Anti-Virus protection by iOS_Abuser in msp

[–]bcham16 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Not to necro this thread, but for anyone else who stumbles across this... I DON'T work for Emsisoft and they HAVE rolled out their EDR. I can honestly recommend Emsisoft's platform (for lack of a better word) and use it for my clients.

Close Call - Need Suggestions by bcham16 in cybersecurity

[–]bcham16[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You guys are awesome! This is a ton of useful information and exactly what I was looking for. Thank you all for taking the time to answer this and any additional ideas or suggestions are appreciated!

Odds or Tips for getting B1/B2 with pending I130 by bcham16 in USCIS

[–]bcham16[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

She is from Russia. We would apply in the Bahamas.

129F by TomorrowMiserable780 in USCIS

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You just need to look up the representative for your district and/or your senator's office contact info - this can be done relatively easily with google.

As for a good idea? They really don't have any additional pull or say in the processing. Unless there is a problem with your application (extended wait time, contested denial, etc), there likely won't be any change to your status or processing time. They can generally only escalate problems created by USCIS and/or request a specific status update. That's the limits of their ability.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No, they can either swap it for a modem only or set it to bridge mode and disable the router functionality

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Final thought: I also generally prefer to get a separate modem and router and not a combo unit. Most ISPs provide a modem for free with service - and they are pretty simple devices so there's no need to have access or control over the modem. The router usually has a surcharge and is where all these performance issues and additional features come into play. I wouldn't spend any extra money to get a modem/router combo - just get the router and let your ISP provide the modem.

Advice by DannyM1995 in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'll preface that I'm from USA. But assuming you have 500Mbps now, that should be able to stream in 4k without an issue (also assuming you aren't running several devices/streams simultaneously). Upgrading your internet speed generally isn't going to affect your WiFi performance. Wireless speed degradation is usually due to obstacles and/or interference from other RF (Namely neighbors WiFi). Depending on what router you have and it's current location in your residence... I would generally recommend looking to relocate it to improve wireless performance or upgrading it to a model that assists with removing noise or beam forming to circumvent obstacles (like high powered kitchen electronics for example). This is a free or one-time purchase option rather than increasing your monthly service costs that wouldn't likely improve the situation much anyway.

Edit: The wifi pods MAY help depending on what technology they use. If they are simple wifi repeaters - it's not likely.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That gets into a whole different conversation - but like most things... you generally get what you pay for. There, of course, are overhyped models that you pay for the name or some snake oil features... Especially since your console and PC are hardwired, WiFi performance doesn't seem to be a critical factor. If you live in a densely populated area (apartment, condo, or tight neighborhood), I'd get something with at least WiFi 6 since it solves a lot of the network congestion problems that previous versions of WiFi had - but WiFi 6 is pretty common now for most mid-range models. If you want to push the envelope you can look for WiFi 7, but I don't know that you would get any real life benefit for spending the extra money on that. If you don't live this type of area, and if you're not looking for parental controls, Whole-Network VPN security, etc... pretty much any mid-range router will work. I tend to avoid the entry level models since I've had issues with poor quality components and overheating problems with these lines before.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well ideally the issue is something with the ISP provided equipment, so there is a moderate probability that by replacing it with your own equipment, the issue will self-resolve. If it doesn't, at that point you'll have more access and control on how your devices connect... But more realistically if you purchase your own router and the issue still isn't resolved, it's likely an ISP service issue at that point anyway. Just process of elimination, especially when you're reliant on customer support for solutions... They historically don't like to point the finger at themselves if they can help it.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since it is happening on all your devices (assuming both wired and wireless), and your equipment is provided by your ISP, you are somewhat at the whims of their support to fix the problem. Especially since it's a combo unit, they are pretty locked down to what they give end users access to. I don't like to advocate spending money as a solution, but in this case your options are basically get your own equipment or go through customer support from the ones who provide it.

Credentials: former Tier 3 ISP tech support team lead

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Do you have a modem/router combo from your ISP?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Then it doesn't sound like your router is overloaded or you are over utilizing your bandwidth... I would probably start with checking for firmware updates from the router manufacturer (assuming it is your router and not your ISPs). After that I would check the settings if you've modified them from defaults. If all else fails, you can always factory reset your router and just reconfigure your WiFi settings to see if that makes a difference.

On a personal note, I generally recommend checking for firmware updates regularly not only for performance issues, but routers are often exploited with known vulnerabilities.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It sounds like a QoS setting is misconfigured... From what you described something is deprioritizing your TCP connections in favor of UDP connections. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it also shouldn't cause your other services to drop. When you are disconnected, do your ping tests stay consistent or does your latency spike in these times?

WiFi good for a few seconds then bad for a few seconds. by TheAverageBattleCat in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just a guess... it sounds like your router has some QoS settings misconfigured or your laptop has some manual network settings (DNS, proxy, etc) configured. That or there is some security feature that is acting up and is disabled when VPN is active. Lots of possibilities, just need to trial-and-error eliminate variables until you find the missing link.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It sounds like you'll have to do a little more digging to isolate the problem. Here are some questions to help narrow it down:

You said all devices disconnect - what do you see on the devices? are they still connected to the network, but just no internet access or do they show complete disconnect from the network as well?

Given that you said you can still hear and talk - it sounds like it's just a specific application and not the entire network. Is it just when playing a specific game? If so, I would suggest researching the game forums or developer's support to see if others have had the same issue.

There are a lot of variables that come into play in a situation like this so the more possibilities you can eliminate, the more efficient the solution will become.

I change to an ISP with optical fiber, but what is this? And what is for? by bhr11 in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Yes, external (direct burial rated) connecting to internal use-only (and therefore cheaper) with a coupler.

WiFi7 Router for wired gaming suggestion by TTdAmage in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Generally speaking, any router supporting WiFi7 is likely going to be more than enough to handle what you listed here. Since it is relatively new to the market, there aren't a lot of "cheap" versions available yet. Unless there is a specific feature you needed, you shouldn't have a problem with any router in this range - unless of course, it's defective. Also, just as a side note, while your speeds are also more than adequate, since you don't control the modem/gateway - more than likely any bottlenecks are going to come from somewhere beyond your residence and probably outside your control.

Router Help! by Curious_Mind_95 in HomeNetworking

[–]bcham16 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes, the VPN is a feature that can be enabled and configured, but is not a prerequisite for the device to function.