TECHNOLOGY

There are pros and cons to my addiction to technology.

I spent most of my week tweaking our wifi.

All the wifi equipment is in my room, so I rarely have an issue.  When I go out to the patio, (which isn't very far from my room), things slow down.  Kate complains a lot as she is across the parking lot supervising boys and smoking ... she often cannot even get on wifi thus using her cell phone data.

First I checked our speed.  400 mbps.  I pay for 800 mbps so that was my first question.  I prefer instant chat with a human vs. a phone call.  My hearing is not great and the accents from all around the world are sometimes difficult to understand.

My new best friend from India (Abhilok) explained a lot to me.

(The modem)

A pure fiber-optic connection transmits data unhindered by typical network throttling, freeing up your bandwidth. 400 Mbps is an advanced speed that packs more of a punch than typical internet, and is tailored for businesses dealing with heavy online traffic and a good amount of devices to support.  But it's not just speed I'm buying.  I'm buying bandwidth so five of us can use the 400 mbps and not slow anyone down.  Having more bandwidth is like adding another lane to the highway. The speed limit is still the same, but you can have more cars traveling at top speed at once.

I learned from a neighbor Xfinity was going off line for an hour in the middle of the night to upgrade some things.  And by golly, we did notice a difference (although why they wouldn't send all their customers an email informing us is beyond my understanding of customer service).

Mr. Abhilok still thought I should have a service call because my account showed I was using a Comcast modem and we have our own device.  The very cheerful masked and bootied young man fixed every thing, took off internet calling (which we had never used but was part of a bundle).  Our bill went down by $30/month by the time he was done.

(The extinct Apple router)

The service guy informed me that my Apple router is no longer being updated or serviced or even sold any more.  That will be a great investment when things slow down again.  Some of the newer routers are over $500 and have 6 antennae!

(The Netgear Extender)

I bought and set up a Netgear extender so things are working better outside.  It's Saturday morning and a pleasant 70 degrees so this has been written outside.

When technology is working, my life is so happy!