Wi-Fi Troubleshooting

ASUS USB-AC56

The most common cause of poor or erratic download speed is wireless interference, particularly on the heavily used 2.4 GHz band. To troubleshoot the problem:

1. ISP to Internet backbone issue
   If your ISP (Internet Service Provider) has its own speed test site (e.g., Comcast XFINITY Speed Test), run several tests on it. If the problem goes away, you probably have an ISP to Internet backbone issue.
2. Wireless issue
   Turn off wireless in your computer and connect it to the wireless router by Ethernet cable. Run several tests to the ISP speed test (if any) and to The Global Broadband Speed Test. If the problem goes away, you probably have a wireless issue; otherwise you probably have a local ISP issue.

An ISP speed test site is an internal server within the ISP network, so it doesn't test the connection between the ISP network and the Internet backbone, whereas The Global Broadband Speed Test site tests both the ISP network and the connection from the ISP network to the Internet backbone.

If you have a Wireless Issue:

1. Try different wireless channels
   Access the configuration of your wireless router, and manually switch it to channels 1, 6, and 11 (the primary non-overlapping 2.4 GHz channels), thoroughly testing performance in each case.
2. Switch to 5 GHz
   If you have a dual band wireless router (recommended), try connecting to 5 GHz instead of 2.4 GHz because it's usually much less crowded, although it may have less range.
3. Try a different wireless adapter
   ASUS USB-AC53 and ASUS USB-AC56 are two of the best.

See Also:

• Checklist of possible interference sources
• Choosing a Wireless Router
• Extend Wi-Fi Coverage

Mini Jump Starter

Mini Multi-function Jump Starter

Also power and charge cell phones or even computers

You accidentally left lights on in your car, and now the battery doesn't have enough power to start the car. You could call for a jump start, but often that will take well over an hour even in an urban area, and can be expensive if you don't have an auto club membership. You could carry jumper cables with you, but you would still have to find someone willing and able to give you a jump start. Or you could carry an emergency jump start battery.

Until recently jump start batteries were too big and heavy to be practical accessories, but that's now changed. The same advanced lithium ion technology that's given notebook (laptop) computers such long battery life is now available in small and light (mini) jump starters that are practical to carry with you. While they don't have the total capacity of a regular car battery, they are able to deliver sufficiently high current more than long enough to start a normal car. (See Note below) The latest models also have the ability to power and recharge not only things like cell phones but also even computers, and there's even a powerful flashlight.

One of the best current units is sold on Amazon with 1 year warranty by BESTEK and by Bolt Power. It comes with a variety of computer power tips, including one that works for late model Lenovo ThinkPad T-series machines. The USB connector will charge cell phones, but even though rated at 2.1A, it only charges the Nexus 5 Android at slow "USB" rate. (For faster charging see Best USB Car Charger) The included zippered carrying case fits neatly under a car seat. Recommended.

Update: Used it to easily jump start two cars, so I know it works.

Notes

1. When jump starting:
   1. Make sure connections are clean and solid.
   2. After turning unit on, wait a few seconds before trying to start the car.
2. Larger engines need higher starting current. Figure 150A for 4 cylinders, 200A for 6 cylinders, 250A for 8 cylinders, 300A for truck diesel. (These are base values, not peak values.)
3. Watch out for unbranded (unknown) units with dubious quality, warranty and support.
4. Check to see if the correct power tip for your particular computer is included
5. Top up charge every 3-6 months. 
6. The mAh claim is the sum of the mAh ratings of the 3.7V battery cells, but that's not a valid calculation. Real capacity of typical units is 40-50 Wh (watt-hours).
7. If you must call for a jump start and don't have an auto club membership, try Allstate Roadside Assistance at 877-469-7650, charged to credit or debit card.

Choosing a Wireless Router

REPLACED BY CHOOSING A WIRELESS ROUTER 2019

Checklist for Wireless Networking

TP-LINK Archer C7

Very Important

1. Don't settle for a "wireless gateway"
   A "wireless gateway" is an all-in-one device that combines a modem (cable or DSL) with a wireless router. They tend to be mediocre, poor performers, especially those supplied by Internet providers.
1. Insist on a pure modem. Buy your own separate wireless router.
2. Make sure the modem is configured in "bridge" (not routing) mode. Otherwise you can have "double NAT" problems.

Important

1. Simultaneous Dual Band
   The low 2.4 GHz band, commonly found in consumer-grade devices, is increasingly crowded, which can severely limit performance. The high 5 GHz band tends to be much less crowded, and will often provide much better performance. But don't just get a single band 5 GHz device, since some wireless devices only support 2.4 GHz, and avoid dual band devices with a single radio that can only work on one band at a time. In other words, not just dual band, but simultaneous dual band.
2. 300 Mbps Speed
   Wireless "n" devices work at multiples of 150 Mbps (150 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 450 Mbps, etc), but most consumer wireless devices only support 150 Mbps or 300 Mbps, making 300 Mbps a good baseline, so choose a device with at least 300 Mbps speed on both bands (N600). If you choose a wireless "ac" device, anything greater than AC1750 is overkill.
3. Gigabit Ethernet
   Although Fast (100 Mbps) Ethernet is comparable in real world performance to 300 Mbps wireless (actual wireless performance is usually much less than the advertised maximum), Gigabit (1000 Mbps) Ethernet provides much faster wired networking for not much more money and is otherwise good "future proofing".

Nice To Have

1. Guest feature
   A guest feature is a separate wireless network for guests that lets them connect to the Internet but not to any of your own networked devices. It's a bad idea to give guests access to your own network.
2. USB
   USB can be used to attach USB storage or USB printer to the wireless router for network access.

Recommendations non-Apple

1. ASUS RT-AC87U
   Best. AC2400. Outstanding range and performance. High processing power for gigabit throughput. Excellent support.
2. ASUS RT-AC68U
   Better. AC1900.
   
3. ASUS RT-AC66U
   Very good. AC1750. All that most people need.
4. TP-LINK Archer C7
   Best Buy. AC1750. All that most people need. 
5. ASUS RT-N66U
   Good. N900.
6. TP-LINK TL-WDR3600
   Good Buy. N600. Good range and performance.

Recommendations Apple

1. Apple AirPort Extreme
   If you're into Apple products, this is the wireless router to get. Expensive but Recommended. Save money safely with an Apple refurbished unit.
2. Apple AirPort Time Capsule
   Essentially an AirPort Extreme with backup storage built in, so you can keep all your Apple devices backed up over your network. Highly Recommended. Get the largest size you can afford. Save money safely with an Apple refurbished unit.

Notes

1. Update Firmware
   Check the support website for updated firmware before installing, and regularly thereafter (e.g., quarterly).
2. Don't "cheap out"
   A cheap wireless router can reduce performance due to poor internal routing speed.
3. Use WPA2 AES Security
   Identity theft is just one of the risks from getting hacked, and WEP "security" is essentially useless. Use a different (and equally strong) password for a Guest network.
4. Set a Strong Password
   Use a random combination of 12 or more mixed case letters and numbers that you don't use for anything else, and do not use common words, names, numbers, etc.
5. Don't fool yourself
   Network name (SSID) hiding and MAC address filtering are too easily circumvented to provide even minimal security, and they can lead to network problems, so don't use them.
6. Network Backup
   Network storage is an excellent way to keep your devices backed up. Highly recommended. (WD My Cloud is a very good alternative to network storage on the wireless router.)
7. Apple AirPort Express
   The AirPort Express is a great way to extend iTunes music to remote speakers.

 See Also

• Extend Wi-Fi Coverage 
• Mini Wireless Multifunction Routers

Google Plugin Error 1612

Google Talk

Google Voice and Video Chat Plugin (also known as Google Talk Plugin) is needed to make telephone and video calls (free as of this writing) from within Gmail. Unfortunately, the plugin can become corrupted, which results in a prompt to install it, but that can result in Error 1612 over and over. The description makes it sound like a download error, but it can actually be due to corruption of the installation on Windows. Worse, there is no good way to uninstall it (for which shame on Google)!

The solution may be to use the Microsoft Fix It tool to Fix problems that programs cannot be installed or uninstalled. Look for Google Talk Plugin in the list of items to install or uninstall. Then after fixing that, try again to install it.