No more WiFi, Part 3: All about existing house wiring

No more WiFi: All about existing house wiringWhat happens if you want to set up a home network, but you already have existing Ethernet cabling and wall jacks?

While it may seem simple, it turns out that you need to do some investigation first.

In this video, I describe the different types of patch panels you may find in your home, how they work, and how you will use them (or not).

It’s worth noting that if you only have twisted-pair phone cabling (often called PTT-298), you CAN use that wiring for 100 Mbps Ethernet – but not for Gigabit+ speeds.

Fortunately, most homes these days have Cat 5e or higher cabling, so that part shouldn’t be a problem…

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Can Shungite protect you from EMFs?

Does Shungite absorb 5G?Shungite is a stone that many people use to protect themselves from EMFs such as WiFi, 5G, and so on. But does it really work?

Well, it turns out that most of the information available on the internet appears to be dead wrong!

I do a few simple tests in this video to show that no, shungite does not appear to absorb EMFs – it reflects or partially blocks them only when it’s directly between the antenna and your body.

Well, okay, but there are still tons of people who swear by it! What’s going on here?

Should you keep using your shungite?

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Is 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet better than WiFi 6E?

WiFi 6E vs 2.5 Gigabit EthernetFirst of all, it’s finally happened: 2.5 Gbps Ethernet is HERE!

It’s already rolling out, and consumer-grade 2.5 gig switches will arrive shortly.

The other big news is the unveiling of WiFi 6E.

A new flavor of WiFi 6, the 6E variant adds the 6GHz radio band and speeds of up to 11Gbps… Or so they say.

So, the question is: stick with wired, or go WiFi 6E wireless? Which is faster?

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Is Big Tech in Big Trouble? It depends…

Big Tech is in Big Trouble!For awhile now, we’ve been hearing rumors of anti-trust actions against the four main Big Tech companies.

Recently, the word is that actual charges will be brought starting in June of this year.

When you put all the recent stories together – along with some other interesting events involving Big Tech – it DOES look like something is finally about to happen.

But will any of it actually change anything?

It’s easy to be cynical, but I do see an opportunity here to make a difference…

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5 fun Computer Facts you probably didn’t know

5 fun Computer Facts you didn't knowAnd now it’s time for something completely different!

Computers are an integral parts of our lives now.

Sometimes, we forgot how far we’ve come in such a short time.

We also don’t usually hear the details of where some specific piece of technology came from.

So, join me for 5 Fun Computer Facts you probably didn’t know!

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Even your APPS are invading your privacy!

Location Data Companies

As regular readers know, I’m not a big fan of the traditional smartphone craze.

Sure, they’re really handy gizmos, but the amount of data being hoovered up and shipped off to large service providers is a bit frustrating.

As if things aren’t bad enough on that front, it gets better! It turns out that even individual APPS running on your phone are spying on you – specifically, they’re tracking your location (among other things).

What’s more, your location data can be easily linked to you as a private individual. To top it all off, this data is bought and sold to anyone who will pay – and all in the blink of an eye!

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5G or Virus? The data speaks for itself

5G or Virus?Given the current global situation with the virus lock down, we are all looking for answers.

Some people have suggested that 5G systems are causing the symptoms of Covid-19. But does that really fit the data?

It turns out that we can easily find several rather large holes in this theory from easily available data online.

Of course, that does not mean 5G is the greatest thing since sliced bread!

But it does mean that in the current climate, we should strive to give credit where it is due, and also place blame where it belongs.

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All the smartphone features, none of the Google!

No-Google SmartphoneI’ve been using dumbphones for awhile now, but I started to miss some smartphone features.

Then a friend of mine mentioned LineageOS again. I decided to take the plunge… And I’m glad I did!

It IS possible to have a relatively private smartphone without all the Googley madness – even in this day and age.

But it does take a bit of time, patience, and some technical know-how.

Note that I don’t walk through the entire installation process here since it’s particular to your specific phone…

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