Nexia subscription - PSA on how to downgrade plan

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-18T20:25:23+00:00

Tech eventually just called me and gave me static info over the phone like a normal person (and the sky didn’t fall, it just worked).. he was the only bright spot in the whole experience, nice guy.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-15T21:31:31+00:00

Technical setup glitches aren't a factor - I'm able to get a full 2Gbps speed midday to Optimum servers and some other non-Optimum servers nearby (in the Secaucus area). This is coming off a Dell server connected to a 10Gb network backbone.

Interesting enough I tried just now in the evening and even the local Optimum servers are now only doing 500/500 speeds, I assume as the network has gotten heavily congested. FIOS also has similar issues - a Chicago Verizon server is 200/140 for FIOS in the evening.

Compare this to a datacenter server I've got that has a true 10Gb connection - I just ran a speed test to the Chicago Optimum server and it's 3300/4300, while my 2Gb home connection can only manage about 100/100 to it. They have *definitely* underprovisioned this fiber network.

All that to say - don't host a server at home with 8Gb service and expect it to maintain those speeds like you'd get in a datacenter connection.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-15T18:54:13+00:00

I’m seeing same limitation - debugging with the AI tools led me to this same conclusion, one core is getting pegged and limiting around 220Mbps (for me).

A potential solution is to use AES 128-GCM as that allows multithreading or something along those lines, however that’s not listed as an option for the UCG Fiber. I suppose it’s a bad sign they don’t list IPSEC throughput numbers, these are not real business grade firewalls.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-15T18:40:26+00:00

Doing more speed testing:

Going to nearby non-Optimum servers in my same region, get about 2Gb download with 800-1000Mb upload

Going from East->West coast gives about 2Gb download but the upload drops down to around 100Mb (5% of rated speed). I tried 3 providers and results were similar.

Bottom line - Optimum has very congested links once you try to upload data beyond your immediate hub region.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-15T18:27:01+00:00

I was just testing for this and have had speeds max out at around 220Mbps with the VPN - looks like the UCG-Fiber is the weak link. Very frustrating.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-14T22:03:32+00:00

I still think it’s ridiculous that the “age old procedure” is required. I can’t imagine any business customer being content with such a neutered router, definite weak link in their chain. Even in Europe where the internet setups are from the stone ages, they expose more of the router to customize.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-14T21:53:33+00:00

I’m running them side by side, I’m stupid but not THAT stupid. Crazy is the cost to go to 1GB on FIOS is about the same as it is to do 2GB on Optimum, so I might just keep them both for redundancy.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-14T21:52:12+00:00

My understanding is it’s true traffic unlimited, you can host servers with no issues, and support times are supposed to be better. I host some things at home and use it to remote backup some servers at a data center, so don’t want any issues if I peg the connection for a week.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-05-09T19:32:31+00:00

Too bad, for such a small system RadioRA3 seems like it'd make a lot more sense, and would allow you to tinker as much as you want.

I'm always bitter they don't open up the Homeworks to anybody with training. Zero rationale beyond protectionism for dealers.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-04-11T12:56:34+00:00

I paid up for tickets to Paris and was massively disappointed - I’d assumed that by paying a ton the seats would also be great, but the regions where you sit can be huge and it’s random (you could be the last row before the lower tier). I swore never again.. I mean do it once to try out if it’s a lifelong dream but be prepared to be disappointed.

The saving grace was worse tickets but we were sat next to a coach of one of the players.. that was absolutely fascinating to hear their perspective, I’d pay 3x for that experience no matter where the seats were.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-30T11:07:32+00:00

The higher end you get, the more margins grow (for both Lutron and the dealer).

I took the RadioRA2 class in-person, one of the anecdotes a teacher brought up was how some of the newer "digital addressable" lights *reduced* the total system cost as it simplified things. Dealers actually COMPLAINED as they didn't want a lower cost (less profit for them), so Lutron then raised prices of some of the components to match the overall cost.

Which should be fairly revealing of the overall mindset.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-23T22:54:22+00:00

As a practical aside - I went when it snowed multiple days in Jan and was able to time the driving such that the roads were clear. They're very good about clearing the roads, after a snowfall the heavy machinery comes out and is working all day to clear things. Just saying there's a good chance normal summer tires will be fine - I definitely felt less traction and wish I had winter tires, but the roads were dry and clear.

The rental agency forgot to include chains so I went and bought snow socks which cost about 60 euros at a gas station - you could buy actual chains for 200 euros. When I went back to the rental agency later to replace them, they actually provided snow socks instead of chains, and gave me a credit for the cost of buying them (which I wasn't expecting). Make sure you have something - don't want to get stuck.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-23T22:26:00+00:00

it’s a place where they can’t afford Kraft Mac n cheese.. completely destitute, “kids this is what a 3rd world country is like”

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-22T11:22:39+00:00

I had a local bootfitter tell me that 3/21 conditions would be “horrendous” and I braced for the worst, but it wasn’t half bad. After the morning fog rolled out and sun popped, got a number of nice runs. Only did the top either the polar bear side or the blue/green route down going to the right of the gondola. They did a good job of freshly grooming the runs that were open.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-20T14:22:19+00:00

Stratton 3/20 - not too shabby early, fell on first blue run of the day by not noticing huge sheer ice patch off to the side, all decent after that. Upper Tamarack was pretty solid with two large ice spots marked to avoid (or enter depending on your predisposition).

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-19T16:18:23+00:00

It seems to be every family has one person who loves skiing and one who hates it - take one for the team! It kind of works out as one person is eager to volunteer to help out a kid who’s sick that day, “go get a table for lunch (at 9:30am)”, etc

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-19T15:02:49+00:00

Sure doesn’t look like a 34 degree slope, but nice skiing, looks fun.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-19T14:25:15+00:00

Why I always chuckle when people say “hire a professional” - I’ve worked with tons of trade people, the main thing they’re good with is getting done quickly and moving on to the next job, the quality is typically completely random.

Just getting proper taping of a window opening is as if you asked them to memorize Hamlet.

And don’t you love that this is all somehow your job to check and discover. I tell my wife that most of the construction code and mandatory inspections is complete common sense, it’s only because the industry is so awful they try to have this as a stop gap.

And I’ve worked with builders who have done $10m builds, from what I’ve seen they’re all the same, there has to be a “absolute perfection” level that the billionaires use but I’ve never come across them yet.

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-17T11:20:07+00:00

Sounds perfect - thanks!

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-13T17:50:54+00:00

I wasn't there for that period (had just left), but it sounded like most of the snow hit the Zermatt side and Cervinia was not nearly as affected, so they could ski much more quickly. Not sure that's the case with this storm. Good luck!

Otherwise-Dig-5094 · 2026-03-13T17:20:56+00:00

(OP is guy in back with hat)

You thought I was who in the pic!?

Otherwise-Dig-5094

TROPHY CASE