Where the heck did I leave my keys!

Posted on by Marceline

I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly misplacing my keys. And the remote control. The tiny Tile devices are a great way to keep track of things that you drop in odd places. You can put them in your wallet, your handbag, or your luggage. I even have one stuck to a Roomba robot vacuum that tends to get lost under furniture. 

How does it work? A Tile communicates with your phone via a Bluetooth connection. Depending on the Tile device you choose, the range for locating your lost item is 150-400ft. If the item is within that range (say inside your apartment), you can use your phone to tell the Tile to make a chirping sound that will help you track it down.  If the misplaced item isn’t in close range, you can use the Tile app to report that you lost your item. The Tile will anonymously communicate via Bluetooth with ANY phone that has the Tile app installed and send you a notification about your Tile’s latest location.  I know one person who was able to track down a lost wallet at a post office all the way across San Francisco using this method.

Let me know if you need up setting up a Tile. 

(I receive a small commission from items purchased via this Amazon link, but feel free to shop around)

Fiber internet service is coming! What this means for Opera Plaza residents…

Posted on by Marceline

By now you should have received the following message from the Opera Plaza HOA:
“At the October 27, 2020 Board of Directors meeting, the Board voted to approve a contract with AT&T to install fiber into the building.  They will be installing fiber into each of the units  to provide internet services, and the bulk rate fee for internet will be included in the HOA assessment.  They have stated they plan to start the installs the first quarter of 2021 and the complete project may take up to 9-12 months.  The installs into each unit will take the longest. More information will be provided in the next month or so.  This is good news for Opera Plaza residents.”  

Because the actual wiring into each unit will be changed, we’ll get much faster internet. This is great news for people who are working from home, participating in Zoom chats, or streaming Netflix videos.
If you need to speed up your WiFi service while you’re waiting for this upgrade, Netgear currently has the router that I’ve been using (see previous post) on sale for $89.99.  Or buy it from Amazon*.
(*I receive a small commission if you use my Amazon links but feel free to shop anywhere)

Why is my internet at Opera Plaza so slow?

Posted on by Marceline

First of all, it’s important to understand that the speed of the internet coming into your unit at Opera Plaza isn’t necessarily the same as the speed of the Wi-Fi inside your unit. So let’s learn how to test your internet speed and your Wi-Fi speed. 

To test your internet speed check the speed by physically connecting a laptop or desktop computer to your Uverse gateway using an ethernet cable. Once your computer is connected, go to Speedtest and select “Go” to test your internet speed. After a minute or two, the website will generate a report that looks like this:

What does this download speed number 23.47Mbps (megabytes per second) mean? It’s not blazing fast, but it’s enough to stream video content, including Zoom meetings. As far as I know, the fastest service that ATT promises is 18Mbps (“Internet 18”). The fastest I’ve seen in the complex is about 26Mbps. If you run this test and your speed is lower than 15Mbps, check your ATT bill to see if you are signed up for “Internet 18” service. If not, contact ATT and request an upgrade. If you are already on the “Internet 18” plan and your internet service is slow, reboot your router by unplugging it for a few minutes and then plugging it back in. If this doesn’t improve your internet speed you may need to contact ATT.

Next, test your Wi-Fi speed. Unplug your laptop from the ethernet cable or use an iPad or some other device with an internet browser to once again connect to Speedtest. If you’re using the Uverse gateway for Wi-Fi, there’s a good chance that the Wi-Fi speed will be a LOT slower than the speed of the wired connection. You may see speeds of 6-8Mbps. Why is this?

The 2Wire HomePortal 3801HGV gateway supplied to most Opera Plaza residents by ATT uses the “antique” 802.11 b/g standard to broadcast Wi-Fi. This standard was created in 2003 and as you can imagine there have been a lot of advances in Wi-Fi technology since then. The solution is to contact ATT and see if they have a more advanced gateway  (I have not had any luck with this) or to install a separate Wi-Fi router that uses newer technology in your unit. This is what I’ve done for many Opera Plaza residents.

This is the router that I’ve been installing (I receive a small commission from Amazon links, but feel free to shop anywhere).
NETGEAR Smart WiFi Router  – AC1750 (R6400-100NAS)

If you live in a townhouse, you may want to consider installing a mesh Wi-Fi router system instead for better Wi-Fi across two floors.

Beware of scammers!

Posted on by Marceline

The same internet that’s made it easy for us to buy all kinds of things for delivery straight to our door has also made it easy from fraudsters from all over the world to get into our homes. Take a few minutes to read this article about an international fraud ring that has been scamming seniors in the US. 
Here are some of the most important warnings from the US Attorney:

• Do not click on pop-up messages on a computer device that claim the device is infected by a virus and at risk of irreversible damage.

• Likewise, do not click on links in messages purporting a computer problem.

• Instead, delete such pop-ups and contact your software provider or local computer consultant.