u/shmoopie313

Recently replaced my Starlink Gen1 Router with a Deco 6E. Before the replacement my public IP bounced between San Jose, CA and Portland, OR. Weird, but close enough geographically that I just got used to it knowing how Starlink works. After replacement, the laptops on Wifi think I'm in Brazil. It's only laptops and only wifi. Iphones and the ethernet PC have not had this issue. But whenever I google something on one of the laptops I get answers in Portuguese and locations in Brazil. Which is not something I can just get used to.

Help?

I just bought a new MB, CPU, and DDR5 RAM, upgrading from a DDR4 system that starting bluescreening all over the place. Awesome timing with the current price of things, of course. My question..

I have a ROG STRIX B650E-F MB with BIOS 2616 on it out of the box, and a Ryzen 7 7700 CPU. I'm going to flash the BIOS regardless. But the 2616 BIOS came out in 5/2024 and the first Ryzen 7 7700 came out in 1/2023. Am I correct thinking that means 2616 supports my CPU well enough that I can boot into UEFI and do it from there? Or do I need to do it without a CPU installed using the flash button? Never used the flash button process before and I'd love the comfort of seeing UEFI on screen, but also don't want to break either the CPU or MB doing it wrong.

Noticed yesterday that someone was painting the whole place blue and white, including all of the mural except for the dog :( It makes sense for a new business, but I do hope they talked to the artist first. Anyway.. any ideas on what's opening there?

I have been running on a Gen 1 Dishy and router since early 2021. Dishy is going strong (may he live forever because he's on a really high, steep roof) but the router is obviously not now that updates have stopped.

My priority is 1 ethernet gaming PC and 1-2 streaming/work wifi laptops. There are also 2 iphones, a PS5, and a Switch. We don't need a mesh, our living area is relatively small, and I'm not worried about intense network security in the middle of nowhere. I just need a router that will make our devices work at the high speeds and data load they're capable of.

I'm also super illiterate with networking. I built and regularly upgrade the PC. I can do computer level hardware and software with no issue, but networking/router lingo sounds like a foreign language to me because I've never had to deal with it. So ELI5 if it's more than plug-and-play, please :)

1. What router? Seems like a good time to get a non-Starlink one for better everything? Or am I wrong and should just get their newest one?

2. Can I just plug the ethernet cord currently going into the Gen 1 router into a third party router or is there more to it? There's a separate block in the system that powers Dishy, receives his ethernet cord, and has a port for outgoing ethernet to connect to the router, so powering Dishy isn't a concern.

Thank you for any advice or recommendations! Starlink is my only option out here, and it's a little anxiety-inducing when it starts getting slow...

My husband got a Blackstone a year ago and absolutely loves cooking on it. I love that he cooks for me on it and he's made some fantastic meals. And I was immediately the official caretaker of it because it never seemed hard? I legitimately enjoyed the first seasoning and the one reset I had to do after PNW winter had it's say, and our routine is for him to walk inside with the food while I step in for 3 minutes of cleaning. After a few goes, it hit me why. It's just a giant cast iron pan. I was raised in the deep south, learning to cook on and clean cast iron pans since I was tall enough to reach the stovetop. I have several heirloom pans that I use multiple times a week. A Blackstone? It's big. It's outside which was a little challenge to figure out. But.. scrape, wash/rinse, oil, cover. It's the same thing I've done my entire life.

I guess the point of this post is that if maintaining a Blackstone scares or intimidates you, spend some time with the cast iron fans. They'll have even more tips and reality checks for you to get comfortable. The running joke there is "no, really, just cook on it."

I am looking to get a restaurant gift card for a friend as a thank you. $150ish for somewhere he can take his wife for a nice dinner and drinks. They travel internationally a lot and prefer to eat at small, local places when they do to find the non-touristy cuisine. So probably something more interesting than a steak house, and definitely authentic food. Recommendations for a good place in Arcata/Eureka area?