76F and 98%RH at 6am. It did get hot yesterday, but not quite as hot as the day before. We might really be on the road to Fall.
The anniversary of the murderous attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon should remind us – everything is going along as normal, until it isn’t. No one woke up thinking the world and the country and the lives of thousands of people would change that day.
Nothing ever changes, until it does.
Keep stacking.
n
No one woke up thinking the world and the country and the lives of thousands of people would change that day.
Nothing ever changes, until it does.
Bin Laden understood what had been brewing in the US since the end of the first Gulf War. I think he accomplished what he set out to do, setting the US on a path to self destruction.
I don’t think it is too late to make adjustments and prevent a disaster, but way too many rackets all over the political spectrum have a vested interest in riding status quo all the way down.
September 11 is the birthday of our eldest son who was murdered by an acquaintance in Jan of 1995.
Ever since then, it’s been a very difficult day for my wife and I. On 11/09/2001 we were living in Hong Kong and I received an alert email from the then new CNN Breaking Bews service.
We turned on the TV to images of the Trade Center tower on fire and watched through the night as the disaster unfolded half a world away. The next morning was surreal as I commuted to my office on the 89th floor of the HK Central Tower feeling very vulnerable. Everyone who knew I was an American offered their outrage and condolences. Rumours were flying about terror teams in China ready to attack Hong Kong and Singapore. Very scary times. Even thousands of miles away we were not untouched by the terror as we discovered that the sister of a close friend in HK was on the plane that hit the second trade center tower.
Mustache Boy is history. My only question is why he was there in the first place.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1171452880055746560
Destruction of civilizations just because we have a problem with the leadership is not wise foreign policy. Hopefully, this means, among other things, that Trump is now ignoring the expats who want to “lead” Venezuela from their Miami Beach condos.
Should I rent the Comcast modem or buy one at the new used house ? If buy, which modem ? I want a modem with wifi. Their modem with wifi is $13/month. The 60 mbps service (no channels) is $30/month (no modem).
Netgear C7800 – $370 Wow !
https://www.amazon.com/NETGEAR-Nighthawk-Cable-Modem-Router/dp/B07SHK2241/?tag=ttgnet-20
and
https://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/device/netgear-c7800-611
Another Comcast modem is ARRIS SBG8300 – $280 Wow !
https://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Surfboard-Gigabit-Certified-Xfinity/dp/B07M9J3XW2/?tag=ttgnet-20
and
https://mydeviceinfo.xfinity.com/device/arris-sbg8300-704
Over The Hedge: Good Times !
https://www.gocomics.com/overthehedge/2019/09/10
No coffee for Hammy !
“When I go, I want to be cremated and have my ashes scattered.”
@lynn, I got one for my mom in Fla. and I think it was less than $100. Works great. Be sure whatever you get is on their approved list.
n
@lynn
I got the Arris Surfboard; latest model is this one, I think: https://amzn.to/32EeLx1
Worked just fine out of box on my Wave (CenturyLink) cable. No problems; had it since Aug 2014.
Should I rent the Comcast modem or buy one at the new used house ? If buy, which modem ? I want a modem with wifi. Their modem with wifi is $13/month. The 60 mbps service (no channels) is $30/month (no modem).
Buy, but, with Comcast, *NEVER* lose the receipt, especially if the modem is one of the models the company rents to subscribers. I speak from experience on that one, and you can search for the story in the archives here.
I’ll second Arris Surfboard. I have one for Spectrum which was on their recommended list, and I paid $60 at Best Buy. I’m on 200 Mbps service.
I have an older pre-Arris Motorola Surfboard which was uber reliable when I had 60 Mbps service, first in Vantucky and then when we moved to Austin. The only reason I upgraded was the “free” boost in speed from the cable company which required DOCSIS-3.
YMMV. I run a separate Asus router, and I put everything essential for work on a UPS — cable modem, router, and MOCA adapter running the network to my home office.
The only reason I upgraded was the “free” boost in speed from the cable company which required DOCSIS-3.
Should I get DOCSIS 3 or DOCSIS-3.1 ? It seems to me that one should always get the latest, “for the future”.
If VPN is a requirement you may want a router with that capabiity. And like Mr. Greg says keep the receipt for any modem you buy. Cable companies can be real bastards.
I use the ASUS ROG Rapture for the special VPN system. As much as those others you quoted.
YMMV. I run a separate Asus router, and I put everything essential for work on a UPS — cable modem, router, and MOCA adapter running the network to my home office.
Why run a separate router ? I assume that router is both wired ethernet and wifi ?
Why run a separate router ? I assume that router is both wired ethernet and wifi ?
Yes, my router does WiFi.
I like the added firewalled interface between the cable modem and the router.
If VPN is important, make sure the router supports OpenVPN or L2TP/IPSec. I’ve set people up with PPTP, but only if they were sure that they would never access their systems from WiFi — branch office systems connected by DSL or cable modem.
PPTP has been “broken” in cryptographic terms for a while, but it is an easy deployment for low grade security needs.
Microsoft replaced PPTP with SSTP (I think they bought someone), but no one really trusts the patent enforcement revenue possibility so it hasn’t caught on much outside of Windows systems.
Why run a separate router ? I assume that router is both wired ethernet and wifi ?
Yes, my router does WiFi.
I like the added firewalled interface between the cable modem and the router.
Gotcha. I use a Peplink 30 at the office to aggregate our two AT&T DSL lines. Works well and we are double NATed because of that. Was a pain to setup though. And we do not have IPv6 because the Peplink 30 does not support IPv6.
I use the ASUS ROG Rapture for the special VPN system. As much as those others you quoted.
https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-GT-AX11000-Tri-Band-Aiprotection-Compatible/dp/B07MRD1LDZ/?tag=ttgnet-20
Wow, looks like a Klingon battle machine.
Gotcha. I use a Peplink 30 at the office to aggregate our two AT&T DSL lines. Works well and we are double NATed because of that. Was a pain to setup though. And we do not have IPv6 because the Peplink 30 does not support IPv6.
NAT is another upside to separating the router and modem.
My router can do IPv6, but I have it turned off. The only “Internet of things” device we own is the Nexia thermostat, and that device is banned from the WiFi to the point that I had the AC contractor do a hard wipe of the memory after I caught it probing ports on my other network devices.
The AC contractor and I are no longer on speaking terms largely due to Nexia. Now that the labor warranty is up, I’m using another company for annual service.
September 11 is the birthday of our eldest son who was murdered by an acquaintance in Jan of 1995.
Ever since then, it’s been a very difficult day for my wife and I.
@hcombs, I wish that I could say that I understood but I know that I don’t. My brother-in-law was murdered in April of 1982 (on his 20th birthday) and my father-in-law has been depressed about it ever since. My BIL and I were very good friends for two years and he introduced me to his older sister in May of 1981. His sister and I were married in January of 1982. I still miss my BIL terribly even though it has been 37 years.
Dang! I got my ASUS for $100 less at Fry’s around a year ago.
Wow, looks like a Klingon battle machine.
My Asus is 802.11AC draft and no longer manufactured. The box is a lot more compact.
Asus still keeps the firmware up to date, however, and I turn off the things which might be dangerous.
I have always put my own router and wifi behind the cable modem too. Now with the att fiber, it worked ok, the box is central in the attic, so the wifi provides good coverage. And I’m lazy, so we’re using their box for NAT and wifi. Their wifi is very sophisticated with beam shaping, steering, etc.
I did turn off the public share nonsense.
n
House alarm or no house alarm ? If so, which type (ADT, Simplisafe, etc) ?
I’ve got a monitored ADT alarm system at the office. Expensive. $55/month wireless.
We had a monitored alarm at our house inside the loop. I’ve begun thinking about DIY alarm systems but haven’t looked at any.
n
Over the last three years, I have put together a system mostly based on Ring cameras and their alarm system. I also have a BIG German Shepherd that doesn’t like strangers.
I started with the Ring doorbell, and then added about a dozen cameras over time. About two years ago, I purchased the Ring alarm system. What I like is that all of the video is stored by Ring (I think for 60 days), which means that if someone steals or destroys a camera, the video is already stored and available. I also like the ability to remotely turn on any camera if I want to check things when I am not home. I have supplemented all of this with separate timers for lights/TV, and some game cameras. They charge about $100/year for storing video from as many cameras as you have. This includes a 10% discount on hardware purchased from Ring, as well as a lifetime guarantee on the cameras (even if stolen!). I don’t remember what their monitoring cost is, but it was reasonable. The RIng alarm system also has battery backup (good for about two days) and a cellular connection.
I also have a Honeywell leak/temperature/humidity alarm for my furnace and a Nest smoke/CO alarm.
In addition, I have numerous motion-activated solar lights around my home from assorted manufacturers. They are great when the power goes out.
Cable modem, router and wifi are 3 separate boxes at my house. 2 SSIDs, one for everyday use and another for IoT. I’m a network guy so I like the extra functionality.
Ring doorbell, and water sensors under the ACs and water heater. We had a leak one time, I’d rather not have that happen again.
House alarm or no house alarm ? If so, which type (ADT, Simplisafe, etc) ?
I’ve got a monitored ADT alarm system at the office. Expensive. $55/month wireless.
This house used to have ADT, but AT&T (Vivint) was installed at some point. We didn’t have breakins in the neighborhood until the new H1B development opened up the back section of the subdivision to the mess out on US 183. The Vivint is not monitored but it is active.
We had ADT in Florida, but I dropped the $6/mo. equipment maintenance fee as soon as I figured out that it was unnecessary. When lightning fried half the sensors, I broke out the multimeter, rewired the system myself.
For internal cameras, I now use the ones from https://www.wyzecam.com . Great systems, and really inexpensive.
I have three – two inside, one pointing through the glass transom over the front door. And I can access all of them via the app on my phone. Lots of good features. And I like the cost.
I have two Wyze Cam ($19.99) and one Wyze Cam Pan ($29.99). They have some other good products, and all are very low-priced. But good quality – 1080p, wireless (easy setup). I like them a lot.
Um, srsly?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7450013/US-warplanes-drop-40-tons-bombs-ISIS-infested-island-Tigris-River.html
Must have had some ordinance close to expiration date…
n
Um, nailed it?
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7450157/Republican-senator-claims-banning-college-save-America.html
“‘If there’s one thing that we can do to save America today, it’s to get rid of our institutions of higher education right now and cut the liberal breeding ground off! Good grief!'”
n
Oh yeah, and apple made some sort of sales pitch today.
n
Asus is one of the very few companies that actually maintain drivers and make them available online for very old laptops. Canon is another manufacturer that has even provided updated software for their cameras from XP all the way to Win 10.
Most others, HP for example, will actually remove them after a few years…
Oh yeah, and apple made some sort of sales pitch today.
Another rev of their overpriced phones. Missing were the iPhone SE replacement and, more important, the 16″ laptop intended to win back corporate IT departments.
As I’ve noted before, I see T series ThinkPads in airports where I used to see that Apple logo.
RE: Ring Security Cameras
Article below shows that one of the Data Giants, Amazon, now Owns Ring and has applied facial recognition. To me this means that Amazon data miners know exactly who comes and goes at your house and when. Also, if you have interior cameras Amazon knows who does what and when inside too, This is NOT data I want the unaccountable data giants to have. I keep my home cameras DVR in the attic and my video data local so that in the event of Internet loss, not unusual in my location, I still have access to all my video and no one else has it.
https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-smart-doorbell-ring-facial-recognition-2018-2
“I keep my home cameras DVR in the attic and my video data local so that in the event of Internet loss,…, I still have access to all my video and no one else has it. ”
–this
n
WRT security systems:
I have a full complement of Ring devices watching 360-degrees inside and out. It is supplemented with Wyze Cams all around (remember I am a belt and suspenders sort of guy).
Ring provides a true security system whereas Wyze is a monitoring system. Both have their idiosyncrasies, strong and weak points, but I trust them more than any of the monitoring companies like ADT, etc.
People get their panties in a wad regarding “privacy.” Well folks, no matter what you do Big Brother is watching you all the time. If you think you are doing things to be unseen you are delusional so you might as well get used to it.
When the door-to-door security salesmen come to the door I love to startle them by opening the door before they ring or knock. They are even more surprised when I tell them what direction they came from and where they parked their car.
It’s one thing to leave a small digital trail and something completely different to give the Data Giants complete access to your private life including who is in your house and your bathroom and midnight kitchen habits. I don’t use Apple devices and have data and location services turned off on my brain-dead phone. I don’t make it easy for our coming tech masters to know any more about my habits than I can help. This data can and will be used against you in the commercial and likely legal arenas.
I always assume that data stored in the vendors cloud can and will be used for data mining either by the vendor or by a government agency. For example, it’s illegal for a government agency to install cameras and snoop inside your house without a court order. BUT, if you install the monitoring devices yourself, the government can and has gone to the vendor for access to the data. I have this from a former DIA Security analyst.