Why Upload Speeds are slowing down your internet connection.

Many people think that they don't upload much data, but that's not true.

On the Internet, every item you look at something on the Internet requires upload data packets along the way, and a single item can require the upload of thousands or even millions of confirmation packets of data. It's a fundamental aspect of how the modern Internet works. The email, the youtube video, and merely browsing the web requires a lot of uploaded data.

Well here's the dirty secret: A slow "upload speed" results in slow confirmation packets, which results in slow Internet. And ISPs like Comcast only talk about selling you "download speeds".

Sadly, even Comcast's "Performance" 200 Megabit service is throttled to a 6 Megabit upload speed. That's great for 1999, but in today's internet? Performance? Hardly.

So forget about dumping more money to Comcast to fix the problem, as the Comcast "pay more money for speed" is primarily about increasing DOWNLOAD speeds. And that's completely irrelevant when your performance bottleneck is your UPLOAD speed.

Here's an example. You have a car that can do 180 MPH and you have a 200 MPH XFinity highway. It's literally impossible for you to be slowed down on the 200 MPH highway.

But the return road is a 6 MPH highway. Well, that's really going to slow down your trip. Yes, it'll be fast in one direction, but you still need to make it back.

Just change MPH to "megabits per second" and that's where we're at.

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 ...

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...

Mounting Devices to a Wall or Backboard

I wanted to mount an Apple TV, an HDHomerun, and a Ring doorbell transformer to a wall, but none of these devices have tabs or screw holes for wall mounting. Happily, I found a way to easily and inexpensively wall mount equipment even if the device specifically designed with mounting in mind. There are a lot of expensive or complicated mounting options, but then there are cheaper AND better options. Specialized mounting brackets are available for many devices, but they can be stupidly expensive and then I'd have to wait for shipping. Or I could 3D print some brackets. My solution? I simply use zip ties and strategically placed screw-down cable tie mounts . Zip ties are very strong, and the screw mounts can be used to anchor down the zip ties while also preventing the devices from sliding out of position. This is actually far less wasteful than a specialty bracket. Special brackets use a lot of plastic. Zip ties may seem disposable, but they are actually reusable unles...

K4221C Photo Cell Adjustment

I just replaced a K4221 Photocell with a new one. The old photo cell failed in the "on" position, which is actually a great failure mode - I use the photocell to control indoor and outdoor lighting, and for safety reasons its important that it works. So the lights being stuck "on" is a decent failure mode. But the photocell was stuck on for, um, many years. I didn't really notice that there was a photocell, and was just accepting that the lights were on 24x365. Now with the photocell, my lights will be on roughly 16 hours a day. That saves a third off of my lighting bill. In the scheme of things it will only save me a couple hundred bucks, but hey, rather I get it than OPEC. My photocell has a tough job. It is to turn on necessary indoor and outdoor lighting when it starts to get dark outside. But the challenge is that the photocell is positioned so it receives a lot of artificial light from the urban street, and it is unreasonably complex for me to...

Connecting your MIDI keyboard to your Mac

MIDI and the Mac. It's easy, fun, and shockingly inexpensive! I enjoy fooling around with musical instruments, and so when Garageband originally came out several years ago, I was very excited to start using it with my cheap little Casio keyboard. Initially it seemed expensive and complicated to get the right parts together to connect the Mac to my keyboard via MIDI. I didn't want to spend a ton of money in professional-class electronics. I wanted to fool around. Happily, I discovered that it's inexpensive and easy. If you know where to look, a Mac-compliant MIDI adapter can be purchased for under $10! That's right, for less than $10 I connected my Mac to my MIDI keyboard and by MIDI drum kit. I bought an MIDI-to-USB interface, in particular, one like this really inexpensive USB MIDI Cable available through Amazon . The adapter is a simple device that has a MIDI "in"/"out" connectors on one end, and a USB connector on the other. The adapt...

Fixing my Wahl 9918 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer

Not everyone would bother repairing a $25 beard trimmer, but why not fix something for under $5 instead of spending another $25? My Wahl 9918 Groomsman Beard and Mustache Trimmer has admirably performed its beauty duty for many years, but the time came when the battery just wasn't holding a charge any more. Most people would just put the trimmer in the trash and buy a new one, but I figured I could repair my otherwise excellent Wahl and save some money. In fact, even high priced trimmer and rotary shaver brands, like Norelco and Remington, can be easily repaired using a process similar to the one I used to fix my Wahl. Read on to find out how. I opened up the Wahl by popping off the black plastic faceplate with a tiny flathead screwdriver, which revealed two screws. By removing the two screws I was able to easily open up the unit, revealing the guts of the device. Backplate off, Revealing the screws The internals are rather simple: a motor, a...

The Lance J. Technoweb

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