This page is where I will post what’s new or updated at schmahl.net.
Suggestions are welcome, just fill out a comment on the contact page. Comments are not published.
July 25, 2024 – After too many unacceptable and extended down times, especially with the growing popularity of the Emergency Resource Template, I moved to a much more reliable hosting company. I have used it for other sites with success and no known outages. There are noticeable performance improvements and it offers several more features that will be implemented as time allows. Stay tuned.
July 18, 2024 – Two updates made to the Emergency Resource Template: a) added a paragraph in the Wills section instructions to include post-mortem information such as pre-purchased burial plots, and b) Added a column for phone numbers in the table for names, social security numbers, and dates of birth.
June 23, 2024 – Added Tip 5 to the Security and Password page.
June 18, 2024 – Due to a growing number of requests for a template to consolidate personal and financial data into a single document, a page was added for the Emergency Resource Template.
June 9, 2024 – Added a page for Messaging Netiquette. There seems to be a growing number of bulk messages to groups with a link and no explanation. Nobody appreciates wondering if it’s a legitimate message or not knowing who all of the recipients are. Classic signs of something to avoid.
May 21, 2024 – Replaced old code on the Tech Stuff/Internet Speed Tests page to remove the outdated Broadband Speed Checker with some open source code that can test beyond the 100Mbs limit of the Broadband Speed Checker speedometers.
March 22, 2024 – Removed Speedtest.net from the Further Reading and Useful Link section of the Tech Stuff/Internet Speed Tests page because of its tracking. It reportedly gathers info and sends it to 809 ad partners.
January 6, 2024 – Updated the Backup Strategies page by adding a section for cloud storage and a link in the Further Reading and Useful Link section.
December 26, 2023 – While cleaning up old files and organizing my drive, I found this old Microsoft TechNet article “Zen and the Art of Performance Monitoring.” It could still be a valid post to the Tech Stuff section, but when reading it you’ll see my reasoning for placing it in the Fun Content area.
October 5, 2023 – Another friend was almost scammed. Reams of information are available concerning cybersecurity so I made a Security and Password page offering high level tips and pointers to further reading.
September 20,, 2023 – The Tech Section’s RSS page needed some updating!
August 22, 2023 – I read a great article at Wired.com titled “How to Choose the Right Laptop: A Step-by-Step Guide.” Though it gets technical, everything is explained very well to a general audience. Wired allows non-subscribers to read four free articles per month.
August 15, 2023 – Finally got around to updating the home page to update information about the site’s status.
October, 2020 – COVID, with its work-from-home and school-from-home, caused just a few family issues. Kids gaming, television and music streaming, and the usual web surfing such as shopping brought Zoom, Teams, and other collaboration software to its knees. Segmenting networks is old hat to network professionals. Now it needs done at home. Posting the page “Segmenting a Home Network” was but one solution.