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

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How to calculate monthly income from biweekly paycheck

Dave Farquhar Saving money June 21, 2018June 5, 2018 0 Comment

If you get paid every two weeks, calculating your monthly income can be tricky. You can fake it by just adding the two paychecks together, but you short yourself a couple of paychecks by doing that. That difference can be the difference between qualifying or not qualifying for a loan or a lease. So here’s how to calculate monthly income from biweekly paycheck.

Getting the math right on this is important. Adding two paychecks together is fine for a quick estimate, but it’s very easy to under-state your monthly income by 28 percent by making two simple mistakes. As you can imagine, that 28 percent can be more than enough to keep you from getting the loan or the lease you want. To do the math right, make sure you have your pay stub or pay statement handy, not just your bank statement.

How to become a network engineer

Dave Farquhar Careers June 20, 2018May 13, 2018 0 Comment

I’ve been an IT professional for more than 20 years now. I was a network engineer only briefly, but I’ve worked virtually all of my career with network engineers. You can have a long career as a network engineer, make good money, and possibly even enjoy it. Even if you don’t, it’s not hard to step from the role of network engineer into security. So here’s how to become a network engineer.

Windows 95 vs 98

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing, Windows June 19, 2018May 12, 2018 0 Comment

Windows 95 vs 98 didn’t seem like a very big deal to me in 1998-1999. With nearly 20 years of hindsight, I still don’t really think it’s a big deal. Here are the differences between Windows 95 and Windows 98.

How much should your mortgage be?

Dave Farquhar Saving money June 18, 2018June 5, 2018 0 Comment

How much should your mortgage be? One school of thought says it should be as much as possible. I belong to the other school of thought. There is a proven formula for housing costs. I recommend following the formula.

The formula helps you keep your housing costs in line with your salary and with a typical lifestyle balance. The key to financial decisions is keeping a balance while living within your means.

Where to sell computer parts

Dave Farquhar Hardware June 15, 2018June 3, 2018 0 Comment

Where to sell computer parts can be a difficult question. I remember a time when cities like St. Louis had tons of used computer stores more than happy to sell your parts on consignment. Those days are over. But there is still a market for used computer parts, and the Internet provides a couple of venues to pick up the slack.

How much is my computer worth? How to find out

Dave Farquhar Hardware June 14, 2018June 3, 2018 0 Comment

How much is my computer worth? That’s a really common question after you buy a new computer. Or when you find your old computer in the basement. Here’s how to find out what your computer is worth.

What is satin finish?

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording June 13, 2018May 28, 2018 0 Comment

What is satin finish? Satin can be a very versatile finish for renovating a home, whether you’re talking paint, polyurethane, or hardwood floors. It has some disadvantages but also has notable advantages in most cases. Let’s take a look at what satin finish has to offer.

And sometimes when people talk about satin finish, they’re talking about the screens on mobile devices or computer monitors. I’ll cover that too.

Commodore SX 64

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing June 12, 2018May 28, 2018 0 Comment

Over the course of its 12 years on the market, Commodore released a number of Commodore 64 models. The computer’s capability changed very little over time, but the technology did. The world changed a lot between 1982 and 1994, and that gave Commodore some opportunities to lower costs, chase other market segments, or both. The Commodore SX 64 was an example of this.

What does compressing a file do?

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing, Software June 11, 2018May 27, 2018 0 Comment

What does compressing a file do? There are several ways to describe it, from eliminating redundancy, to just thinking of it as digital shorthand. The goal is to make the file take up less space on disk and in transit. How it works is a bit more complicated.

How long do modems last?

Dave Farquhar Hardware June 8, 2018June 8, 2018 0 Comment

If you feel like you replace your modem more often than you replace your computer, you’re probably not imagining things. And if your relative’s or neighbor’s modem lasts longer than yours, you may not be imagining things either. So how long do modems last? And what can you do about it?

If your ISP provides your modem, it’s not your problem when it fails. Except for the wait to replace it, I suppose. But you won’t be out any money. But if you have to provide the modem, the cost and life expectancy does matter.

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