Dear Friends,

I had a great ride north last week and managed to miss all the rain, too. I have to say that the Blue Ridge Parkway is one of my favorite rides for its beautiful country vistas, wildlife and few cars. It was a great time to appreciate the views and do a lot of thinking as I rode the Indian Chieftain through the curvy roads. I rode from all-the-time summer in Key West to spring to spring-is-coming soon. By the time I reached my home on Prickly Mountain, there was still a pile of snow at the bottom of my driveway. However, the daffodils were blooming, baby birds were chirping in the nest in my woodshed, and the trees were budding.

As I set up my network in Key West, it occurred to me that many people make some fundamental mistakes in equipping their home internet access. The first, most common mistake is the idea that one should lease (rather than buy) the DSL or Cable modem from their provider. Comcast offered to supply me with a modem for $8/month, but by purchasing a top-quality modem (a Motorola Surfboard) for about $70, it pays for itself in less than 10 months.

In most cases, the modem you buy will be better and newer than what the cable or DSL company will provide. Most of our customers use Apple AirPort equipment to provide wireless access. Most of the modems that internet providers offer also broadcast a wireless signal, and unless you intentionally turn that off, it could lead to some conflicts that might slow down your overall network if you’re using it in conjunction with your AirPort.

With Apple’s latest 802.11ac wireless protocol, you should always give preference to the faster wireless technology on your hardware. (Slower wireless protocols include 802.11n and 802.11g — read more on the differences between these here.) If your modem has not been upgraded by your provider (regardless of that $8/month you are paying them), that could be a significant source of slowness.

This week’s Kibbles & Bytes special is a charging bundle for your iOS devices. It includes our Hammerhead Dual-Port USB 12-watt charger and two Black Hammerhead Lightning (made for iPhone/iPad) cables. This will allow you to charge two iOS devices simultaneously.

Purchase this deal here — only $48.99 for Kibbles & Bytes readers!