Online Speed Tests: Who's Good & Who Should You Use?

The Best Online Internet Speed Tests:
Which One Should You Actually Use?

We’ve all been there: your video call freezes, your game starts lagging, or that movie you’re trying to stream keeps buffering. Your first instinct is probably to Google "speed test," but did you know that not all speed tests are created equal?

While Ookla Speedtest (speedtest.net) remains the reigning champion for overall testing due to its massive global server network and historical tracking, relying on just one tool doesn't always tell the whole story.

Depending on what you are trying to do; whether that's hosting a Zoom webinar or trying to figure out if your ISP is throttling your Netflix. You need the right tool for the job!

Here is the ultimate breakdown of the best internet speed tests available today and when you should use them.

A Complete Guide To SSD Cache Types

 

Understanding SSD Cache Types:
Complete Guide to SLC, MLC, TLC, QLC, and More

When shopping for an SSD, you'll encounter a bewildering array of acronyms: SLC, MLC, TLC, QLC, and various caching technologies. Understanding these different memory types and caching strategies is crucial for making informed decisions about storage performance, endurance, and value. Let's break down everything you need to know about SSD cache types and technologies.

Make 802.11ac Work Correctly On A Linksys WRT1900AC

Make 802.11ac Work Correctly On A Linksys WRT1900AC Router

I have had a Linksys WRT1900AC router for quiet sometime now, and in it's name it says that is an AC router. Since I have AC compatible Wifi devices, theoretically I should be able to get a max speed of around 1300 Mbps. In reality it would likely see something around 600 Mbps to something around 1024 Mbps due to the connections being wireless and can have interference. What I recently discovered though was that I was getting 802.11n speeds on my devices. I found that to be weird. So  I checked the route's settings.

Under "Network Mode" in the router's settings (logged in through a browser via the router's IP address), I found that the only options for wireless network modes were for A, N or A/N. But nowhere in the menus/options does it specify an option for 802.11ac!?

That was baffling to me seeing as this router is capable of doing 802.11ac according to Linksys AND it's in the devices NAME. So I figured that I was doing something wrong or I was not looking in the right place. Naturally, I checked their FAQ section and found nothing on this.
I also did what I tell ALL my customers to do and read the manual; found no assistance there.

After doing someone line research I found that if flipped the setting in "Network Mode from A/N only to Mixed (and after a reboot of the router) I had 802.11ac speeds! This router apparently HAS to be on "Mixed Mode" for AC speeds to be achieved. Very odd that Linksys would NOT include an AC option in the "Network Mode" section in the router settings, or make it more clear the A/N mode disables/prevents AC speeds all together.

Since I was able to figure it out, I wanted to make this post to hopefully help folks out that find themselves with the same or similar issue!

Pacific Northwest Computers

www.pnwcomputers.com

360.624.7379