Splitter, Passive PoE Injector, and Standard wall adapter Standard Power: MikroTik (or aftermarket) Wall Wart The default way to power the AC Lite is by using its standard "barrel-style" power port, which is far more flexible than your typical router. The AC Lite accepts power between 10 and 24VDC. When using the MikroTik in a desktop configuration, I use the stock 24 volt MikroTik power adapter . The stock adapter output specifications are as follows: 24 VDC 1200 mA 2.1mm barrel Center Positive Passive Power-over-Ethernet solution: TP-Link Power Injector Sometimes it is useful to ...

Sodastream Carbonator Leakage, Usage, and Weight

SodaStream 60L "Carbonator" CO2 cylinders have a specific weight when empty, plus about 410 or so grams for the CO2 they should have when they're "full". A little while ago I went to buy a replacement Carbonator from my local hardware store. The dealer pulled a new Carbonator out of the box and sensed it was lighter than usual. He put the "light" Carbonator in the "empty" pile and sold me a different one. At that moment I concluded that it would be smart of me to weigh both new and empty SodaStream carbonators. Here are the results. Weighing a SodaStream Carbonator - for both Science and Consumer Protection. The dealer told me that sometimes the carbonators leak after they leave the SodaStream filling facility. That means there could be an opportunity for customers like me to get ripped off! The SodaStream cylinders I buy claim to have a net product weight of 410 grams - and that means that a full Soda Stream Carbonator shou...

Fixing a SodaStream Jet, part 1: Disassembly Guide

I've had my SodaStream Jet for years, and once in a while something has gone wrong. Disassembly is the first step to repair. Start with this article to see how to disassemble the SodaStream, and then once you have that down, scroll through my other articles to see how I repaired specfic SodaStream problems. SodaStream Jet Disassembly Guide Tools Required Flat head screwdriver Phillips head screwdriver 1. Remove the Carbonator. Duh. 2. Remove the black panel lever The front big black tilt lever needs to be removed first. Removing this panel is tricky, but it isn't impossible. Looking up at the bottom of the black panel, there are two tabs, one on the left and one on the right. These tabs fully secure the panel in place. The trick is to use a flat-head screwdriver under the plastic to gently lever the tabs out of the way. Note in the pictures how I approach these tabs with my screwdriver. I usually release the left side first, and then I release ...

MacBook: burnt out magsafe connector repair

My MacBook (A1342 model from 2009-2010) stopped working, thanks to a cheap knockoff magsafe charger. The magsafe connector looked burnt with heat-distorted melted plastic and some black carbon surfaces. Plugging in the charger resulted in no lights and no action. My MacBook was dead. First I tried to clean up the connector with some Q-Tips, tooth picks and solvent, but that did little, as seen in this "after" picture (below). The heat generated by the aftermarket charger permanently deformed and distorted the MacBook's magsafe connector. Clearly the damage was significant. Burnt Magsafe Connector - Replacement Required! Looking at iFixIt , I determined that it would not be difficult to replace only the magsafe connector with the right tools. I hoped and prayed that the problem was isolated to the connector assembly and not the logic board. I bought a replacement magsafe connector assembly (available from Amazon) for under $20 and started to rep...

The Lance J. Technoweb

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