u/BearyRebellious

Over the next few months, im looking to upgrade various parts for my PC. I originally bought it as a prebuild from BestBuy back in 2019-2020 and its served me well over the last 7 or so years. Now im looking to upgrade a few parts.

Can anyone recommend some upgrades? Main ones im looking to upgrade are the wifi card, graphics card, and PSU. But im open to other upgrade suggestions as well

Just recently I added a wifi booster to my home to boost wireless speeds to my office, however, my office is situated past a hall way with our water heater tank so the signal was being blocked. I live in apartment which only has one coaxial cable in the living room so there's no way to move the modem either. At that point I hooked up an ethernet cable from my modem directly to my PC but its still not receiving anywhere close to the 1 gig speeds I should be getting.

I have a prebuilt Omen 30L PC that I bought in 2019, no parts have been swapped out as of yet as I haven't found the need to since I dont do heavy gaming. After running tests, my speeds only go up to anywhere between 20-200 mbps instead of the 900-940 mbps I should be getting through a wired connection. I originally had a flat cat8 cable (I know it was a scam) but then I switched to a Cable Matters cat 6a ethernet cable and ran the speed tests again and still receiving the same speeds. Next I switched out my modem as it was 3 years old at that point and thought maybe the ports broke. None of them did and speeds are still the same.

I'm at a loss on what to do next. I figured maybe buying a new wifi card and ethernet port for my PC but at this point I dont want to keep spending money without knowing what the problem is and how to fix it. Anyone have any tips or other things I could try to get the speeds I should be getting?

Okay this is probably a really stupid question but im new to connecting ethernet from my router directly to my PC. I originally got a 200 ft cat8 cable, i know stupid purchase cause speed significantly slows over 98 ft. Know cat8 is overkill and could probably do with a cat 6a cable but for some reason the are almost non existent on Amazon especially ones that are flat for an easier time hiding them.

The cable length I need is just 10 ft above what I could buy for standard purchase (75 feet) but if I were to buy two 50 ft cables and a coupler that brings me above 98 feet for cat 8. My question here is if I buy two 50 ft flat cat8 cables and connect them with a coupler will that extra 2 feet cause a significant difference in speed?

As per the post im looking to upgrade my equipment from xb8 to xb10. I went to the two closest xfinity stores to me and both did not have it in stock. They recommended I try calling a live agent because they I guess only they can ship an XB10 to you? This confuses me because usong the xfinity chat assistant, I was told that XB10 modems cannot be shipped to customers. So I tried getting in touch with a real person over call and I the AI/automated voice doesn't even recognize the option to talk a "live agent". I cant even call an xfinity store to see whether they have the new modem in stock or not either because its the same AI/automated voice.

HOW CAN I GET MY MODEM UPGRADED??!?!

Upon doing a speed test in my living room, im getting over 400+ mbps but when I go to my bedroom the connection is half or less than half that at 150-200 mbps. I already talked to support and added the pro wifi extender for 15/month to my bill thinking it would boost the signal but it hasn't done anything at all. For context my gateway is in the living room sitting on a table while my wifi extender sits just next to our TV that leads into the hall way. It says the extender is online and active.

I have a really suspicious feeling that that our TV and a pressure tank sitting in the hall way inside a closet between the gateway and my room is blocking the signal from effectively reaching me. Theres also no outlets I can plug the pro extender past the tank either. Am I just screwed to have bad internet connection in my room?

To those applying for VR&E and to those who have already enrolled in the VR&E program this is my experience with it so far and this may even answer any questions others have had. Many who are enrolled always say to be patient with your counselors as they are completely swamped in cases with thousands of veterans. I'm fairly new to being a "veteran" though I would not consider myself one due to my very short term if service in comparison to other vets who have served longer.

Onto the VR&E stuff. Now I do not know if this is standard (maybe other enrolled vets can shed some light on this) but the first email you will get is for a group orientation meeting where they talk to you about the program and answer any questions you may have. At least in the email I received, they told me to have my schedule cleared until 3pm. As you'll have at least one if not two other meetings scheduled within the time frame they tell you to have your schedule cleared. One of of which is going to be your counselor to determine if your disabilities are affecting your ability to gain employment or maintain employment as well as talk about the five different tracks VR&E offers and which is going ti be most suitable for your needs. During the group meeting, I noticed there was a lot of confusion and frustration in not being told prior that the meeting would not he directly with a counselor 1 on 1. Once again I say just to please be patient with those getting everyone scheduled. There ARE going to be miscommunication mishaps and if you didnt read the initial email correctly, it is not solely the fault of those who are trying to get everyone scheduled for potential enrollment. At this point in time, I'm waiting for an email to get scheduled with my assigned counselor 1 on 1 to talk about my eligibility and goals for the VR&E program.

Another thing you'll be sent in that initial email is all the paperwork you need to send it prior. I got the email only a day before the group meeting but to my understanding, so long as you fill it out and send it to the email they gave you within the the time period they ask you to be available, you should not have any delays in getting your counselor meeting. There is also a ton of confusion with filling out VA form 28-1902w and to shed some light on that... when they ask you to fill everything out to the best of your ability, fill the form out. Even though many of the questions are labeled in such a way that it seems like your counselor needs to fill them out.. they told us to fill it out. Just do it. Don't argue unless you want everything to get delayed. While it shouldnt be up to us as vets to fill it out beyond our own employment and personal information, this does make the process quicker and easier for the counselors to get you enrolled quicker because of how swamped counselors are. Personally I filled out EVERYTHING except the boxes where it asked me to provide my employment history, service history, and education. The ONLY reason you should leave these boxes blank is because you provided your resume, DD214, and school transcripts/training certifications in the same email it told you to submit the VA form.

Again I do not know if the group meeting is standard for every VR&E meeting but hopefully this sheds some light on those who are waiting after submitting their initial application what the next steps are and what you should do once you get an email stating what documents to fill out and send.

Im not looking for a diagnosis from the randos on reddit nor am I trying to see what medications/treatments worked for other people. Im just here to rant in order to get some stuff off my chest. Honestly, I won't even call myself a "veteran" as I never even completed basic training. When people thank me for my "service", I just default to the same phrase my drill instructors told me when I left briefly for Christmas break and that was to just say "thank you for your support". But yeah anyways.. as I said I never completed basic training, during one of the obstacle courses I took a hard fall on one of the mats they put there for "safety". Suffered a compression fracture in my spine and from then on had problems with pain in my lower back and severe weakness in my right leg. I use a cane to help me get around now lol. However, it wasn't just the injury that got to me. While I was rated for depression caused by the physical injury, I suspect it goes far beyond just the injury. You always hear people say that the basic training environment is not one you want to be in for an extended period of time, you want to get your 7.5-13 weeks (depending on branch) done and go on with the rest of your military career, wherever that may take you.

This was not the case for me. I made it to around week 6 of Army BCT and then suddenly I was stuck for months. I saw three basic training companies graduate. I stayed a total of 8 months, five of those trying to heal from my injury which meant going to physical therapy nearly every single day. I was unsuccessful in the end and not only had I failed but I was also left with mental scars that I carry with me. Im not here to complain that my drill instructors yelled at me (although there was one singular incident which did stick with me). No im here to recount everything in between while I was waiting to go home. There were multiple events which I suspect have caused me to either have PTSD or PTSD like symptoms which I won't full tell the story of as it would be way too long but yea.

May as well mention the first incident with the drill instructor. For some context, I have a history of pretty bad eye twitching when I get severely stressed. Outside of the military, this has caused several incidents where people have assumed that I rolled my eyes at them. I've never gotten this condition or whatever it may be checked out because I just felt as thought it wasn't important. A misunderstand happens, sure whatever. Its not like im going to see that person again. You can already see where this is going lol. One day we were getting our phones and I got some extra time because I had come down with the flu and was put on quarters so I wasnt allowed to get my phone at the time. Everyone else already turned their phones in and I had to take a battle buddy into the drill instructors office to go return mine. There was one DI returning from getting lunch, I swear on my life that he hated my guts but moving on. Another DI who was already outside told me to just go into the office and put my phone in the box. Now the DI who hated my guts saw me as I went in and immediately got up in my face yelling why I didnt knock on the door and in typical DI fashion, he didnt let me explain that another DI told me to just go in. Yelled to get tf out of his office and knock. Ofc I was stressed from this because when you're told to always listen to the DI, you have to obey. From the stress my eyes are twitching as im about to walk about. The DI who told me to get tf out and knock sees this and once again gets in my face but this time screams at me for rolling my eyes at him. For context, I was a quiet recruit who listened and didn't have a nasty attitude or argue back, I just wanted to do what needed to be done and get out of the situation. So when I say I truly wasnt rolling my eyes at him, I really wasn't. I held everything in until I could go back upstairs. I dont like crying in front of others but I cried hard. Harder than I've ever cried. Thankfully no one was up there at the time. But yea that moment stuck with me and still does, now instead of eye twitching, I get severe panic attacks when stressed.

Now another moment that sticks with me and is really the main reason why I think I have PTSD.. I could have very possibly been stabbed. Many may think of this as an exaggeration but it is not. It was a valid fear I had at the time. There was one girl who was in the process of getting out, she was a part of another training company but got moved to ours for beating another girl to the point she had to be hospitalized. This girl was not in her right mind and should never have made it through MEPS. And when I say that she was not in her right mind.. she was not mentally all there. There were odd things she'd do like write people's names on the board or go uncomfortably close to someone and just stare at them. No one in the female bay felt safe with her around and we were told to just ignore and not interact with her by our DI's. Now where does the me thinking I could have been stabbed come from? There was one night when I was asleep and had just barely opened my eyes, I think I had to use the bathroom or something but I don't remember as I've mostly blocked that day out. This girl was standing next to my bed and just staring down at me with scissors in her hands. Mind you when we had any people getting processed out for mental health reasons; sharp objects, rope, strings, etc etc would be taken away by the DI's. The scissors were never taken from our bay. Now I have no idea if this girl had any actual intention to stab me because the next time I opened my eyes, she was gone. But as someone who over the course of 8 months had become depressed, riddled with anxiety, and has had suicidal ideation but never any intent to go through with killing myself because of the severe anxiety of dying.. that last part is very important, this is something else that stuck with me and have frequent nightmares/panic attacks/unwanted memories about.

There were many more things that contributed to my poor mental health and trauma from the military. I am getting help from the VA for my physical health as well as my mental health but I've done a lot of waiting to get scheduled and finally have my first appointment with a therapist in August and I am trying out a medication for depression and anxiety.. but I just fear that it won't be enough. A part of me wishes that the whole time I've been home since being in the military, that I was getting help sooner. But with the rating disability process being long (im aware its took only a few months for me whereas many take years), much of who I was before entering the military has been fundamentally changed. I am more depressed, anxious and stressed than I have ever been. I am far more irritable and short tempered than I used to be. Whenever someone yells at me or is speaking about me, I shut down immediately and even after some time passes, I can never seem to unwind. Dare I get into an argument with anyone, I say very hurtful words out of anger. Words that I come to regret later and even cry about, wondering why I said those things. I never meant them but at the time there were no thoughts behind the words or actions. No thought that what I was saying could hurt someone else. It felt like the real me was trapped behind a glass window.. trying to stop myself from saying those hurtful things or even trying to speak up after shutting down.

But yeah. This rant/post is getting way too long. Welcome to my Ted Talk.

Literally the title.

I'm looking for one experienced D&D 5e player to join an ongoing campaign. The group as a whole has played for roughly a year with many breaks in between. We're about 28 sessions in and starting the campaign up again after I've been away from the DM table for the last year or so. This world is heavily homebrewed, so I'm looking for someone who enjoys discovering new mechanics, lore, monsters, and magic rather than expecting everything to come straight from the official books.

Before reaching out, ask yourself these questions:

Do you enjoy roleplaying just as much as combat?

Are you excited by homebrew content and willing to learn new mechanics?

Can you separate player knowledge from character knowledge?

Are you comfortable sharing the spotlight and helping everyone tell a great story?

Can you handle serious, emotional, and character-driven moments?

Are you okay with making decisions that fit your character, even if they're not always optimal?

Are you reliable and able to attend sessions consistently?

Are you willing to communicate respectfully if problems come up?

Most importantly: Are you okay with your character dying if the dice and your choices lead there? I don't kill characters unfairly, but actions do indeed have consequences, and most monsters are homebrew so they may not be balanced despite my best efforts. Because of all these factors death is a real possibility in this campaign.

If you answered "yes" to all of the above, I'd love to hear from you.

When you message me, please include:

Your age and time zone.

How long you've been playing 5e.

Your favorite roleplaying moment from a previous campaign.

What kind of characters you enjoy playing.

Why you think you'd be a good fit for this game.

I'm looking for someone who wants to help tell an unforgettable story—not someone who's trying to "win" D&D.

So long story short and the reason im asking is because my local VA hospital didnt have my address or phone number on file even though I have it added on VA.gov and do receive mail from the VA at my home address.

So theoretically if I really hated myself how possible do y'all think a mono run using only ice types, without EVs, and a level cap on challenge mode would be? Would it even be possible and would you consider it a "challenge" if a majority of it is going to be rng