The Silicon Underground - David L. Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord

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Upload faster than download? Try this

Dave Farquhar ISPs November 14, 2018November 6, 2018 0 Comment

Is your upload faster than your download with your Internet connection? This is a fairly obscure problem that seems to have started happening again. Here’s how to test to see if you’re actually having a problem, and how to fix it.

If your upload speed is slightly faster than your download speed, it’s not worth worrying about. On a symmetric Internet connection where the two are supposed to be the same, I expect to see them within about 10 percent of one another, and if download slightly outpaces upload, it’s not hurting anything. But if upload is faster when it’s supposed to be slower, something weird is going on.

First desktop computer

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 13, 2018November 12, 2018 0 Comment

The first desktop computer dates to earlier than you probably think. And officially at least, it was an accident. Great inventions often are. But it was surprisingly similar to desktop computers that followed it.

Design work on the first desktop computer commenced in 1969. Yes, you read that right. It predated the Apple II by several years, and the IBM Personal Computer and IBM compatibles by a good decade. And it wasn’t built in Silicon Valley either. But this ahead-of-its-time oddball is the direct ancestor of your modern desktop or laptop computer, right down to the Intel processor design.

Can you use Roku without wifi?

Dave Farquhar Video November 12, 2018November 7, 2018 0 Comment

Can you use Roku without wifi? In some cases you can, although depending on the circumstances, a Roku can certainly be less useful without wifi. Here’s what models work without wifi and what they can do for you.

How to restore a Marx 999 locomotive

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 9, 2018November 7, 2018 2 Comments

How to restore Marx trains varies by model but many of the same principles apply universally. Let’s take a step by step look at how to restore a Marx 999 locomotive.

Was Atari 2600 8-bit? Kind of

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 8, 2018November 4, 2018 0 Comment

I think most people know the Nintendo NES was an 8-bit system. That tends to confuse people when it comes to the previous-generation system, the Atari 2600. Was Atari 2600 8 bit? Or something else?

The answer, of course, is that it depends.

How to stop robocalls on my cell phone

Dave Farquhar scams November 7, 2018November 6, 2018 2 Comments

Spam phone calls, robocalls, or scam calls aren’t quite as common on cell phones as they are on landlines, but they still happen way too often. When I posted advice on blocking robocalls on landlines, immediately people asked me about mobile phones. So here’s how to stop robocalls on my cell phone. And yours.

In May 2018, there were 4.1 billion robocalls in the United States. And it’s not slowing down. Robocallers won’t stop calling you on your own. So here are five things you can do, in order of increasing effectiveness. Many of them don’t cost you anything.

What Roku to buy

Dave Farquhar Video November 6, 2018November 12, 2018 2 Comments

Roku makes seven models of its popular set-top box for streaming video. And that’s if you only count current production and aren’t buying a used model. Here’s how to know what Roku to buy.

How to report scam phone calls

Dave Farquhar scams November 5, 2018November 4, 2018 0 Comment

We’ve all received more than our fair share of them: Phone calls from financial scams, tech support scams, and other dodgy phone calls trying to rip us off. There are actually several things you can do about them. Here’s how to report scam phone calls, so you and others will get fewer of them.

Common types include fake tech support and financial calls. Tech support calls may solicit payment for questionable computer services via credit card or wire transfer. Some scam phone calls may be more interested in getting personal information from you for the purposes of identity theft than money. But it’s important to stop fraud regardless of the motivation, to protect both ourselves and our neighbors.

Marx train runs slowly? Some troubleshooting tips

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 2, 2018October 26, 2018 0 Comment

If your Marx train runs slowly, the problem could be a number of things. Fortunately most of them are easy to check and easy to fix yourself.

Super Mario Bros Commodore 64 version

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing November 1, 2018October 29, 2018 0 Comment

For years in the 1980s, there were rumors of a Super Mario Bros Commodore 64 port. Those rumors have persisted to the present day. A version of the Nintendo franchise title does indeed exist on the C-64, but it was bootleg in every possible sense of the word.

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