The Lance J. Technoweb

 It has been a few years since installing my network backboard.  Since then, I've made a few updates.  Gear changes I relocated my Apple TV HD from the backboard to my living room, since I now I have a TV.  The Apple TV still functions as my HomeKit hub.  I added a MikroTik hAP AC2 to operate as my network router, replacing my hAP AC Lite. I added an Arris cable modem, replacing my hAP AC Lite WISP strategy I added a CyberPower UPS to the backboard.  I added a custom-built 12v DC power system, used to power my router, modem, and doorbell: I added a voltage boost converter so I could power the Ring doorbell with a 12VDC power supply.  My Ring wants about 14VDC minimum. I removed the less efficient 16.5 VAC transformer that previously powered the Ring In all, my backboard is consuming about 24 watts of power, which includes powering these devices: MikroTik hAP AC2 router PoE gigabit switch (with attached MikroTik Cap AC access point) HD HomeRun TV Tuner ...

I was reviewing the Comcast Xfinity "compatible cable modem" list in my area and I see that Comcast has started to organize their certified cable modems into four distinct quality categories: Recommended Next-Gen Modems Recommended Modems Compatible Modems that are recommended Compatible (but not specifically recommended) Modems Hitron CODA56 cable modem In terms of future proofing, it is clear that the "Recommended Next-Gen" category lists all the modems that Comcast prefers moving ahead, as the modems in this category all support the fastest high-speed upload performance.  What I've read is that these most advanced "next-gen" modems support "mid-split" and "high-split" mode, allowing them to deliver higher speeds on modernized cable TV systems.  Of course not all cable systems are modernized - some might be decades old.  Surprisingly, Comcast only lists two non-"voice telephone" models in the most advanced "next-g...

There are many choices when powering a wired Ring Video Doorbell.  Most people just reuse their existing doorbell power, but I wanted to see if I could improve that situation. When I first hooked up my Ring Wired Doorbell , I used an existing Honeywell Plug-in AC Transformer .  These AC transformers are very popular for both video doorbells, traditional doorbells, and security systems.  They reduce standard home voltages (120VAC in North America) to 16.5 VAC. In contrast, modern DC power adapters for home electronics are efficient. There are global efficiency standards on modern adapters , and in the USA the current efficiency standard is called "Level VI".  These efficiency standards help ensure that idle equipment has near-zero power draw, and that active equipment isn't wildly inefficient. The thing is, the standards are for modern single-voltage DC power adapters, but given that my Ring Wired Doorbell was hooked up to my home's 1990's vintage AC doorbell ...

We all read the ads and have seen "reviews" about Internet service provider costs and performance, but it is 99.99% advertising and affiliate link disinformation. The Speed You Need Most people think they need a gigabit download performance for great Internet performance.  This is nonsense.  Most people are restricted by upload speeds, not download speeds. Why?  Because upload speed is almost always the bottleneck. Some examples of where upload speed is critical: Zoom and other video calling technology VoIP telephone calling Online real-time gaming Some examples where download speed is just not important The number of devices you own Streaming video  Streaming audio All these technologies have a need for timely packet delivery, and with upload speeds being relatively slow, this is where nearly 100% of bottlenecks occur.  If your video call or game isn't behaving well, you've almost certainly saturated your Upload performance. So let's take a look at the Comcast ...

I find or acquire a whole bunch of used electronics, and they often don't come with a power supply.  My adjustable power adapter solves this problem.  It's a pretty cheapo SHNITPWR Adjustable Power Adapter .  Yes, that is the name! For about $20, it solves a whole bunch of "I don't have the power adapter" issues. The Strategy of the Adjustable Power Adapter  The basic information I need to power a device includes the following: DC or AC current Voltage Polarity (center-positive or center-negative) Amps  Once I have all this data, then I configure my adjustable power adapter accordingly and plug it in!  If I find that the device is working appropriately and has some value to me, then I will buy a standard aftermarket power adapter from Amazon of the correct specifications. So what if I don't know this critical information?  Easy!  Strategy 1: Look at the label! I look on the device in hope that it shows the exact power spec.  Sometimes it...

Here are my OpenWRT adventures with the Google OnHub WiFi Router, model PGR1900 by TP-Link. The Backstory I found a new looking Google OnHub WiFi Router, model PGR1900 by TP-Link on the street... in the box! I thought it could have been a great win. But alas, NO .  This WiFi Router has been abandoned by Google, magically turned into eWaste by the fuck-the-planet losers at Alphabet.  Cloud-managed hardware CAN be evil, and this is Case Study #1. This is very distasteful of Google, as these devices have good hardware and could have had 5 or 10 more years of life left in them.  It's just that Google and its partners can't make any money on something they already sold, so they prefer them to be landfilled to induce you to buy more expensive junk. Even more evil: They are incorrectly listed as "in production" on Amazon.  So what to do with this Google Paperweight?  I'm going to pursue OpenWRT, in hopes to address the nasty problems caused by Google.  Before get...