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December 05, 2024

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Serial Port UtilityYour source for reviews, information and software for communication devices ModemDoctor NewsThe Machines are watching you...and learningThis is all in the name of a better experience. It gives video providers the ability to determine what media you like or don't like. However it also gives them a way to check brand recognition, verify commercial viewing and a whole host of other things. Is the battle for privacy over? TV Technology explores some of these questions plus shows models of how this cloud-based AI system works. .Goodbye Binary?Other communication forms like HDTV over-the-air ATSC use multiple levels to encode information instead of just binary 1s and 0s. Now someone is thinking seriously about doing this for fiber transmissions to increase througput. See more in this NetworkWorld .Want to make a monster wifi network?Using a mesh and an old umbrella makes quite a long range antenna, at least that is what's claimed in this Hack-a-Day article. . The principle is sound enough...just curious about the SWR (old radio term).Apple Discontinues Airport WirelessThese devices have not been cost-competitive for years and lack features that most "appliance-type" wifi routers currently offer to users. Apple will continue to support these and may in the future offer a new product. See more from Engagement.com .What will the new 802.11ax do for you...and should you upgrade your router?Billed as an answer to the congestion problem faced by people in Apartment buildings and Townhome communities, 802.11ax supposedly increases throughput, data rates, which theoretically overcome the RF issue of so many wireless transmitters on the same channel. There is more in this Networkworld article, , but the quickest fix you can do today is use a 5ghz channel in your home.Three Simple things you can do to increase WiFi speedsFirst, use the 5ghz band and 80211ac - Its very fast (assuming your computer has a wireless adapter that is compatible), but even an 802.11N will see better speed.Second, check your router security settings. Make sure you are using WPA2/AES instead of WEP. WEP is a security issue and also a slower protocol.Third, If you must maintain older standards, put those on the 2.4ghz band. Reserve that for 802.11b/g connectivity. All these channels are heavily congested so either use the auto select feature in your router to find a channel, or use a wifi analyser. You can find several on the Microsoft Store that are free to use.5G Technology is coming....soon5G wireless is going to change how we manage our homes. All of the smart and connected devices of the IoT will be easier to implement and connect promising multigig downloading speeds. Read more in this comprehensive review of CES 2018.Looking for a new Wireless Router?In my opinion, 5Ghz Wireless AC is the way to go. Newer devices can connected wireless at speeds close to 1gigabit per second. In my home, I top out at 889mb/sec...pretty fast. Here's a quick cheat-sheet on speeds and bandsWireless AC 1 Gbps 5 GHz Wireless N 300 Mbps 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz Wireless G 54 Mbps 2.4 GHz Wireless B 11 Mbps 2.4 GHz What is ModemDoctor?Since 1987, Modem Doctor has been the premier modem/uart system utility for MS-DOS, Windows, and Windows 95.Modem Doctor helps you find and correct many common configuration and installation errors. Using a simple menu-driven interface, even a novice can troubleshoot and repair over 60 different installation or setup problems with modems and uarts.Since each operating system places different demands on modems, each version of Modem Doctor is designed to work in conjunction with its environment. The DOS version interrogates serial ports, interrupt controllers, and uarts at the system board level while the Win31 and Win95 versions are designed to check Windows settings and proper communication between your modem/serial ports and the system comm driverView our software with the Downloads button. Check out on-line reviews and other features by clicking on the navigation buttons at the left edge of the screen.