PC Tech Thread

Make sure you get a decent USB-C cable that can support 100W though. They aren't all the same.

Thanks, 100w cable in the box with the Anker charger so I think I’m set.

Kicking myself. Battery life is awful, it’ll be dead before a second cup of coffee tomorrow.

Z906 successfully repaired by Caversham! Many thanks again for the suggestion.

Cheers. Apparently I need a power meter or zPower with Speed and/or Cadence Sensor.

I can imagine it'd be cheaper to just buy a 2nd hand one with connectivity than buy the connectivity for my old Elite Crono. I was hoping having a wireless display would be enough.

Yeah, that's definitely not going to be great for Zwift. You could just get some power meter pedals and a rear wheel speed sensor though.

Might be better just to get something new though.

Bought a secondhand computer that happens to not come with a wifi card. Have never looked into these things before but if I just need something that works (I use hyperoptic but it's just 50mb).. any recommendations?

Best to get a dongle rather than a PCI card or something. https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Archer-T3U-Plus-Windows10/dp/B09X3FTL7F/ref=asc_df_B084WBTTN6/

any recommendations?

A cable?

Would love to do it but computer and router in different rooms owing to location of ports and desks - needs must..

Why is a dongle preferable to a PCI card?

Mesh.

Our virgin router is currently plugged into a powerline thing - I want to say BT Homespot 1000 but may be inventing words.

Then I have another one at the other end of the house where I work and plug a desktop into the ethernet that comes out of it and connect a couple of laptops to it over wifi.

Unsurprisingly it's shit and slow. Added to flaky connections and underperforming speeds from Virgin (will be leaving asap), I need a better solution.

I'd like to be able to have very fast wifi wherever we are in the house - i.e. I can move a device around and not have to connect to a different network.

My understanding is that this is what 'mesh' is?

In the past I've looked at Google Nest because they have built in speakers. I like the idea of podcasts in different rooms (so no need for wild audio quality) and I don't want to have both our existing sonos as well as a new mesh hub that looks like the sonos both running at the same time in the same place. Have one thing with multiple purposes wins (until they break because they're overloading technology and not good at either purpose blah).

But then Google updated their Nest range and they no longer have speakers built in.

Does anyone have a set of the OG ones and care to comment if they're worth buying NOS e.g. from Toolstation? https://www.toolstation.com/google-nest-wifi-router-point/p46671?

Or should I just give up the dream of combining functions, in which case what are the best, smallest, least obtrusive options (am presuming they won't do well hidden in cupboards).

My very non-technical brother lives in an Edinburgh flat with solid stone walls. He couldn't get wifi outside the room the router is in. I recommended these to him and he got them up and running no problem and now gets wifi everywhere. https://www.amazon.co.uk/TP-Link-Dual-Band-Coverage-Parental-Controls/dp/B0B8DXJ8XP/ref=psdc_429888031_t2_B089YXJHHW

Mesh is awesome with wired backhaul (connecting them with ethernet back to the main one) and 'ok' depending your house over wireless backhaul.

If you want to solve it forever, get two or three WiFi 6 mesh pucks from TP-Link, Asus et al and wire them together. I ran external cat6 between my three.

It will completely and forever solve the issues you're having.

Thanks both - @Soul annoyingly Google's OG Nest is the only one in this 'best of 2024' that doesn't have a dedicated wired backhaul option:

https://uk.pcmag.com/wireless-networking/87178/the-best-wi-fi-mesh-network-systems

Honestly, the nest stuff isn't that great. Grab the TP Link stuff

This seems the better end of what they offer:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deco-M5-Coverage-Replacement-Antivirus/dp/B0BF5GK7TD

But they just look like air fresheners. Will have a look around the house and see if I can spot somewhere obvious to hide them.

computer and router in different rooms

Then you may need a drill too 😁

Couple of options, powerline a (TP link do good ones I’ve found) that use the copper in your electrics as conductors, giving you Ethernet via your plugs. I’ve found this great when living in an old stone/brick house where WiFi extended down the hall and that’s about it. Plug one end into the router, the other half of the pair near your computer and hey presto wired connection wherever you need it.

If you need wireless mesh then TP link would work, currys often have three node sets of WiFi 6 units around d me on shelves. If you don’t mind it being Amazon affiliated (I’m guessing by looking at Google nest you’re not overly worried about this), I’ve got the Eero pro6// Eero6 routers which just work. Wifi6, very small and unobtrusive (similar size to a roll of packing tape), and has couple of 1gb wired ports if you need them for anything. With the eero there are aftermarket “hangers” that allow you to hang it below a plug. Great if you have plugs not at floor level that are fairly out the way, that’s what I do for ones upstairs on my landing

WiFi 6 ... cat6 ... forever solve the issues you're having.

What about when we have petabit internet and need to stream the metaverse directly into our brains?

this is what I have, its fucking good, had Tenda, was okay, bit patchy, app was terrible

What about when we have petabit internet and need to stream the metaverse directly into our brains?

^^^^

Then you may need a drill too 😁

On the off chance it could come in handy for anybody, I bought a Corsair RM650 yellow label PSU off eBay and it came with no cables, which was in the description so it's my own fault. Trying to buy the cables ended up being a wild goose chase and would have cost £50+ defeating the point of buying a used PSU on the first place.

So if you've got a Corsair PSU that uses type 3 cables and want a spare in case anything happens to it, or your current PSU is less than 650W and fancy a quick and cheap upgrade, then I'll offer it up for £25.

Shame its not type 4 cables otherwise id snap that up myself, great deal for someone

New computer day, long evenings ahead figuring out all the settings that need replicating to make it like the old one but better🤨
Streacom FC5WSAlpha case
Streacom ST-ZF240 ZeroFlex 240W Passive PSU
Asrock Z790M ITX wifi motherboard
Intel i7-13700T CPU
Samsung 1TB SSD 990 Pro M2 drive C:
Samsung 2TB SSD 990 Pro M2 drive D:
Corsair Vengeance 64GB 5200MHz DDR5 RAM
Windows 11 Pro

Awaiting delivery of Samsung 32" UJ590 4k monitor, went cheap in the end while we wait (maybe forever) for an 8k monitor in the 32-37" range that doesn't cost four grand like the Dell one does.

After a lifetime of crappy cheap keyboards, I'm thinking of getting a Logitech MX Mechanical Mini - change my mind

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I'm thinking of getting a Logitech MX Mechanical Mini

over a crappy cheap keyboard? no need to change your mind there

I recently got a Keychron K5 Pro that I'm liking. I had the K2 but missed the keypad.
the MX Mini sized version is the K3. Also low profile

https://www.keychron.uk/collections/keychron-uk-iso-layout-keyboards/products/keychron-k3-pro-qmk-via-wireless-mechanical-keyboard-iso-layout-collection

I guess this doesn't have any case fans either, meaning no moving parts at all?