Rick's Daily Tips

Q&A: Why are my Internet download speeds so slow?

Posted on January 29, 2024

Question from Kellie: I have Xfinity Internet and the plan I’m on is for 200 Mbps download speed.

I used SpeedTest.net to run several speed tests yesterday and again this morning. The fastest speed I got was around 65 Mbps.

I called Xfinity this afternoon and they ran some kind of test from their end and said I was getting all the speed I’m paying for.

Is there something I’m doing wrong when I run the speed test or is Xfinity just blowing me off? [Read more…]

Q&A: Is it safe to use an online password checker?

Posted on January 27, 2024

Question from Charise: I read that with all the hacking going on we need to check the strength of our passwords with an online password checker.

I did a Google search for the term “password checker” and a bunch of them came up. The thing is, I’m wondering if it’s safe to use them.

I’m a little leery of typing my passwords into a form on a website that I don’t know anything about.

Are those password checker websites safe to use? [Read more…]

Add a wireless remote to ANY garage door opener for about 20 bucks

Posted on January 27, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Do you have an older garage door opener that can only be activated by physically pushing a button on the wall of your garage?

Did you lose the remote to the opener and simply can’t find a compatible remote to replace it?

Or perhaps the radio receiver in the opener has stopped working, rendering the remote you have inoperable.

Whatever the reason for not having a working remote, you can add one to virtually ANY garage door opener that can be activated by pressing a button on the wall. [Read more…]

Q&A: Should I replace a 4 year old SSD just to be safe?

Posted on January 26, 2024

Note: The links in this post are affiliate links.

Question from Kendra: Hi, Rick. I really love your blog, especially the section where you answer questions from your readers.

If you don’t mind I’d like to ask a question of my own.

Back in March of 2020 the tech guy I used at the time installed a Crucial 500GB SSD in my Acer laptop and it really made it run a lot faster.

I recently read on another site that all SSDs wear out over time because they can only be written to a certain number of times.

That has me sort of worried because this drive is now about four years old and I have a lot of personal files on it that I don’t want to lose.

My question is do you think this drive is likely to fail at some time in the near future? [Read more…]