My internet connection had become very flaky. I first thought my Netgear WPN824 was dying on me. I had thought that it was always disconnecting and I always had to reset it. I was just getting fed up and decided to go purchase a new router. I read a few reviews and decided to go with the Belkin N1 Wireless Router. After using it for a while, I’m beginning to think it’s my Comcast Cable internet that is disconnecting and not the router.
When I picked up my Mac Mini Intel Core Solo, I handed my G4 Mac Mini to my mom. She has a Palm, a digital camera, a Canon printer, as well as a D-Link Bluetooth adapter to connect to the machine. Since the G4 Mac Mini only has two USB ports, once you add the keyboard and mouse, it only leaves one port on the keyboard and one on the back of the machine. I picked up a Belkin Hi-Speed USB 2.0 4-Port Hub at my local Comp USA for about $25 before a $10 mail in rebate. I figured I could probably order it online for cheaper, but the time it would take for me to wait for it was not worth the price difference. This hub would allow her to connect all her peripherals without needed to swap them in and out of the USB ports on the back of the machine.
After purchasing gadgets for both home and portable use, protecting my investments became a top priority. Power was always a concern for my computer and my home audio/video equipment as well as any portable devices such as iPods, which I charge on a daily basis. I figured I was spending a lot of money so it was a good idea to prevent. I looked into UPS units for my servers to maximize uptime. With the same concept in mind, I wanted power regulation for my home audio unit. The equipment was worth protecting, but I figured I didn’t need uptime like I did on my computers so a unit with power filtering and regulation would be sufficient. I have always had pretty good luck with Belkin products as well as Monster products, but I felt I was getting more for my money with the Belkin unit. I chose the Belkin PureAV Home Theater Power Console PF30. It was much more reasonable than a comparable Monster unit.
