COMPUTERS, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

[PanBiker]

In these two cases it's PayPal. The One Guy donation account runs via that as well as the new one we have set up for Bosom Friends Ebay activities and donations to the group. QR code scanning apps are available and I would assume there will be similar applications for generating them.

--------------------------
Just had a look at the One Guy PayPal account and there isn't a QR code button available for a normal business account. Our Bosom Friends account is a Charity Giving account which is actually a modified business account which encompasses the different charity funding methods.

[Tizer]

Stanley, It's not compression that's important, it's the archiving aspect. When you make a zip file your data is both compressed and wrapped up in a single file (archived). Compression isn't important for me because most of my GBs of data is JPG files which are already individually compressed when created. It's archiving that is making the difference. It's like shoving all the files and folders I want to back up into one big parcel and these new disks cope very well with that, whereas they cope badly if presented with the individual files and folders.

So why hadn't I already tried compressing/archiving with these disks? I realised quite early on that it would be worth trying it but when I attempted the familiar ways I knew from previous Ubuntu versions they either weren't there or didn't work. Pluggy has confirmed that it's the same change on his Ubuntu 18.04 but he's explained a simple way to do it. Using File Manager, you highlight the files & folders in your Home folder that you want to back up, right click and choose Compress which brings up a window titled Create Archive. Give the archive a name, then click Create and it puts the archive in your Home folder. Then transfer it as normal to your backup disk.

[PanBiker]

Here we go China, this is the Bosom Friends QR code.

Bosom Friends QR code.png

I have just checked it with the app on my phone and it takes you straight to our PayPal charity donation page.

[Pluggy]

Stanley, It's not compression that's important, it's the archiving aspect. When you make a zip file your data is both compressed and wrapped up in a single file (archived). Compression isn't important for me because most of my GBs of data is JPG files which are already individually compressed when created. It's archiving that is making the difference. It's like shoving all the files and folders I want to back up into one big parcel and these new disks cope very well with that, whereas they cope badly if presented with the individual files and folders.

So why hadn't I already tried compressing/archiving with these disks? I realised quite early on that it would be worth trying it but when I attempted the familiar ways I knew from previous Ubuntu versions they either weren't there or didn't work. Pluggy has confirmed that it's the same change on his Ubuntu 18.04 but he's explained a simple way to do it. Using File Manager, you highlight the files & folders in your Home folder that you want to back up, right click and choose Compress which brings up a window titled Create Archive. Give the archive a name, then click Create and it puts the archive in your Home folder. Then transfer it as normal to your backup disk.

I did a trial on my Laptop and new SMR disk on Friday using my Dropbox as a source, 6,600 odd files totalling about 3.5 GB. 4 minutes to compress it and copy the resultant file to the SMR disk, 2 hours 5 minutes to copy the files directly to the disk. Direct copy on old school drive, just under 5 minutes,

[PanBiker]

You can do exactly the same thing in Widows 10 by selecting what you need, right click choose "send to" and then archive. This will create a single compressed file of your selection.

[PanBiker]

With regard to how QR codes are generated. A quick Google found a free code generator, so I made one which will link directly to the LTP2013 on the site when scanned. This is using it's simplest form which is just an encoded URL address. It's possible to include graphics, logos and loads of other information into a code, you can also make them so they are editable for updating purposes.

QR-Code-Generator

frame.png

[Tizer]

Pluggy, that's just the same as my experience. I mentioned it on the official Ubuntu forums but it hasn't prompted any useful comment.

Although I did by coincidence learn something else there - the Archive Manager does work. Ignore the fact that everything is greyed out and the window looks dead and empty. Drag your files from File Manager to the `dead' window and bingo - it all comes to life! I think someone was playing silly beggars when they changed it to work only by drag & drop!

[Tripps]

This talk of download speeds made me test mine, which seems to be very low compared - say 10 - 11 Mbps . However I'm fairly relaxed about it. I seem to be able to do anything I want to do, without any problems. I suppose faster would be better, but I'm on contract till the end of the year, so I'll think about it.

I'm a bit envious of China's 96 Mbps though, and quite off topic I found this in yesterday's Guardian and saw that the photo, which if you scroll down, is from near to where he lives.

Nanning Guangxi

[chinatyke]

I'm a bit envious of China's 96 Mbps though, and quite off topic I found this in yesterday's Guardian and saw that the photo, which if you scroll down, is from near to where he lives.

Nanning Guangxi

Thanks for the QR stuff, Ian.

This Guardian reporter talks about visiting Nanjing but shows a picture of Nanning. They are thousands of km apart! If you enter "Nanning" into some major search engines they come up with the question: Did you mean Nanjing? Zhongshan Lu in Nanning is a "food street" which comes alive in the evening and I've dined there many times. There are many restaurants and open air BBQ and sea food places. It isn't the cheap place it once was but the local beer is still cheap and good.

Our ISP upgraded our connection from 50 to 100 Mbps when we got a second TV box installed. It costs us about 11GBP a month.

[Stanley]

Thanks to all of you for the advice on compression. Life is complicated enough at the moment! I shall come back if I need any help.
"Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof...." (Wycliffe Sunday School did a good job!)

[PanBiker]

Coincidence?

Sally went round to the docs this morning and she tells me there is an Open Reach team working on one of the poles on Commercial Street and there is also an engineer working in the cabinet by the doctors surgery. I wonder if they have found something from the exchange end or maybe someone else in the area has reported as well. The cable along the bottom of Commercial Street handles most of the lines from the Croft area. My line has been dropping intermittently since about 9.30 this morning which is to be expected. Lets hope they have found something definite. I'll report back later.

[Tizer]

We look forward to hearing a positive result for you, Ian. It's time you were allowed to get back to a stable state.

Tripps, I'm on the `up to 40 Mbps' deal from Plusnet and get a steady 37. I could pay more for the `up to 70 Mbps' but I suspect I'd still end up with an actual 37! We're close to the centre of Taunton so I guess that means we're lucky and have better lines etc. (On the other hand, though we're so urban the mobile phone signal is poor.)

Isn't the tinternet wonderful! When I posted on the Ubuntu forum about my disk problem I had replies almost immediately from Pennsylvania, Florida and New Mexico. The guy in Albuquerque, NM, gave me the heads up about the archive manager.
I replied:
Thanks for that. I'm beginning to feel a bit foolish but I've never been a drag-and-dropper, always copy-and-paste, and the window just seemed dead. As they say, you live and learn (and I'm only in my 70s so I've got a lot of learning still to do!).

His reply:
That's Ok. As long as you're learning you're living. I just turned 66 and got my first social security check last month. I was going to put it toward a new AMD Threadripper powered PC, but the wife had other ideas. Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor. I learned _that_ a long time ago. We should open a section here for us geezers.

It's the same the world over!

[PanBiker]

20Mbps down 209Kbps up, been on and off all morning, still work in progress I reckon.

[Stanley]

Long time since I checked speed. Just done it, 15ms Ping, 38.5 down and 9.5 up.
That seems normal. I wish you the same Ian.....

[PanBiker]

Not happening at the moment Stanley. There is obviously still a problem despite yesterdays activity on infrastructure in my vicinity as the DSL connection dropped 2 hours ago on my router and it's not been switched off. The exchange has now throttled the line down to 13Mbps and is now only 203Kpbs up.

Open Reach engineer said that it's not a good idea to switch you router off too frequently as the automated system can interpret that as a fault on the line and that is when the auto throttling is engaged. From my CISCO training, routers are set up to have permanent contact between the routing tables, this is why they handshake to test the connection integrity, deviation from this norm by switching off regularly can be flagged as a fault.

[Gloria]

Ive tried test on three different sites and they have varied between
Ping..235 - 282
Download..11 - 12.3
Upload.. 7.8 - 9.4
We now have fibre, and considering before this our download was 0.something, anything is a bonus. I had hoped we would have had more of an improvement. Considering everyone goes through the same wire, I can't see any of them offering any better.
All three tests I did on the iPad sat just below the router.

Talking of routers, I got a phone call at lunch "out of area", long pause, foreign lady saying she's from BT, asking for me by name, why ask I? Your router is sending us a message says she. I don't have a router ( little white lie) says I, she puts the phone down.

[PanBiker]

Your download speed looks a bit mean compared to the upload. What does the router say Gloria? That will normally show you exactly the speed you are connected to the exchange with and also the maximum attainable on the line. You should have the router passwords etc. Depending on your ISP have a look at System Properties or Maintenance tabs. You are looking for Broadband Properties anyway.

You should do any test with a computer connected by cable to the router. although if you are looking at the router admin information directly it wont make any difference to the readings you see if you access it by WiFi.

[Gloria]

I have the admin password for hub manager, and another password. But I can't see a number to type in my search bar to give me access of where to put the passwords into......does that make sense?

[Big Kev]

http://192.168.0.1 should get you in, just type it into the address bar of your browser.

[PanBiker]

Or it could be

http://192.168.1.1

my TalkTalk router has that address.

[Stanley]

Ian, so you could be in a Cach-22 situation, the fault drops you out so the exchange throttles you back even when the full Monty is available.... That's a real bummer! Didn't know that about switching off, not that it applies here, I am connected by cable 24X7.
Gloria, I agree, your upload is fine but download is not according to contract. If you pester the provider they should be able to give you the correct speed, if not tell them you want a cheaper rate as they aren't giving you what they promised.

[Gloria]

When I type in either of the numbers it just gives me this.

image.png

[PanBiker]

That's weird, just returning a Google search, it should offer you a logon screen for your router.

Back to basics, who is your ISP and are you using their dedicated router?

What speed range does your fibre contract guarantee?

Q: Do you have logon details within your welcome pack?

[Gloria]

That's weird, just returning a Google search, it should offer you a logon screen for your router.

Back to basics, who is your ISP and are you using their dedicated router?

What speed range does your fibre contract guarantee?

Q: Do you have logon details within your welcome pack?

We are with ee and I'm using the new router they sent.
What I'm getting is not a major problem, it's lots better than was, but isn't the 30'odd download they said I could get.

[Gloria]

Just looked at the box of tricks I got and there's number to open hub manager, I'll try that, I will be back.