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50 votes
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The movement for affordable, community-led broadband: Grassroots organizations like NYC Mesh want to close the digital divide, one rooftop at a time
20 votes -
Modem help
Hi all - I need some help troubleshooting my internet and really don't feel like dealing w/ customer service reps. I don't consider myself a tech savvy person, so I'm wondering what this community...
Hi all - I need some help troubleshooting my internet and really don't feel like dealing w/ customer service reps. I don't consider myself a tech savvy person, so I'm wondering what this community might know..
I've been having issues with my internet for a while. we have xfinity with a plan that promises up to 1000mbps. I'm lucky if i get up to 250 on a good day. beyond that, we constantly lose connection, or get very slow connectivity. i'm using a Netgear c7000v2 as my modem/wifi router combo paired with a Google Nest Mesh router. My home is roughly 1000 sqft footprint split level. my computer is in a different room, but there's no doors between and about 600 ft from the modem/mesh routers.
i called xfinity to talk about the issue, they said that my modem likely needed to be replaced. the initial modem was also a Netgear c7000v2, but i figured maybe the hardware just burnt out(?) they sent me an xfinity modem, and everything seemed to work great (still not 1000mbps, but definitely better). when I realized they were charging me more than I was willing to pay monthly for a rental fee on the modem, i decided i'd go back out and buy a new modem. i bought a Netgear c7000v2 again, because it should be able to handle those speeds, and to my understanding is a decent enough modem. i also bought a new coaxial cable to double check. but after replacing, my internet is still spotty and constantly goes in and out.
i don't have any device to plug directly into the ethernet cable (because it's 2023...), so i can't pinpoint the issue through that. i haven't had an xfinity tech come out yet, because apparently that takes anywhere from 6-8 weeks to get a visit...
any ideas on what i should do? part of me is convinced that xfinity is throttling my internet because I'm not using their modem and paying them a rental fee, but i don't want to give into conspiratorial thinking...i'm about to file an FTC complaint on them because I'm just fed-up at this point.
14 votes -
Thomson Reuters AI copyright dispute must go to trial, judge says
17 votes -
DN42 - Darknet for learning networking
6 votes -
Daniel Ek says Spotify has no plans to completely ban content created by artificial intelligence from the music streaming platform
3 votes -
A case of sexual violence in cyberspace (1993)
25 votes -
Your Fitbit is useless – unless you consent to unlawful data sharing
74 votes -
Internet Archive’s Digital Library of Amateur Radio & Communications has grown to more than 90,000 resources related to amateur radio, shortwave listening, amateur television, and related topics
29 votes -
Kick revisits moderation policy after CEO laughs at sex worker ‘prank’ stream
18 votes -
Unlimited Kagi searches for $10 per month
96 votes -
xQc is stealing content (and so are most reaction streamers)
51 votes -
Intel hit with $400 million EU antitrust fine in decades-old case
27 votes -
Meta’s AI chatbot plan includes a ‘sassy robot’ for younger users
8 votes -
You can tell how bad Google Searches are now when you try to search for "Baldur's Gate 3 Wiki" and it pushes you a single outdated wiki and a bunch of posts telling you to use bg3.wiki
54 votes -
Popular thesaurus website used in sneaky cryptojacking scheme
11 votes -
Taylor Swift managed to drive record-breaking numbers to voter registration website Vote.org after urging her 232 million followers on Instagram to take action
67 votes -
Microsoft Cloud hiring to "implement global small modular reactor and microreactor" strategy to power data centers
18 votes -
Automated translation programs cause problems with US asylum cases, make 'insane' mistakes
8 votes -
Inside Tiktok's real-life frenzies - from riots to false murder accusations
8 votes -
"We are not sustainable" say Framework: a company's initiative to achieve sustainability
37 votes -
Tinder unveils staggering $500-per-month ‘VIP’ subscription tier
26 votes -
iOS 17 could break crucial diabetic glucose monitor alerts, manufacturer warns
23 votes -
Ads for AI sex workers are flooding Instagram and TikTok
38 votes -
E-reader purchasing advice
So for various reasons I can't use paper books very well. I've been reading almost exclusively on epaper for... 15 years or so now? My current reader is a Kobo Aura One which has done very well...
So for various reasons I can't use paper books very well. I've been reading almost exclusively on epaper for... 15 years or so now?
My current reader is a Kobo Aura One which has done very well but is starting to get a bit tired - the screen is a bit scratched up and the battery life is measured in days rather than weeks (at around 1hr/day reading with the frontlight on low). Plus the usb socket has done that annoying thing where the cable needs to be at the exact right angle in order to charge.
So I'm in the market for a new one. I'd like it to be >7 inches, 300ppi (same spec as the Aura One or better). Overdrive support is nice but not essential. EPub support is a must, as is orange/red frontlighting. Linux slightly preferred over Android. Battery life in weeks. Waterproof doesn't matter. Cloud sync, bluetooth, audiobook support, apps (other than a decent reader), note-taking - I don't care about. It's for reading books, nothing else. Budget is not a huge issue but I don't want to spend more than I have to.
I have had zero time for the last few weeks to look into what the market is doing now and it's been many since I paid much attention to the world of ereaders, so anyone who is more up to date than me who can offer some suggestions would be much appreciated.
27 votes -
What is a simple tech tip that changed how you use your computer or other devices in a significant way?
Looking to accumulate some great tips on this topic! If your tip involves specific software, ideally it should be FOSS (free or open source).
136 votes -
China exports of gallium and germanium, used in manufacture of semiconductors, fell to zero in August
25 votes -
iPhone 15 Pro Max: A gateway drug for Android users
22 votes -
Android 14 adds native support for using smartphones as a webcams
15 votes -
Yelp has a wall of shame for businesses caught paying for fake reviews
19 votes -
Inside ShadowDragon, the tool that lets ICE monitor pregnancy tracking sites and Fortnite players
23 votes -
X announces it’s shutting down ‘Circles’ as of October 31st
15 votes -
Google US antitrust trial - judge ordered trial exhibits removed from the web - the Verge responds by publishing them
24 votes -
Matrix 2.0: The future of Matrix
12 votes -
Incomplete disclosures by Apple and Google create “huge blindspot” for 0-day hunters
13 votes -
Opinion by Brian Merchant: I’ve always loved tech. Now, I’m a Luddite. You should be one, too.
69 votes -
iOS 17 is available for iPhone users
39 votes -
Signal adds quantum-resistant encryption to its E2EE messaging protocol
26 votes -
The gruesome story of how Neuralink’s monkeys actually died
43 votes -
Are the memes about setting up and troubleshooting printers overblown nowadays?
I haven't really messed with printers in probably 15 years or more, but it felt like any time they were brought up, there were two flavors: Older printers, which decided if they wanted to work or...
I haven't really messed with printers in probably 15 years or more, but it felt like any time they were brought up, there were two flavors:
- Older printers, which decided if they wanted to work or not based on absolutely nothing at all
- Newer printers, which are covered in DRM and mostly a nickel-and-diming scam
Now, for the former I remember having some issues, but generally just clearing the printer's cache (or whatever it was called) would fix most of the problems. I think the bigger issue is that I always helped people set up cheap Walmart-sold inkjet printers that had more hardware issues than software, along with ink that would go to shit instantly.
But I was out today at a thrift store and they had a Brother for $25, with an entire extra unopened toner cartridge (I think that's what it's called?). I asked them if it worked, they said it did, but if it didn't I could return it by tomorrow.
So I brought it home, assuming something would be wrong with it, but in about 10 minutes I had it plugged in, connected to my wifi network, and connected to my computer. I tried scanning-- it worked fine. I tried copying-- it does that no problem. It took longer to install the drivers on my PC than set up the printer itself.
So are printers really as straight-forward as I experienced with this cheap used one, or am I just lucky?
21 votes -
Wyze security breach: Why we’re pulling our recommendation of Wyze security cameras
27 votes -
UK's Online Safety Bill: Crackdown on harmful social media content agreed
27 votes -
iFixit drastically and retroactively reduces ‘Repairability Score’ of the iPhone 14 because of error messages Apple sends if "nongenuine" parts are used
74 votes -
Bard can now connect to your Google apps and services
16 votes -
Neuralink is recruiting subjects for the first human trial of its brain-computer interface
9 votes -
Probe reveals previously secret Israeli spyware that infects targets via ads
36 votes -
Australia tells dating apps to improve safety standards to protect users from sexual violence
12 votes -
Elon Musk thinking of charging money for Twitter
@Dave Lee: Elon Musk revisiting an idea apparently floated privately in the past -- charging *everyone* to use Twitter. A lower tier than premium. "We've moving to a small monthly payment for use of the X system," he just told Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it's only way to stamp out bots.
48 votes -
The Pirate Bay celebrates its 20th anniversary
76 votes -
US FTC warns tax prep companies against invasive online tracking
14 votes