Quick [tech] Questions Thread

[apocrypha]

I've been using powerline adapters for years now, they mostly work great. Only issue I have is that in this house we've got a 'workshop', which is a separate building from the main house, which is on a different ring main, and they don't work across that.

I have another networking issue. I'm running a small Minecraft server at home but I don't have a static IP. Every time my router reboots it gets a new IP and I'd rather not shell out £5.50 extra a month to BT to get a static IP. Is there an easy alternative method I can use so that I don't have to give people a new IP to connect to all the time?

[Trippy]

Use something like noip.com if you don't own a domain name. If you own a domain name there are more options available.

[apocrypha]

I do own a domain name, pray tell me more about options.

[Strazos]

Some power line adapters have wifi transmitters built-in. Would those work?

[Trippy]

I do own a domain name, pray tell me more about options.

You are looking for a "dynamic DNS" service that ideally would be:

* Reliable
* Let's you use your own domain without needing to transfer it to them
* Has a client that runs on the OS your Minecraft server runs on that will automatically update your DNS info when your IP changes
* Free

Googling around I didn't see anything that had all of the above features. The two closest I found are Zonomi and EntryDNS (formerly EasyDNS). Zonomi doesn't provide any clients though they have an API and there are some 3rd party clients that may work with it. EntryDNS has a one-time $10 fee but provides clients.

Another alternative is if you know how to do some HTTP programming and your domain registrar has an DNS HTTP API you could write your own client to update the DNS IP information whenever your IP changes.

[Pennilenko]

I use Dyn DNS for my dynamic DNS needs. They even have a handy client for keeping the IP  address updated.

[Trippy]

DynDNS is good for this sort of thing if you are wiling to pay. They were the benchmark back when they were free.

[Furiously]

I just switched my router to wifi n only... The signal propagates a ton better and it's a ton faster.

[apocrypha]

Brilliant, thanks Trippy. I had looked at DynDNS before but was put off by the cost. I can cope with a $10 one-off fee

[Viin]

I just switched my router to wifi n only... The signal propagates a ton better and it's a ton faster.

I have my router on G and N and I found the N signal didn't work real well in some areas, but G worked fine. Are you suggesting that by turning off G my N signal might be better?

[Chimpy]

I just switched my router to wifi n only... The signal propagates a ton better and it's a ton faster.

I have my router on G and N and I found the N signal didn't work real well in some areas, but G worked fine. Are you suggesting that by turning off G my N signal might be better?

It really depends on your router. If all of your devices and your router support N on the 2.4 spectrum, turning G off will probably help quite a bit.

[apocrypha]

Follow up on the DNS thing. I signed up to EntryDNS and that seems to be working fine, although I can't work out how to use my domain name with it, but I can sort that out with them.

My (minor) issue at the moment is that to make it work I've set up a Windows 10 task that repeats every hour to refresh the DNS, and when it activates it pops up a DOS box momentarily... which takes bloody focus. Highly annoying. Any way I can make it NOT take focus from everything else?

[MahrinSkel]

If it were me, I'd write a program that would run as a service and do the same thing (but without ever opening a window). But that may not help you.

--Dave

Edit: This link claims to have a workaround:

www.howtogeek.com/tips/how-to-run-a-scheduled-task-without-a-command-window-appearing

[apocrypha]

I shall play with that, thanks.  Edit: Seems to have worked flawlessly, thank you for your Google-fu!

[Furiously]

I just switched my router to wifi n only... The signal propagates a ton better and it's a ton faster.

I have my router on G and N and I found the N signal didn't work real well in some areas, but G worked fine. Are you suggesting that by turning off G my N signal might be better?

It really depends on your router. If all of your devices and your router support N on the 2.4 spectrum, turning G off will probably help quite a bit.

WWDRT might also have been installed and wide channel option selected. I'm not sure what it all does but I get 32 Megabit connections through my WiFi. Where I was getting 6-9 at most before.

So also what are people's thoughts on the Nvidia 1060... It looks like a decent mid-range card. I was hoping the 1070's would have popped below 400, I'm sure they will eventually.

[Mandella]

Pretty sure I know the answer to this one, but in case I'm missing something obvious to you guys....................

My cheapy wireless keyboard is doing stuff like typing out c1`r\' when I press the r key, and various other keys are doing fun things like suspending the machine when pressed.

I've gone through all the keyboard settings, other keyboards seem to be working fine, batteries are good and no viruses detected, so I'm figuring the keyboard is most likely physically busted and I need to just throw it out and pick up another.

Thoughts?

[MahrinSkel]

Borrow another keyboard, confirm that your shit is busted. Or just buy a USB keyboard if you don't want to put your fingers on someone else's keyboard, they're like $10.

--Dave

EDIT: I should read better: You already confirmed it with another keyboard. Yeah, your shit is busted, get a new one. Keyboards and mice aren't designed to be repaired.

[Merusk]

Keyboards mice and other peripherals are pretty much disposable. Just get a new one. Even a wireless model won't run you a lot.

[Salamok]

Keyboards mice and other peripherals are pretty much disposable. Just get a new one. Even a wireless model won't run you a lot.

I plan on being buried with my K95 RGB.

[Jimbo]

I'm going to donate to the Goodwill Industry an old laptop I have, how do you all make your laptop or desktop ready to donate/dispose? Is wiping the hard drive enough? Dang I was reading up on it, don't forget if you donate a mobile phone to wipe it too. Now to keep reading...

[Trippy]

I take out the drives and secure erase them (assuming I don't keep them). But that's just me being paranoid.

[Merusk]

More of a PC question but I'm not building it so I'll ask here.

Anyone have a good site for budget laptops? Wife may need one for a new job (Yeah they don't provide, don't get me started there.) and the requirements are so low that it's laughable.

·         Minimum OS Version: Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
·         Computer Type: PC compatible (no Macs)
·         Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or Higher
·         Monitor Size: 17 inches or greater
·         Minimum RAM: 2 GB or higher
· Minimum Processor Speed: 1 GHZ (1000 MHz) or better on multi-core processors.
2 GHZ (2000 MHz) on single-core processors
·         Internet Connection: DSL or cable connection only (no modem access OR satellite connections)
·         Minimum Software Requirements: Updated Antivirus Software such as: Microsoft Security Essentials (Free), AVG (Free), Avast (Free), Trend Micro, Norton, McAfee, BitDefender, Kaspersky.
·        Video conferencing capabilities, i.e.: Skype, or Facetime for Interviews
·        5 GB free space for software installation
·        Download speed of 3072Kbps and upload speed of 512Kbps
·        1 Free USB Port

I may just throw some crap into a case and be done with it when all's said and done, just need to compare my parts and time vs. a provided solution.

[Sky]

I take out the drives and secure erase them (assuming I don't keep them). But that's just me being paranoid.

Do you also run them over a giant rare earth magnet (an industrial one meant for hanging hundreds of pounds) or is that just me?

[Mandella]

More of a PC question but I'm not building it so I'll ask here.

Anyone have a good site for budget laptops? Wife may need one for a new job (Yeah they don't provide, don't get me started there.) and the requirements are so low that it's laughable.

·         Minimum OS Version: Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
·         Computer Type: PC compatible (no Macs)
·         Internet Browser: Internet Explorer 7 or Higher
·         Monitor Size: 17 inches or greater
·         Minimum RAM: 2 GB or higher
· Minimum Processor Speed: 1 GHZ (1000 MHz) or better on multi-core processors.
2 GHZ (2000 MHz) on single-core processors
·         Internet Connection: DSL or cable connection only (no modem access OR satellite connections)
·         Minimum Software Requirements: Updated Antivirus Software such as: Microsoft Security Essentials (Free), AVG (Free), Avast (Free), Trend Micro, Norton, McAfee, BitDefender, Kaspersky.
·        Video conferencing capabilities, i.e.: Skype, or Facetime for Interviews
·        5 GB free space for software installation
·        Download speed of 3072Kbps and upload speed of 512Kbps
·        1 Free USB Port

I may just throw some crap into a case and be done with it when all's said and done, just need to compare my parts and time vs. a provided solution.

Just look around your town for one of those crappy independent computer service places. They almost always have some used refurbs on sale for super cheap.

[Trippy]

I take out the drives and secure erase them (assuming I don't keep them). But that's just me being paranoid.

Do you also run them over a giant rare earth magnet (an industrial one meant for hanging hundreds of pounds) or is that just me?

Nope.

[MahrinSkel]

I take out the drives and secure erase them (assuming I don't keep them). But that's just me being paranoid.

Do you also run them over a giant rare earth magnet (an industrial one meant for hanging hundreds of pounds) or is that just me?

I figure that if 7-pass random overwrite is good enough for the CIA, it's good enough for me. If I was *that* worried about what was on them, I'd drill them, then roast them on the barbecue.

--Dave

[rattran]

I still gut old hard drives for the fridge magnets. Good luck getting much data after that.

[Sky]

I do that, too. And One of our old server spindles I bent the platters into a 'sculpture' that sits on my desk.

[Rendakor]

I bought this laptop last November, and put this Sandisk SSD into it. Yesterday morning it appears to have shat the bed; when I power it on, it tells me no bootable disk. I check the BIOS and it doesn't see the SSD at all; I pulled it out and hooked it up to my desktop and that doesn't see the SSD either. Any other steps you guys could think of to get this thing to work? Or failing that, any at-home recovery options for a drive that the PC fails to recognize? Any reason why an 11 month old SSD would die?

[Chimpy]

SATA controller on the drive probably died. It can happen.

[Rendakor]

Anything I can do to fix it or at least recover my data?

[Reg]

My Google Now cards keep disappearing. I've googled this problem and tried a couple of things. Turning off my location brings them back temporarily sometimes but they always disappear again. I've tried turning the cards off and deleting my preferences but that fails claiming there's a network error. There's nothing wrong with the network.

Does anyone have any ideas? This is affecting all of my devices and it's really annoying. I love my Google Now cards.

[Druzil]

Anything I can do to fix it or at least recover my data?

Did you use the same SATA cable in both?  If so there's always a small chance the cable failed and not the drive.

[Rendakor]

Nope. Pulled a working cable from a storage drive to test it on the desktop.

[Rasix]

Is there a good PC benchmarking/stress software that's free? I'm having some freezing recent freezing issues, and I'd like to put my PC through the paces to see if I can replicate. Bonus if the program also stresses the graphic card so I can make sure temps are stable.

To be more specific about the issue, I've had unexpected reboot while playing MGSV, and a couple times I've had a program petty much infinitely load. Once I was I think firefox and the other was DotA2.  Can't even CAD out of it and kill the process.