David L. Farquhar

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Fix a Device Manager Code 43 error

Dave Farquhar Windows December 7, 2016December 3, 2016windows 7

Sometimes computer peripherals stop working in Windows, and you’ll start to troubleshoot and find a code 43 error. Here’s how to fix a Device Manager Code 43 error without compromising on security.

There’s a lot of bad advice out there on code 43 errors since it’s not very well documented. I started my career as a computer technician and now I work in security, so this is a comfortable topic for me. I want your computer to work, but I also want it to be secure.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

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Repair a large hole in drywall

Dave Farquhar DIY, Landlording December 6, 2016February 3, 2022red wire

When I changed the cheap bar-style light fixture in my bathroom to something a little nicer, I found something weird other than a red wire. I also found a 5-inch by 2 1/2-inch hole in the wall behind the old fixture a few inches from the electrical box. It’s a good thing I know how to repair a large hole in drywall.

All it takes to fix a big hole in the wall is a scrap of drywall larger than the hole, a ruler, a utility knife, a pencil, some wood glue or regular white glue, and some Gorilla Glue.

Dave Farquhar

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How to set up and optimize an Asus RT-AC66U

Dave Farquhar Servers and Networking December 5, 2016March 7, 2018AES, asus, malware, NVRAM, SSH, Universal Plug and Play, vulnerability, WAN, wi-fi

Consumer routers drive security professionals like me crazy. I’m happy to say I finally found a router that doesn’t drive me nuts. I want you to buy an Asus RT-AC66U. I’m going to tell you why, and I’m going to tell you how to configure it. Here’s how to set up an Asus RT-AC66U and how to optimize an Asus RT-AC66U.

Dave Farquhar

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Bachmann vs Lionel

Dave Farquhar model railroading, Toy trains December 2, 2016October 11, 20171940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, american flyer, bachmann, Bachmann Plasticville, boxcar, electric trains, HO, ho scale, lionel, lionel train, n scale, o scale, train show

Comparing Bachmann vs Lionel is a contrast between two very old, established names in electric trains. Lionel, in one form or another, has been selling trains since 1900. Bachmann, the largest seller of trains in the world, was founded in 1833, though they started selling trains in 1966.

Ironically, it was Lionel that got Bachmann into the train business. In the 1940s and 1950s, when every kid wanted a Lionel or American Flyer train, Bachmann sold buildings under its Plasticville brand so kids and dads could build towns for those trains to run in. As the focus shifted to smaller scales in the 1960s, Bachmann moved with it, with greater success than the companies it once shared a symbiotic relationship with.

Dave Farquhar

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How to destroy a computer hard drive

Dave Farquhar security December 1, 2016December 1, 2016degreaser, vinegar

When you get rid of a computer hard drive, it’s important to get rid of it properly. Your hard drive probably contains a lot of sensitive information on it, like tax returns or loan applications. Here’s how to destroy a computer hard drive when you need to.

Let’s set some expectations here. Making the data impossible to recover isn’t something you can do without a drive shredder. But you can make it so difficult and expensive to recover that nobody will bother. That’s good enough. If it costs $10,000 to recover the data from your drive, a thief isn’t going to do it, due to the risk that you don’t have $10,000 to steal.

Dave Farquhar

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Where Lionel trains are made

Dave Farquhar Toy trains November 30, 2016April 15, 2023

Lionel is an iconic American brand, and I often hear people refer to it as a made-in-the-USA company. But it’s been a long time since that’s been where Lionel trains are made. Or at least the majority. It turns out Lionel has a bit of a history with that.

Most Lionel trains were made in the United States through the 1970s. Moving production out of the United States was not a popular move, but since 2001, the majority of Lionel’s product line has been made in South Korea or China by contract manufacturers.

Dave Farquhar

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What is a router DMZ? Is it safe to use?

Dave Farquhar security November 29, 2016March 21, 2021dell, firewall

Most consumer routers have a feature they call a DMZ, or demilitarized zone. You may hear networking types talk about the DMZ at work. So what is a router DMZ, exactly?

Dave Farquhar

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A farmhouse-style laptop desk

Dave Farquhar DIY November 28, 2016February 10, 2019Stain

I needed a small laptop desk but wanted something that wouldn’t clash with my other furniture. So I built a farmhouse-style laptop desk and stained it oak. I used scrap wood, but if I’d had to buy the lumber, it would have cost less than $20.

Dave Farquhar

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