How to Select a Great DSL modem

Posted on May 15, 2021November 29, 2021 by Gail Eddy in Cell Phone Service, Modems, WiFi

UPDATE – Selecting a great DSL Modem for 2021:

Chris has changed his tune about the best way to get a great DSL modem. Now he recommends getting the best DSL modem that your Internet Service Provider offers. If you get a modem independently and then have issues with your WiFi, your ISP will tell you to replace the modem because it is faulty. (Whether or not the modem is the problem.) If you have a modem from your ISP, then they are able to look through the network to see what the problem might be and get it fixed for you.

Original blog from September 2016:

Two weeks ago our blog was about getting a great cable modem. Today I’ve asked Chris to enlighten us about DSL modems.

The two major Internet Service Providers (ISP) in the state of Colorado are CenturyLink (previously known as Qwest), and Xfinity (previously known as Comcast).

Note that CenturyLink is the only provider of DSL internet service. Within the past week, I saw a standard DSL modem with “DISHnet” printed on the top of it. I know for a fact that Dish subcontracts with CenturyLink in the state of Colorado to provide DSL internet service, but you would have to call Dish to have any DSL troubles or questions resolved – because CenturyLink will not have a record of you or your account. So in general, if you want DSL internet service, you will be best served by going direct and getting this service through CenturyLink.

What is the easiest way to get a DSL modem that is compatible with CenturyLink?

is to get a CenturyLink branded DSL modem, for about $100. The CenturyLink branded DSL modems have an “Auto-Configure” capability built-in, which will automatically get the configuration it needs using the Caller-ID from your phone line.

However, contrary to the general advice of CenturyLink, you can use other DSL modems – but there are some “magic values” that will need to be entered into the DSL modem.

The magic DSL values are:

DSL VPI: 0
DSL VCI: 32
Authentication uses PPPoA.
You will need to manually enter the Userid and Password, after you obtain it from CenturyLink.

The WiFi in the CenturyLink modem is okay, but not great. There are a few DSL modems that can improve your WiFi service. Some specific recommendations are:

Want more technical information about DSL? Read more in this separate article.

Common DSL problems:

One of the common problems with DSL is that the service becomes Oversubscribed. We love where we live, and in general, we wouldn’t change a thing, except if only the internet service wasn’t so slow sometimes. The best way to solve this lack of available bandwidth problem is:

You call the ISP about poor performance,

and

You talk with your Town and your County about poor internet performance and ask them to begin to have conversations with the ISP – because sometimes Politics can be put to good use to incrementally improve aspects of Your life.

Need an Advocate for Great Internet Service?

Sometimes you call and complain to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) about your slow internet speed and they tell you it’s not their fault – it’s your equipment. If you need help talking tech to their support center, give us a call. We’ll be happy to advocate for better service for you!

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has provided computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call at 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

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Tech for Seniors – Resources

Posted on October 1, 2019May 15, 2021 by Gail Eddy in AT&T, Cell Phone Service, Smartphone Apps, Tips, Verizon

I’ll bet you didn’t know that October 1st has been designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Older People. (UNIDOP for short!) When I found that out, it got me thinking about Tech for Seniors. Many of our customers are Seniors. Just like every other demographic, they are all different. Some of them call and say “I’m in my late 50’s and too old to learn this new technology,” while others are still working and adopting new technology well into their 70’s and 80’s!

United Nations 60+ Counts logo - Tech for seniors

Tech for Seniors – Resources:

Over time, we have found some resources to help our older customers. Here are just a few:

(Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

Set up your Alexa / Echo / Siri to call a trusted contact when you can’t get to the phone. Keep in mind that it won’t be able to call 911 for you, but it could call a family member or neighbor. Check out this blog I wrote about why you can’t use Alexa to call 911.
At your next family gathering, ask your grandkids to show you how to use Facetime. That way you can have a video chat with them very easily throughout the year.
You should also make sure your computer keyboard fits your needs. I’ve talked to several people who have a separate keyboard and mouse even though they have a laptop. Laptops are getting smaller and the keyboards are almost too small to type on! After I made many (MANY!) fat-finger mistakes on my laptop, I got a wireless keyboard and mouse which helped immensely. I wrote a post about wireless keyboards earlier this year.
Head over to your local bookstore or even Amazon and browse some of the “Dummy” or “Idiot” books for help with specific topics. I also like David Pogue’s “Missing Manual” series. I got turned on to them when I got my first iPhone and couldn’t figure out how to do anything. It was very helpful!
Check with your local senior group, library, or Chamber of Commerce. They probably have classes on Social Media, photography, email, and other subjects that you may need help with. (Save the phone calls to your granddaughter for the tech emergencies!)
Then, cultivate a relationship with a tech expert that can come to you and fix problems and provide some training. Ask your friends for recommendations.

Conclusion:

Do you know how they say that age is a state of mind? Take your tech one step at a time. Learn it in little bits and be open to finding out new ways to do things. Before you know it you’ll be teaching your kids a thing or two!

Please share this with your “older” friends!

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Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3 support) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

Cell Coverage – Where to go to get the best signal

Posted on September 18, 2019October 18, 2020 by Gail Eddy in AT&T, Cell Phone Service, Smartphone Apps, Tips, Verizon

Ever since my post a few months ago about poor cell service, I’ve been wondering where the cell towers are. Is there a way to determine if one area has better cell coverage than another area? And then I realized, there must be an app for that!

It turns out it’s not as easy as that. There are plenty of apps which show coverage, but not location. And the apps which show coverage aren’t always accurate. I looked at the AT&T map and was very surprised. I regularly drive through Boulder Canyon and know that there is zero coverage. However, according to their legend where blue equals service, AT&T says the entire mountain region west of Boulder has full coverage.

Frankly, I’d prefer to look at an independent app that measures actual cell coverage rather than advertised coverage.

I checked out the OpenSignal app on my phone. This app showed actual coverage reported by consumers. Green dots indicate adequate or great service and inferior coverage is indicated by red dots. It also shows the location of cell towers.

Other apps I’ve tried which measure cell coverage include:

I like FindTower because it tells me who provides the service on each tower. That is helpful information. If you’re driving around looking for a good signal, you’ll want to head to a location near the tower that provides your service. No good to park near a Verizon tower if you have a T-Mobile phone!
Coverage Map has colored circles to tell you where the coverage is. Dark blue circles indicate superior service, red circles indicate service which will be problematic. No circle equals no coverage!
I also tried Site Locator US but found it confusing and not intuitive.

Reminder: as long as you know your location, you do not need to provide your location to the app on your phone or your computer. Think: Privacy!

Recommendation:

I recently got a Verizon JetPack. This helps me extend my coverage it I’m out of range of an AT&T tower. Also, if I’m on a road trip, I can connect my computer, phone, and tablet which gives me WiFi on the go!

You can extend your cell coverage wit

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Poor Cell Phone Service – Some Tips to Remedy

Posted on February 26, 2019December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Android, Cell Phone Service, iPhone, Technology Tips, Tips

Even with all the improvements in cellular technology I still run into areas which have very poor cell phone service. There are the times when I’m the passenger in a car and the cell phone quality just gets worse and worse.

Does this ever happen to you? You’re talking on the phone and the quality of the call keeps decreasing. You keep waiting for your call to switch to the next cell tower but that never seems to happen. What should you do?

We used to drive up and over a section of the highway that we dubbed “The Hill of Cellular Death”. It was pretty much guaranteed that when you got about two-thirds of the way up the hill on either side, your cell call would drop. It got to be that I wouldn’t even answer my cell phone when the vehicle I was traveling in was within a half mile of that hill. Thankfully they now have a low profile tower on that hill and my calls don’t get dropped anymore.

What should you do when your smartphone gets really poor cell phone service?

This is what that pesky “Airplane Mode” button is for! Put your phone into “Airplane Mode” so that it turns off your cell service, your WiFi, and your Bluetooth. Leave it off for about five to ten seconds and then turn it back on. This will force the phone to search for the strongest cell tower in the area.

More Info:

Here’s a blog I wrote explaining what 4G service is.
Here’s another blog with locations for decent cell service along the Peak to Peak Highway.

Please forward this to your friends who complain about their poor cell phone service.

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I’ve created a Free Report to protect you from “phishing” scams. Click here to receive it!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past eighteen years. Angie’s List and the BBB rate Geek For Hire very highly. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

Leaf Peeping in Colorado

Posted on September 18, 2018January 21, 2019 by Gail Eddy in Cell Phone Service, Tips

It’s that time of year again folks. In Colorado, we call it Leaf Peeping Season. The aspen are really popping with their autumn colors! We took a drive through Rocky Mountain National Park last weekend and OH! the colors! Pick a scenic drive anywhere in the mountains of Colorado and you’ll be amazed as well!

I don’t know about you, but I like to do a little bit of research before I go. Here are some of the things I think about before heading out:

Where to find the best leaf peeping?

I like driving along some of Colorado’s Scenic Byways. These roads offer some of the best views during leaf peeping season, and really, all year long! Here’s a link to the Colorado DOT official map. And if you want to print their colorful guide before you head out, here is a link to that.

There are a couple of articles with lists of some of the best places and times. Here’s one by the Coloradan. Here’s another with an Aspen Report at Rocky Mountain National Park. And, finally, the Denver Post published this article in early September with the wheres and whens.

What will the weather be like on your Leaf Peeping Day?

My favorite weather site is Weather Underground. I like that I can use them to check the weather on my computer before I leave home. They also have a great app that allows me to check the weather for where ever I am.

Can I post on Social Media?

Sometimes it is frustrating to drive along the mountain roads and not have a cell signal. You want to share those wonderful photos on Instagram or another Social Media site, but can’t. I haven’t been on all of Colorado’s Scenic Byways, but here is a guide I wrote to cell service along the Peak to Peak Highway.

Also, here’s a link to my post last year about leaf peeping websites.

If you found this helpful, please forward it to your friends!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PCs for the past fifteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website, or give us a call 303-618-0154. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area as well as remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet. I’ll try that next! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 days for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

What to do with your Samsung Galaxy Note 7

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Cell Phone Service, Samsung

If you have a Galaxy Note 7, right now is the time to turn it off and bring it back to the store. Why? Here’s an excerpt from an October 9th story in CNET:

“Samsung’s exploding phone woes continue with more reports of replacement Galaxy Note 7s exploding.

A Minnesota teenager told a Minneapolis-St. Paul TV station that she felt a “weird, burning sensation” in her thumb while holding her Galaxy Note 7 Friday afternoon. That report was followed Saturday by news that a Kentucky man had to go to a hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation after another replacement Galaxy Note 7 caught fire earlier this week.”

Since the phone was introduced on August 2nd, there have been reports of fires, explosions, smoke, and extreme heat. The first reported explosion occurred on August 24th in S. Korea and on September 2nd, Samsung issued a full recall of the phone citing a faulty battery. (A full timeline is provided on Fortune Magazine.

When I first heard about this problem a week or so ago, Samsung was advising customers to bring the phone in for replacement. They exchanged the original model of the Galaxy Note 7 with a newer version of the same item. As of October 10th, Samsung has advised all Galaxy Note 7 owners to bring their phones back to where they were purchased.

However, when this article was published, Samsung is still selling the 7 on their website, but does offer tips for maintaining normal operating temperature for your device.

I think the best advice is just to bring it back and pick out a new phone. Since it has only been available in the US since August 19th, and most of our readers are not early-adopters, you may still be under a 30 day exchange policy offered by your place of purchase anyway.

And, another chance for a reminder from Geek For Hire, Inc., to make sure you back up your data, especially the pictures on your phone, on a very regular basis!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more on our website. Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area and remote service throughout North America.

We’ve been using Amazon Prime for the past few years. We like the free 2-3 day shipping and the online streaming. I haven’t tried the Kindle lending library yet, but I’m tempted! Prime is normally $99/year, but you can try it for 30 day for free by clicking on this link: Try Amazon Prime 30-Day Free Trial (Yes, we’ll get a small commission when you sign up.)

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Technical info about DSL service

Posted on September 27, 2016September 23, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Cell Phone Service, Modems, WiFi

After Chris described how to choose a good DSL modem, I thought our readers might want some more technical background about DSL.

DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) “piggy backs” a data signal onto the already existing telephone wire pairs that come to your house. It’s a way for CenturyLink to add another service or “function” to their already existing infrastructure without retrenching the roads to install new wiring infrastructure – which is a slow and expensive process.

There is a physical distance limitation in the DSL specification which is 18,000 wire feet.

However the wiring “snakes” around from the DSLAM (DSL Access Multiplexer) located at the Telephone Company (Telco) Central Office (CO) to get to your house, the total distance limitation to carry the DSL signal must be less than 18,000 feet of wire.

Telephone wire comes in different “gauges”, which is the physical diameter of the wire; a larger diameter wire has less “resistance” than a smaller diameter wire, and a larger gauge wire allows more signal to travel farther.

Telephone wiring has a “twist” to help reject “hum” and other induced electrical noises. (Noise is bad for DSL.)

There will be “breaks” in the wiring where two or more sections of wire join together.

These “joints” are usually made by crimping two wires together with a “button” like connection; this is fast and efficient for a Lineman to do, but each joint is a possible source of corrosion and signal noise if the joint is not kept in a weather-proof and critter-proof container.

Note:

If you see a squarish metal green box in your front yard about 3-10 feet in from the road, about 6 inches on a side and about 2 feet tall, this is a CenturyLink container.
If you find it open, please /Do/ call CenturyLink and report this, because this helps everyone in the neighborhood that has Phone and Internet service from CenturyLink.
If you don’t call them, they will either think that they have achieved perfection, or will have a mystery problem that they just cannot get a handle on and don’t know where to begin to fix it because they can’t find it.

Each joint in the wiring is an opportunity for electrical “noise” to be introduced.

The farther the distance, the smaller the gauge of wire, and the more “joints” there are in the wire path leading to your house, the less clean signal will reach your equipment.

There are ways for CenturyLink to extend this DSL distance limitation, and this is commonly done using a “Terminal”. The Terminal can be used as a relay to amplify and repeat the DSL signal to make it go farther. There will be a limit to how much “bandwidth” can delivered to the Terminal, mainly because there is a limit to the number of cables that have already been run to the Terminal.

Most CenturyLink infrastructure uses copper wire pairs, because they are “The Phone Company”; working with copper wire is what they do, and they do it really well. Sometimes they will dispatch a “Wire Guy” (aka a Lineman) to your location, to physically inspect the entire wire path from the Telco Central Office to your house; they will try to reduce unneeded wire length by changing the details of the wire path to make it shorter and more efficient; they will also electrically measure the wire path for damage using an expensive piece of equipment called a Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR), which operates on the fact that wiring damage can be measured because it will reflect a signal back before the end of the wire is reached. They will physically inspect the wiring joints along the way to see that they are tight and free of corrosion, and that the enclosure which contains the joints is reasonably weatherproof.

Read this article about selecting a great DSL modem.

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Review of Two Smartphone Battery Covers

Posted on April 5, 2016April 9, 2016 by Gail Eddy in Apple, Cell Phone Service, iPhone

Power and Protection:

If you’re like me, sometimes a little clumsy with your cellphone, you need to have a protective cover to keep the screen from cracking – or worse! If you’re also like me, on your phone all day, sometimes watching Youtubes, and generally using up all the electric juice, you’ll also need to have an extra battery to keep your phone charged up. Lucky for us, you can get both protection and extra juice in the same case. Because I’ve only used iPhones, I’ve only reviewed iPhone cases, but I will provide a few links to cases for other brands as well.

I’ll start with my favorite. The Mophie Juice Pack:

I’ve used a Mophie for my last two phones and have been very happy with them. At family events when I want to take lots and lots of video’s, I can use it all day long and not worry. Most days, running Geek For Hire from where ever I happen to be that day, I use all of the iPhone’s stored power and a little of the Mophie’s power as well. It’s sleek, and I like the colors they have available. My current one is blue. The one for my last iPhone was red.

I probably drop my phone once a week or so and, sure, the Mophie has a bunch of scratches, but the phone itself is just fine.

The other protective case with battery pack available for the iPhone is the Lifeproof FIRE POWER case:

The Lifeproof case is exactly that. Lifeproof. It protects against submersion in water or mud. It protects against dropping from heights. It fully encloses the iPhone in a bubble of protection. Plus, the Fire Power model gives you extra juice for long days. The Lifeproof is the one both of our kids are using on the Appalachian Trail. And that makes sense for people who are fording streams and hiking through rain. It also helps their phones last through several days between recharging. It even has little O-rings so when you plugin your headphones the entire unit remains water-tight. So, yes, if that’s how you plan to use your iPhone, get a Lifeproof.

Before I got my current blue Mophie, Chris talked me into getting the Lifeproof Fire Power. It was big and boxy. It didn’t always sense when the iPhone was running low on juice. So it didn’t switch over to it’s battery and my phone ran out of power and turned off. That was pretty inconvenient! It lasted about a week with me before I traded it in for another Mophie!

Other Phone Brands:

I haven’t been able to find protective battery cases for any other brand except the Samsung Galaxy. Please note that I have not used this product so can not provide a review. Here’s a link: Galaxy S6 Battery Case

Have you used a protective battery case for your cell phone? What brand of cellphone do you have? Which case do you use? How was your experience? Let us know in the comments below!

Chris Eddy of Geek For Hire, Inc. has been providing computer service to families and small businesses with Mac’s and PC’s for the past fourteen years. His company is highly rated by both the BBB (Better Business Bureau) and by Angie’s List. You can find more at http://www.GeekForHireInc.com Geek For Hire, Inc. provides onsite service (Tier 3) to the Denver / Boulder / Front Range area.

Wi-Fi Anywhere

Posted on September 1, 2015January 5, 2016 by Gail Eddy in AT&T, Cell Phone Service, Smartphone Apps, SmartPhones, Tips, Verizon, WiFi

Did you ever try to connect to WiFi and see a Hotspot choice like “Sam’s phone”? The fictional Sam has set his SmartPhone up to “tether” to the cell system so that his phone can send out a WiFi signal.

What is tethering? MobileBurn explains it this way:

“Tethering is the process of using a cell phone or smartphone as a modem for a personal computer of some sort – typically a laptop computer. The term gets its name from how a phone is attached, or tethered, to the computer via a USB cable, but wireless technologies such as Bluetooth can also be used for tethering. Typically the network carrier and the user’s account (contract) have to support tethering before it can be used. Many networks charge an additional fee for users that wish to connect their phones as tethered modems because it typically uses far more data than using the phone normally would.“

There’s more information about tethering on Wikipedia.

Chris’ iPhone recently stopped working and he had to get a new one. (Just don’t ask him when the last time was that he backed up his old iPhone and please, please don’t ask him about all the photos on that phone!) He got a new cell phone with Verizon service. We wanted to know how the coverage differed in the Geek For Hire service area. He also had tethering turned on so that he can use his laptop in an area without WiFi. So far we’re pleased – not only with the WiFi tethering, but also with Verizon’s coverage. Plus, there doesn’t seem to be an extra monthly charge for the service, so long as we don’t use more than the 3gig of data we signed up for.

If you do decide to turn on tethering, remember that it will drain the battery of your SmartPhone much faster than just using that same phone for cell service. Think about getting a battery case. (Mophie and LifeProof are two that come to mind.)

Here are some other articles that describe tethering:

If your current SmartPhone allows tethering, you may have to call your carrier (or bring it in to a store) to get the capability turned on.

Do your use tethering? Are you using an app, or do you have your SmartPhone switched on to allow it? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!

Cell Phone Spots Along the Peak to Peak Highway

Posted on July 28, 2015December 2, 2019 by Gail Eddy in AT&T, Cell Phone Service, Tips, Verizon

We frequently drive along the Peak to Peak Highway. Usually I know I should just keep my phone tucked away because it’s not going to work. But sometimes, you really need to make a phone call or send a text. Here are some of the more reliable places to get AT&T cell service in the mountains from Estes Park to Black Hawk:

Estes Park has pretty good service throughout the city.

Lily Lake, just south of Estes Park. Photo courtesy of http://www.rockymountainhikingtrails.com/lily-lake-loop.htm
The highway near Lily Lake has surprisingly good service.
Service is sparse or non-existent until Gordon’s Gulch, near mile marker 37.5.
The next spot is just north of Sugarloaf Road, for about a half mile.

In Nederland, service is pretty good from Magnolia road on the south to the Community Center on the North. Service is very good from the Black Forest restaurant to the Fire Station.

Heading south out of Nederland, you can get a cell signal for much of the highway all the way to the Gilpin High School. There are small sections where there’s no service at all, and other sections where the service is marginal. So, if you need to place a phone call or send a text, here are some places to try:

You can get a reasonably good signal for about a 1/2 mile both north and south of Rollinsville, around mile marker 21.
Service is pretty good near the Lump Gulch Creek, from about mile marker 17.5 to mile marker 19. You can get a signal near the Last Shot restaurant, but it’s not a strong signal!
Service near the Gilpin County Library isn’t great, but it’s usable.
Just south of the intersection of Highway 46 and 119, south to mile marker 12, service is good.
From mile marker 12 to the Gilpin County School, cell service is usable.
The City of Black Hawk has very strong service.

I hope this helps you as you explore the mountains west of the Front Range. Let us know if you know of any additional spots!

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