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Roku Internet speed is poor? Here’s what to do

Dave Farquhar Hardware January 2, 2019October 23, 2022

If your Roku Internet speed is poor, or you think it might be inadequate, there are some things to do about it. Here’s how to run a Roku Internet speed test and how to interpret the results it gives you.

The key to managing your Roku Internet speed is knowing what constitutes good or poor speed. Sometimes we overestimate how much bandwidth we actually need to stream, and what seems like poor speed may be a different problem.

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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Computer power cord AWG: Why it matters

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 17, 2018March 29, 2023

If you look at your PC power cord really carefully, you’ll see a number stamped on the side followed by the letters AWG. What does a computer power cord’s AWG mean, and should you worry about it? What AWG makes a good gaming PC power cord?

With a typical desktop computer, even a light-duty power cord is sufficient and you don’t have to worry about AWG. High-end computers like servers or gaming PCs with high-power video cards in them do benefit from a heavier-duty power cord, such as 16 AWG or even 14 AWG. Using a heavier cord than the manufacturer specified won’t cause any problems, but a too-light cord can cause various issues.

Dave Farquhar

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How to clean off battery acid

Dave Farquhar Hardware December 5, 2018November 21, 2018

If a battery leaked inside your favorite electrical or electronic gadget, don’t fret. You don’t have to throw it out. And you can fix it for a couple of dollars, at most. Here’s how to clean off battery acid.

Dave Farquhar

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What is WebOS on a TV?

Dave Farquhar Hardware October 22, 2018September 17, 2023

If you’re shopping for a smart TV, you might find the word WebOS and perhaps a version number listed in the features. That raises a question. What is WebOS on a TV, and should you care? Possibly.

Dave Farquhar

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What is the difference between SSD and HDD?

Dave Farquhar Hardware October 17, 2018October 17, 2018

When you’re shopping for computers, you may find some computers have an SSD and some list an HDD in the specs instead. What is the difference between SSD and HDD? And should you care? In a word, yes.

Dave Farquhar

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How long should a router last? It depends.

Dave Farquhar Hardware October 9, 2018October 3, 2018

In 2016, I got spiffy new Internet service that promised to be a little faster than 100 megabits. So I got a spiffy new gigabit router to work with it. It worked for six months. That got me thinking about how long should a router last.

For a while, routers were so cheap I didn’t really care how long they lasted. You could get a good-enough router for 20 bucks. But to get the features we want today, you’re looking at $100 or more. And at that price point, you should expect it to last a while.

Dave Farquhar

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Hyperx Alloy FPS Pro review

Dave Farquhar Hardware October 5, 2018March 8, 2023

I want a quiet keyboard that doesn’t feel like typing on overcooked oatmeal. Ideally I want it to be tenkeyless to save space on my desk. I need the desk space more than I need the keypad these days. I realize I ask for an awful lot. My quest led me to the Hyperx Alloy FPS Pro. It’s designed to be a gaming keyboard, but I’m using it for work. Here’s my Hyperx Alloy FPS Pro review.

Dave Farquhar

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How much does it cost to build a computer?

Dave Farquhar Hardware October 4, 2018March 27, 2020

How much does it cost to build a computer, you ask? It depends on how much you want to spend, whether you have any parts you can use already on hand, and what your expectations are. But I can give you some ranges so you can figure it out.

You can build a computer for $300 or even a bit less, if you have parts to reuse. But a high-performance computer will cost more, potentially hundreds or even thousands of dollars, depending on what you want out of it.

Dave Farquhar

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Low cost computers

Dave Farquhar Hardware September 26, 2018September 17, 2018

Many people don’t realize it, but we are living in a golden age of low cost computers right now. A veritable flood of off-lease computers is driving down prices for quality, good-performance equipment. These are ideal for low income individuals or others on tight budgets. They’re PCs for people–ordinary people.

Dave Farquhar

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Roku overheating fixes

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Video September 14, 2018September 14, 2018

I have a Roku 2720X. I’ve had it since 2014, so it’s a few years old now, but I like it. Lately it’s been having some problems though. It works fabulously with Hulu and Netflix, but streaming local media and streaming baseball give me trouble. I traced it to overheating. So let’s look at some Roku overheating fixes.

Some people replace their devices with newer models with faster dual- or quad-core processors. This works; a more powerful chip will handle the load of newer, more demanding apps better without heating up as much. But you can extend the useful life of your venerable single-core 600 MHz Roku devices too, at least until Roku stops releasing updates for them.

Dave Farquhar

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