Please refer to the two previous posts regarding Upgrade To NBN Speeds.
I just received the CAT 8 cables to connect to my CAT5e and replace the various cables that I had used to connect my computer to the internet.
My speeds are now as promised by the new plan.
TELSTRA, ALL SETTINGS AND OOKLA
Refer previous post https://whysun.com/computers-and-the-internet/nbn-upgrade-fttn-to-fttp-update-1/
I got notifications from both my carrier and NBN that my internet speeds had been automatically increased.
I Did a speed test, and the results were:
The download speed was a bit short of the promised but the upload speed was close to the maximum. This is more than enough, so I won’t complain.
Refer previous posts:
Just when I almost weakened and set up a PassKey for at least one account (Google), I heard this on Windows Weekly Ep 944. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcvuD36zQbo
About 1 hr 54 minutes (start of section talking about authenticator Apps –10 minutes approx.) Towards the end of the segment they talk about ongoing problems with PassKeys even when stored in your Password Manager. When I am sure that all issues have been sorted out, I will consider.
SECURITY NOW EPISODE No 1022
Refer “Security Now” Ep 1022 issued on 23/4/25.
About 1 Hr 32 Mins to 1Hr 51 Min
SUMMARY OF THE CHANGES
The maximum lifetime period for SSL/TLS certificates is currently 398 days. However, the people who control the issue as well as major browsers, are gradually reducing this to 47 days by March 2029. All major browsers (from Apple, Google, Mozilla, and Microsoft) are going to enforce the new rules, and the reason is to increase security by reducing the risk of compromised certificates.
A summary of the changes:
It just so happens that I got an email from my web hosting company that I did not fully understand – but now all is clear.
Steve Gibson, the host of the podcast “Security Now,” is not happy and I am also not happy. I hope that web hosting companies will provide some sort of automation to make the process easier.
Refer previous post.
Google Chrome browser has been warning users of uBlock Origin that it will soon be disabled. The reason is that Chrome (and other browsers based on Chromium like Edge) will be moving from existing standard “Manifest v2” to a new standard “Manifest v3”. The creator/maintainer of uBlock Origin, has indicated that he will not be adapting uBlock Origin to Manifest v3.
Chrome is suggesting that you will have to find an alternative ad blocker before Google Chrome disables it for good. A suggested alternative is uBlock Origin Lite – a “fork” of the original. It is a content-blocking extension that functions on the upcoming Manifest v3 system but lacks some features of the original.
uBlock Origin still works on Firefox and I have switched to that browser for watching YouTube videos. Edge is still my default browser and I will still also continue to use Chrome.
I installed uBlock Origin Lite on Chrome and it blocked the pre-roll ads on YouTube. However, like the ad blocker I use on my Apple iPad, it produces a black screen for a few seconds in place of the pre-roll ads. I am not sure about the annoying ads that interrupt the video. They have not appeared so far, and I will update this post if they do appear – or a blank screen appears.
My Ad Blocker of choice is UBlock Origin, but it no longer works on Chrome when accessing YouTube.
In fact, Google says it will disable UBlock Origin on Chrome this year. This is the message when you click Manage Extension for UBlock Origin on Chrome:
This extension may soon no longer be supported
Remove or replace it with similar extensions from the Chrome Web Store
It continues to work fully on Firefox and Edge** so I guess I will start viewing YouTube on Firefox. those browsers.** YouTube is almost un-watchable with ads interrupting at various random times. I don’t mind the pre-roll ads, but it is the abrupt interruptions that annoy me.
I will stop using Chrome if it becomes necessary.
The podcast SECURITY NOW Ep 986 mentioned this subject, and it is not known yet if UBlock Origin will update its Chrome Extension to comply with the new Chrome policy.
This is the entry for UBlock Origin on Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBlock_Origin
UBlock Origin is the pick of the Ad Blockers, and I intend to continue using for as long as I can, if necessary, by not using browsers that block it. So far, Chrome is only blocking it on YouTube, but they have stated that they will fully block it this year.
As I have previously stated, I leave the default browser/search engines in place. That means, with Windows PCs the default browser is Edge with Bing as the search engine. I also use 2 other browsers – Firefox / DuckDuckGo and Chrome / Google.
** UPDATE MICROSOFT EDGE
A similar situation exists with Edge and YouTube (which is not surprising now that Edge is based on Chromium)
It is coming up to 3 months since I upgraded to FTTP so I thought I would check my NBN speeds to see if there has been any drop off.
I am pleased to see that there has been no change:
Windows 11- Local Backup to External Drive – Refer previous posts. Most recent https://whysun.com/computers-and-the-internet/windows-11-update-10-local-backup-to-external-drive/
One of my Win 11 computers has been updated to the latest version (of Windows 11) – 22H2. My other one, Microsoft Surface Pro 7, still has not been updated. (The Surface Pro 7 was updated about 2 weeks later.)
The very first thing I did was to see if Settings had been updated to include the backup option to a local external drive.
It has not.
Access to this function remains via (the old) Control Panel / File History .
I have been looking around in the new “Settings” (Formerly “All Settings”) and things have changed a lot in Win 11.
CONTROL PANEL
You can still get to the old Control Panel via – Start / All Apps / Windows Tools / Control Panel.
AND I have certainly needed this.
BACK UP
I have an external USB drive set up for backups (plus a system image when I think of it). I also have backups and syncs to One Drive.
I use the 3-2-1 backup method. Three copies of everything – Original on the computer – Second Copy on a local backup – Third Copy “off premises” backup (On Line/ OneDrive).
Just out of curiosity, I went looking for Backup to make sure my computer was still being backed up to both the USB Drive and One Drive after upgrade to Win 11.
I found a section for Backup in – Settings / Accounts / Windows backup. However, this seems to only apply to One Drive Backup.
I then went to Settings / System / Storage / Advanced Storage Settings / Backup Options – but this took me to the same One Drive Backup mentioned above.
After that, I tried – Settings / System / Storage / Advanced Storage Settings / Storage used on other drives – and found the USB Backup Drive, but no way to access the Backup functions.
I was able to go to the old Control Panel / File History to ensure that it is still running / Set up/ turn on or off etc. However, there seems to be no equivalent to the Backup section in All Settings on Win 10.
I searched on line and could not find much apart from the suggestion that the old local backup option has been depreciated in favour of online (One Drive) back up.
I hope not.
Note 1 I will complete new posts when I come across something of interest with Win 11, rather than add to the original post.
Note 2 My Surface Pro 7 was updated to Win 11 this morning.
RIGHT CLICK
The menu for a right mouse click has changed.
This is the old Win 10 Right Click menu:
This is the new Win 11 menu:
OR With the new icons on top
NOTE! If you click “Show More Options” you get the old menu
The difference is the use of icons for cut/paste etc.
Hover your mouse over the icon to get the description.
However they are mostly self explanatory. From left to right:
It took me about 2 seconds to work them out apart from the rename icon. I had to hover the mouse to find out what it was.
AND when you cut or copy, an icon comes up later for paste.
