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CharlieWhiskey posted:Because of some employer work-from-home arrangements, we're running Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T cell phones at home. We want better signal strength on the Sprint and AT&T phones, which are used most on the 1st floor, where reception is bad. My actual question: are "cell phone boosters" snake oil? If not, is there an unbiased source online (i.e. not a booster sales company) where I can teach myself about them? You have two real options: 1) Get microcells from the cell carriers. These are an actual dedicated tower just for your house, essentially, which will provide high signal strength but generally rely on sending all their traffic out through your home internet connection. So in case of the power or internet going out, your phones will have to fall back on the existing bad signal. 2) Get the sort of cell booster which has you mount a larger antenna externally, but requires you to have a whole system mounted inside your house to actually connect between the external antenna and phones in the house. These do work, but they are quite expensive, especially for versions that will operate in more than one or two rooms at once. For instance, cost of installation and equipment to cover a whole floor can easily cost $1000 Avoid cell phone boosters that are just something you attach to the phone itself. They're useless in most situations. There's also the option of much cheaper cell signal boosting kits meant for use in vehicles, where you mount the phone in a holder similar to one you'd use for holding up a phone to use for navigation, and which run out to an external antenna - but those basically require that you leave the phone in the cradle thing to actually get the boost. They can work if you'll do all your use of the phone via a bluetooth headset or something, but they're not practical for your situation, probably.
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Feb 13, 2017 18:27
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CharlieWhiskey posted:Because of some employer work-from-home arrangements, we're running Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T cell phones at home. We want better signal strength on the Sprint and AT&T phones, which are used most on the 1st floor, where reception is bad. My actual question: are "cell phone boosters" snake oil? If not, is there an unbiased source online (i.e. not a booster sales company) where I can teach myself about them?
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Feb 13, 2017 18:42
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Thank you both. We may be moving in a few months, so I will keep outdoor antenna installation in mind. As for wifi calling, I can't believe I didn't know it was a free service. I've enabled it on my Sprint phone and calls seem clearer. However, my AT&T phone isn't compatible by default. This may be the impetus I need to require my boss to upgrade me from my iPhone 4s 
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Feb 13, 2017 20:32
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Sab669 posted:What is "T" designation in the Skylake i5's? I found a website in the past that says what each letter is but I can't find it now If the cheaper one is the J3710 Braswell processor then I woudn't use it as a desktop computer. I run a J3710 as a lightweight home server and it's absolutely fine for what I use it for (Ubuntu server with no monitor) but you're gonna struggle browsing multiple web pages and streaming vids with it, I reckon.
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Feb 14, 2017 21:27
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Not sure if this is a hardware or software question, so please forgive me. Whenever I open my volume mixer, playback devices or sound options on skype / teamspeak, I'm getting really weird codes where my device names should be. Speakers (Ö¦aÀ?öXXÔŽ üŠnRºË. Ÿn~á™éS¢Ýp¹{ ™ŠŸ yŽqã÷ý8Ñ)9 ñûêÔ”Á¿s) ^ for example. It doesn't seem to cause any issues or anything, but it's slightly annoying. Does anyone know what the issue could be or if it has a fix?
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Feb 16, 2017 01:45
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itsjustdrew posted:It doesn't seem to cause any issues or anything, but it's slightly annoying. Does anyone know what the issue could be or if it has a fix?
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Feb 16, 2017 03:08
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Alereon posted:Have you tried updating your audio drivers to the latest version from the manufacturer's website? That's usually Realtek. Just tried, didn't fix it for me though, thanks for trying.
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Feb 16, 2017 14:12
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This question probably straddles the line between a few forums, but I'll try here first: In the conference rooms at work we have a male VGA plug that connects to TV's, projectors, whatever. That worked great until we started getting new laptops with HDMI instead. Since we have a combination of laptops using VGA and HDMI, the ideal solution would be a splitter that has female VGA going in, and splits off to both a male HDMI and male VGA. Does something like this exist? I've done some searching, but have not found anything yet. It seems like an odd request because one of the connections would be redundant (plug in male VGA and then end up with male VGA), but I'm afraid that a converter that is only VGA to HDMI will be loose on the table and eventually disappear. On the other hand, anything that uses multiple connections to get the desired combination of male VGA and HDMI will be considered scary and unusable by the less tech savvy crowd.
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Feb 16, 2017 17:36
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Just to double-check, are you sure your projectors or AV cabinets/whatever don't also have HDMI input? It would be kind of silly to go to a lot of effort to make an adapter when the solution was just plugging the second cable in and zip-tying them together.
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Feb 16, 2017 18:02
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Alereon posted:Just to double-check, are you sure your projectors or AV cabinets/whatever don't also have HDMI input? It would be kind of silly to go to a lot of effort to make an adapter when the solution was just plugging the second cable in and zip-tying them together. I should clarify that I'm in engineering and just want to avoid every employee here carrying their own adapter. This is a global mega-corp, so what you're describing (i.e., the proper way of actually solving the problem) with running a wire from the device to the hub on the conference room tables would take well over a month to complete and I don't even know how much paperwork to fill out. Buying a few adapters is something that I can do on my P-card today if what I described is available for purchase somewhere.
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Feb 16, 2017 18:42
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Converting an HDMI output to go into a VGA input will require some kind of boutique active converter because HDMI is a digital signal and VGA is analog; they're totally different and incompatible. There are probably boxes that do it but they may not be cheap.
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Feb 16, 2017 23:32
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Eletriarnation posted:Converting an HDMI output to go into a VGA input will require some kind of boutique active converter because HDMI is a digital signal and VGA is analog; they're totally different and incompatible. There are probably boxes that do it but they may not be cheap. They're widely available and you can get them as cheap as like $10 each.
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Feb 17, 2017 00:42
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Blowjob Overtime posted:I should clarify that I'm in engineering and just want to avoid every employee here carrying their own adapter. This is a global mega-corp, so what you're describing (i.e., the proper way of actually solving the problem) with running a wire from the device to the hub on the conference room tables would take well over a month to complete and I don't even know how much paperwork to fill out. Buying a few adapters is something that I can do on my P-card today if what I described is available for purchase somewhere. What you describe isn't easily available. What you probably want is something like this: https://tetherties.com. Just buy commodity adapters and leash them to the main cable to make sure they don't walk off. If a user doesn't need the adapter they just unplug it and let it hang separate from the cable. They're expensive for what they are, but compared to some kind of custom reverse-splitter distribution system that auto selects the right input and is transparent to users, they cost effectively nothing.
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Feb 17, 2017 03:24
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My i5-750 and Noctua NH-D14 are about 7 years old. Should I re-apply some thermal paste to the cpu? I don't really have any issues like temperature.
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Feb 17, 2017 15:44
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ufarn posted:My i5-750 and Noctua NH-D14 are about 7 years old. Should I re-apply some thermal paste to the cpu? Put it under a stress test such as Intel Burn Test or Prime95, and if after a little while you don't go over 80°C, I personally wouldn't worry about it. If it gets a tad too warm, re-applying thermal paste isn't a big job. Noctua's stuff (NT-H1) is still decent, so no worries about using that again.
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Feb 17, 2017 16:06
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Eletriarnation posted:Converting an HDMI output to go into a VGA input will require some kind of boutique active converter because HDMI is a digital signal and VGA is analog; they're totally different and incompatible. There are probably boxes that do it but they may not be cheap. I thought that might be the case, but wanted to check with the experts to be sure before ordering the straight VGA to HDMI converter. Thanks. Space Gopher posted:What you describe isn't easily available. This is definitely something I'll be buying, thank you. "Expensive for what they are" is true, but they solve the problem and my employer for whom I am apathetic (at best) is footing the bill, so no worries there.
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Feb 17, 2017 17:32
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Space Gopher posted:What you describe isn't easily available. Just use zip ties and put the cables in the loop. Here's what our conference rooms do.  Blue is VGA, Red is an HDMI adapter, yellow is a zip tie. If you have an HDMI port, plug it into the red adapter and then into your laptop. If you have VGA, unplug it from the adapter and use it. Simple stuff.
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Feb 17, 2017 17:48
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^ Is that Trump's proposed, forced showering system for dirty muslims?
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Feb 18, 2017 09:25
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I'm looking at two pairs of RAM sticks: TridentZ 3866 18 cas TridentZ 3200 14 cas I'm waiting to see how AMD's Ryzen is. The unreleased Ryzen motherboard I'm also looking at says "3200 (OC)+", which may reach 3866. My question is, if I can't do more than 3200 with 3866 sticks, will the RAM downclock to 3200 but keep the CAS latency at 18, or will it lower itself to 14? Is it reasonable to assume that I can get it to 14 manually if not?
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Feb 19, 2017 15:39
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New power supply, I was gaming last night and the computer would fully turn off after an hour or so, cpu temps read normal. This morning the power supply is making a clicking sound and cycling power with each click. Bad PSU or am I (hopefully) missing something obvious?
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Feb 19, 2017 16:13
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Is it at all feasible to repair a broken charger cable without a soldering iron? It's fallen apart at a very inconvenient time.
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Feb 19, 2017 17:39
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Got a crimping tool and crimps of the correct size? Insulation tape might make a short term repair otherwise.
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Feb 19, 2017 17:51
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Fruits of the sea posted:Is it at all feasible to repair a broken charger cable without a soldering iron? It's fallen apart at a very inconvenient time. That's really going to depend on the way it failed. If what broke was just a line inside the cable, you're going to have to strip the insulation on either end of where the interior lines broke, very carefully ensure you match up the connections properly, and probably use wire nuts to join up each pair of wires. Then, to try to help prevent any shorts from exposed wires, you'd want to wrap that stuff up with electrical tape. If what broke is the connector to the computer, that might not be repairable without soldering - or even with soldering. Additionally, are you sure that it's the cable that broke and not the charger circuitry itself? Because if it's the charger itself that broke you probably have no hope of safely repairing the electronics involved.
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Feb 19, 2017 17:52
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booseek posted:I'm looking at two pairs of RAM sticks:
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Feb 19, 2017 23:49
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Alereon posted:The RAM can have timing profiles for multiple speeds loaded, so it just depends on how they are set. You can lower the latency if you aren't pushing the clockspeed as high, but there isn't a guarantee you can hit the same lower latency settings. As a very rough guide you can divide the clockspeed by CAS latency to get "performance index", higher is harder to reach and costs more. In that example the lower-clocked RAM is actually rated for a higher performance index. This is a shortcut Anandtech invented back in the DDR2 days but has remained true for DDR3 and DDR4. Thanks. I've been told about the index, though unless the latency vs. frequency is way off, people here tend to agree that higher frequency is better. For games at least, higher frequency almost always does better than lower latency. So the lower latency is no guarantee, then, even on otherwise same brand and series sticks.
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Feb 20, 2017 01:39
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Can someone help me understand what Crystal Disk Info is telling me? Twice now one of my hard drives has suddenly disappeared. Obviously, I'm going to try to clone the disk as soon as possible (there isn't really anything irreplaceable on it, but still). Actually, maybe I should run CHKDSK on it first. It does have Battle.NET, so maybe I should uninstall that before I clone it in case it detects the hardware change and freaks out. EDIT: It's already freaking out and wants me to install it even though the disk it was on is back. I'll choose a different drive. Crystal Disk Info says the disk is "Good", but when the S.M.A.R.T. info says things like
I'm not sure that qualifies as "Good". The help file doesn't elaborate on what it means. So am I reading it wrong, or are those big warning flags despite the disk still being considered "good". Stabbey_the_Clown fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Feb 20, 2017 |
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Feb 20, 2017 05:16
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I believe the way Crystal Disk Info reports data is that it acts like a countdown, so they start at 200 and go down to 51 or 0. Since they are both still at default values I'd say you are fine. In cases where I have seen sudden drive drops with healthily drives it's usually been the cables, usually data but sometimes power. I would try swapping SATA cables and see if that fixes it. If not, try another SATA power connector if you have one free.
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Feb 20, 2017 05:27
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FCKGW posted:I believe the way Crystal Disk Info reports data is that it acts like a countdown, so they start at 200 and go down to 51 or 0. Since they are both still at default values I'd say you are fine. Ah, okay, that makes sense. I'll check the cables, then. Thanks.
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Feb 20, 2017 07:02
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What are the raw values that it is reporting for those entries?
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Feb 21, 2017 04:10
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Gromit posted:What are the raw values that it is reporting for those entries? For the ones I posted... oh. Zeros all the way along. I feel confident that means "none". I never actually looked hard at that field before. The only one which looks like it could be an issue but is not all zeroes in the raw data is the "Ultra DMA CRC Error Count, which has it's worst at 199 (current is 200) and the raw value of 0000000003F3.
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Feb 21, 2017 05:06
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My Seagate's both list 200/200 for that, but with a 0 raw value. And yes, the raw value is the useful part.
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Feb 21, 2017 07:20
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:For the ones I posted... oh. Zeros all the way along. I feel confident that means "none". I never actually looked hard at that field before. That usually means a dodgy cable
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Feb 21, 2017 08:27
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Skarsnik posted:That usually means a dodgy cable Thank you for the help. I'll replace the cable and pick up a couple spare ones as well as a replacement for my front panel chassis fan which is missing a blade.
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Feb 23, 2017 05:58
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I got a refurb t420 Thinkpad and three keyboard is real sweet and all that I like the machine. It's got a six cell battery in it that lasts for about three hours of fairly low intensity work, typin on the web, really assy attempts to program, etc. It's fine I guess. My question is when I see a 9 cell for it for sale on Amazon that's a foam brick with some old AAAs glued inside, right? Or is there somewhere I could get a 9 cell for it that isn't blown up fake bullshit that won't do me better than the kinda ratty 6 in there now? I looked around online and posts from 2005 or whatever seemed to think I could get 8 hours on a 9 cell. It's got an i7 gen 2 in it and an SSD if that makes any difference, I leave the brightness up fairly high on the screen because it's an old panel and looks it (but at least it's the 1600:900 one). raton fucked around with this message at 07:01 on Feb 23, 2017 |
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Feb 23, 2017 06:57
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An original/genuine OEM battery is going to be a few years old by now, so besides being expensive it won't last long enough to justify the cost. I ended up spending $20 on an aftermarket battery for my SL510 that lasts about 3ish hours. Not great, but for twenty bucks it tides me over.
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Feb 23, 2017 13:02
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Stabbey_the_Clown posted:Thank you for the help. Faulty cable is the worst. I had one without realising and though "man modern dvd drives are trash" as they were failing every few months. Then I fitted a hdd and it killed that within a month, I put two and two together and replaced the cable.
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Feb 23, 2017 14:45
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Wilford Cutlery posted:An original/genuine OEM battery is going to be a few years old by now, so besides being expensive it won't last long enough to justify the cost. That depends. For popular laptops, especially those any large outside company bought a lot of, the manufacturer will actually keep manufacturing fully new batteries for quite some time after the model's discontinued - it's a decent source of revenue for them, and often a condition of the contract to supply Whatever Corp with 2000 identical laptops or something.
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Feb 23, 2017 16:07
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Yeah, recently I've checked into replacement batteries for an X220 and an E6230 (Ivy Bridge) and from what I saw, you can still get OEM batteries for these older business systems if you look around but they're 2-3x the cost of similarly sized off-brand models. Of course, resilience of the off-brand models varies widely.
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Feb 23, 2017 16:23
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Does anyone in the thread use the Steelhead CX series? I got a price from a vendor that's about 20 grand less than street price for the appliance, but the licensing is right around 20 grand. Are they screwing me by offering cheap hardware and jacking up the license price or is this pretty typical? The appliance in question is the CX3070 and the license level is H.
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Feb 23, 2017 17:52
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fishmech posted:That depends. For popular laptops, especially those any large outside company bought a lot of, the manufacturer will actually keep manufacturing fully new batteries for quite some time after the model's discontinued - it's a decent source of revenue for them, and often a condition of the contract to supply Whatever Corp with 2000 identical laptops or something. I was hoping maybe there was a reliable third party manufacturer instead of just playing the lottery with assorted Chinese garbage and possibly years old oem stuff &c. Also I get three hours out of the one I have now so while not good it's functional, so it'd be dumb to go through the hassle of ordering a new battery to find I only get three hours out of it as well.
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Feb 23, 2017 18:39
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