Search found 367 matches

by deskjockey
Fri Nov 24, 2023 7:19 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Quicken 2019 and forward
Replies: 1061
Views: 114297

Quicken Classic on sale

[deskjockey's post has been merged into this on-going discussion. Moderator Pops1860]

It's that time of year again. Deluxe is $31 and Premier is $41. Those are the lowest prices I could find. Here's the link to the sale: https://www.newegg.com/Quicken-Inc-Offi ... 147567-523

Edit to correct the prices by reflecting a coupon.
by deskjockey
Wed Jul 06, 2022 6:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?
Replies: 373
Views: 39630

Re: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?

Has anyone figured out how to change two-factor authentication methods? My phone reset itself to factory defaults and I lost the TSP two-factor capability in Okta Verify. I can't find the option to modify or delete two factor authentication methods. I already have SMS and security questions enabled, so I can work with those, but I prefer the more secure method of an authentication app, so I'd like to delete the existing one and add it again. Simple, you'd think, but the new site doesn't have that option. I'd like to do it as well, now that I know that Authy works with it. But I'm wondering if I'd trust the system to get it right, if the option were available...rather than leave well enough alone. Great that this is what it has come to. :oo...
by deskjockey
Wed Jul 06, 2022 4:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?
Replies: 373
Views: 39630

Re: Anyone have any luck with new TSP login?

Has anyone figured out how to change two-factor authentication methods? My phone reset itself to factory defaults and I lost the TSP two-factor capability in Okta Verify. I can't find the option to modify or delete two factor authentication methods. I already have SMS and security questions enabled, so I can work with those, but I prefer the more secure method of an authentication app, so I'd like to delete the existing one and add it again. Simple, you'd think, but the new site doesn't have that option.
by deskjockey
Mon Mar 07, 2022 7:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: USAA 2.5% Cash Back Credit Card [Update]
Replies: 442
Views: 94098

Re: USAA 2.5% Cash Back Credit Card Renewals

Yeah, I got the same letter from USAA. In my case, my card is up for renewal next month, so the letter said the changes were effective 26 April, with the 2.5% cash back extended as a "favor" through the end of the year.
by deskjockey
Thu Oct 07, 2021 8:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio
Replies: 649
Views: 112406

Re: Don't pay full price for SiriusXM radio

Well, the best I could do this time around was $5.99 a month, which comes out to an all-in total of $91 or so for the year, and no Echo dot.
by deskjockey
Tue Jun 29, 2021 6:32 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Data leak at Ally, with disturbing details
Replies: 106
Views: 16022

Re: Data leak at Ally, with disturbing details

Marseille07 wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 9:19 pm Funny, I called it right then and there: viewtopic.php?p=5951313#p5951313

I had just opened Ally like 2 weeks prior and I knew something smelled funny then.
Good call! This all just reinforces my decision to pretty much abandon Ally moving forward--I don't want to have to try to divine what's happening based on scattered clues. I do that at work when it comes to office politics, don't care to have to do it at my bank, too.
by deskjockey
Mon Jun 28, 2021 8:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Data leak at Ally, with disturbing details
Replies: 106
Views: 16022

Data leak at Ally, with disturbing details

Just stumbled on this video a few minutes ago. Apparently Ally had, for an indeterminate length of time, unintentionally sent users' plain-text usernames and passwords to unnamed third parties Ally does business with. Ally noticed this back in April, but only informed users in June via snail mail. The guy who posted the video says he did have to reset his password back in April, but Ally did not explain why at the time. No word on why it took Ally 60 days to review the matter and contact impacted users. What is even more concerning, however, is that Ally refuses to disclose the names of the third parties that received the data and (unintentionally) disclosed that not all of these companies have deleted the info. Based on the info provided, ...
by deskjockey
Fri Mar 12, 2021 4:42 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: 529 Withdrawals for expat
Replies: 2
Views: 335

Re: 529 Withdrawals for expat

The actual mechanics of a withdrawal depend on the specific 529 plan that you're investing in. In general, some plans can send the money directly to the institution (very unlikely in your case, given the need to exchange into Australian dollars), send an EFT deposit, or mail a check. Checks and EFTs can go to either the account owner or the beneficiary. I don't know if they will send a check to a foreign address, but you can call your plan and ask. Seeing as any check will be drawn on a US bank and be in US dollars, your son or his child will need to be able to deposit that check in Australia. They could also use a US-based account and then wire the money to Australia (or use Transferwise or a similar service). Given that the first withdraw...
by deskjockey
Mon Feb 15, 2021 10:13 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How best to optimize 401k contributions?
Replies: 12
Views: 1249

Re: How best to optimize 401k contributions?

Tamarind wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:58 am If you get away from making your contributions mirror your whole asset allocation in each account, you can also stop rebalancing accounts individually. I rebalance when my entire portfolio hits a band, and I rebalance wherever it's most convenient - generally in tax-advantaged. I.e in March 2020 I swapped bonds for US stocks in 401k, then adjusted b/w US & intl stocks in Roth.
This is what we do--my asset allocation is across my entire portfolio, not in each account. If I go with having my contributions match my asset allocation, it will be 70/30 overall for the contributions, but will vary according to what we have in each account (one will be bonds and domestic stocks, the other will be domestic and international stocks).
by deskjockey
Mon Feb 15, 2021 7:45 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How best to optimize 401k contributions?
Replies: 12
Views: 1249

Re: How best to optimize 401k contributions?

Thanks! I'm already using bands as rebalancing triggers and, when a band is triggered, I exchange funds as necessary within our retirement accounts, so there's no waiting to get back to the desired allocation. I haven't yet had to rebalance our taxable account in part because it only holds about 5% of our investments.
by deskjockey
Sun Feb 14, 2021 7:41 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How best to optimize 401k contributions?
Replies: 12
Views: 1249

Re: How best to optimize 401k contributions?

Thanks for the input! I think I'll mull it over a bit more, but I am leaning toward having my contributions mirror my allocation.
by deskjockey
Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:12 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: How best to optimize 401k contributions?
Replies: 12
Views: 1249

How best to optimize 401k contributions?

I just hit my rebalancing bands and, in the process of rebalancing, a thought occurred to me--I'm not sure how to integrate my 401k contributions into my rebalancing plan in the most optimal way. To explain a bit more, here's the choice I face: should I have my contributions reflect my asset allocation (70/30 stocks/bonds with a 70/30 US/international split) or should I change my contributions as necessary to help rebalance my portfolio (right now my bonds are lagging, so I'd put 100% of my contributions in bonds, for example)? For context, I max out my tax advantaged contributions, but even then, my yearly contributions and employer match only amount to a little more than 1.5% of my portfolio value (3% factoring in my wife's). A few years ...
by deskjockey
Sat Feb 06, 2021 11:22 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Post your Financial Milestone Announcements Here
Replies: 3606
Views: 562330

Re: Post your Financial Milestone Announcements Here

This week was the first time that a single one of my accounts passed the $1 million mark. We've been in the two-comma club for a few years, but it was pretty cool to see two commas in a single account!
by deskjockey
Tue Dec 29, 2020 4:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: LenderFi: Who did they sell your mortgage to?
Replies: 62
Views: 8117

Re: LenderFi: Who did they sell your mortgage to?

1st: PennyMac
2nd: Lenderfi Servicing
by deskjockey
Mon Dec 21, 2020 6:31 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: asset allocation with FERS pension
Replies: 22
Views: 2012

Re: asset allocation with FERS pension

Thanks for the reply. The more I look at the Vanguard portfolio allocation, I keep thinking 60/40 is the way to go. However, I keep reading articles that say "60/40 is dead" that it won't return like it used to because bond returns have plummeted. My concern with retirement at 2026 is that the kids will only be 17, 15, 15. Pretty much entering the peak spending years for kids. That's why I was hoping for 2030, which is an improvement over "my" original plan for her - being pushed out the door at mandatory retirement of 57 in 2034. She is very fortunate to be able to work from home for the past 4+ years. Hopefully that will continue and she will want to stay on at least until 2030. Then we can both retire and hopefully e...
by deskjockey
Sun Dec 20, 2020 4:26 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: asset allocation with FERS pension
Replies: 22
Views: 2012

Re: asset allocation with FERS pension

Another fed here. I would say that, given your excellent savings to date, you don't need to take on more risk to "win the game," so 60/40 should work pretty well for you and protect you from sequence of returns risk in early retirement. I think your current allocation is too heavily weighted toward equities and therefore much more vulnerable to the sequence of return risk. I'd also argue that if your wife wants to retire in 2026, you guys can easily swing that. Yes, her pension will be lower, but she gets to enjoy four years of early retirement, which can be priceless if that's what she wants.
by deskjockey
Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: PSA: Paypal can charge a different payment method than the one you selected... and won't tell you
Replies: 32
Views: 2586

Re: PSA: Paypal can charge a different payment method than the one you selected... and won't tell you

UpperNwGuy wrote: Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:32 pm I have never trusted PayPal, but I can't point to any instance where they have incorrectly processed one of my transactions.
This was the first time for me, too, in more than a decade using them. The eye-opener for me was that this wasn't a mistake on their part, but an intentional (if automated) decision to switch payment methods without warning the account owner. I guess if I read through their terms and conditions I'll find some clause that states PayPal reserves the right to do this when it wants, for whatever reason, without telling anyone (and probably sell my firstborn into slavery, too).
by deskjockey
Wed Nov 18, 2020 8:16 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: PSA: Paypal can charge a different payment method than the one you selected... and won't tell you
Replies: 32
Views: 2586

PSA: Paypal can charge a different payment method than the one you selected... and won't tell you

As the title says, I'm experiencing a very annoying and infuriating problem as a result of Paypal deciding it was not going to charge my credit card, but would instead take money from one of my bank accounts without telling me. I only noticed when I got an alert from my little-used bank account that I had been charged a $30 insufficient funds fee triggered by a Paypal debit. The irony is that I only had this bank account linked to PayPal to protect me from someone using PayPal to clean out my primary checking and savings accounts. I called PayPal and, after being on hold for 50 minutes, talked to a representative who confirmed that yes, I had directed the transaction be completed with a credit card, but that Paypal had decided, for what he ...
by deskjockey
Sun Nov 08, 2020 9:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

LadyGeek wrote: Sun Nov 08, 2020 8:35 am I'm deferring on Microsoft Flight Simulator. In addition to spending time for Factorio and fractals, the need to have an Xbox live account to run just turned me off. If anyone is looking for an accurate flight simulator and doesn't care about the imagery, give X-Plane 11 Flight Simulator a try. It's been around for a very long time and has a large support community. (I played with it a number of years ago.)
You may also want to look at Digital Combat Simulator World for a very realistic flight simulator.
by deskjockey
Sat Oct 24, 2020 12:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

Thanks in advance for helping me get the last mile. I got my new system, the Lenovo Legion. I opened it up and was able to pull the hard drive they had in it (1 TB) and put in my two hard drives and SSD drive. What I'm having problems with is removing the 256GB NVMe M.2 2280 Solid State Drive as I've never had one before. There seem to be metal tension holders that I should be able to press in to release but that doesn't seem to work. Here is a picture of the motherboard. https://ibb.co/T156Tsg ZMonet--The pic you posted of the motherboard has the location of the M.2 SSD hidden by the GPU. The M.2 card is between your GPU and CPU, roughly where the word "super" appears in the picture. It is NOT what you posted in the second pictu...
by deskjockey
Tue Oct 13, 2020 7:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best searches for Prime Day deals
Replies: 11
Views: 2740

Re: Best searches for Prime Day deals

Amazon has a good deal on one of its newer 4-bay enclosures, the DS920+, for $440: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087Z34F3R
by deskjockey
Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

Independent George wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:54 am WD SN750 for $250. Is the WD name worth $20 premium over the AData 8200?

For those who don't have NVME but want to upgrade from your HDD, the Crucial BX500 for $160 is a great deal.
The Crucial MX500 is a better deal at $177.59 (the discount is only available for Prime members and only appears at checkout, not on the item page).
by deskjockey
Tue Oct 13, 2020 10:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best searches for Prime Day deals
Replies: 11
Views: 2740

Re: Best searches for Prime Day deals

girvincn wrote: Tue Oct 13, 2020 9:55 am Ahhh, 12TB for $175. Man, storage space is cheap these days! At this point, I really don't trust spinning hard drives. I'm tagging on to this thread in hopes someone has a lead on a reasonably priced external SSD, probably something in the 4TB range.
None that I've seen yet, but Amazon does have a Samsung 2TB for sale: https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-T5-Porta ... B073H4GPLQ
by deskjockey
Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

Brain wrote: Mon Oct 12, 2020 12:53 pm I guess the key question is whether the SSD technology makes the "separate-drives-is-better" policy moot?

Price aside, would one SSD drive be just as efficient as two? Or is there a "bottleneck" that the system can only access one thing at a time on one drive vs. two things simultaneously on two?

If it could access two drives at once, would it ever make a difference? Does the increase in cache size help?
My understanding is that larger SSDs tend to be faster than smaller ones, so my guess is that the "separate drives is better" adage is now toast. Check out this video for a bit of info on it.
by deskjockey
Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

The biggest advantage to a DIY NAS is you have much more control over the hardware components. There might be a cost advantage, too, depending upon what components you already have and can repurpose for the build. Is it worth the effort? That's entirely your call. If you are in the market for a new computer to replace an existing one, building a DIY NAS might be worth undertaking if you have the time. But since it's now college football season, that might be an issue. I have been using a Synology DiskStation 916+ (4 drives) since 2016, primarily for storage/backup and occasional audio streaming. It replaced a DiskStation 207 (2 drive), which I bought in @2007. Earlier this year, I was looking for several old files and unboxed the DS207 tha...
by deskjockey
Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

My new PC is built around an MSI MAG X570 Tomahawk Wi-Fi motherboard (AM4), which has 6 SATA 3 ports. It's an ATX motherboard, so it wouldn't fit your case. However, Micro ATX AMD AM4 motherboards with 6 SATA 3 ports are definitely out there. I apologize in advance if you're already familiar with searching on newegg.com's website. If you're not, go to the motherboard section using the expandable menu on the left side (Components | Motherboards| AMD Motherboards). From the AMD Motherboards menu, select CPU Socket Type (check AM4), then scroll down and select Form Factor (check Micro ATX and, if desired, Micro ITX); finally, scroll down to SATA 6Gb/s (check the box for 6x, and if desired, 8x & 10x). Then click "Apply". Your sea...
by deskjockey
Fri Oct 09, 2020 6:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

IMO, the most challenging part to building a PC is deciding which components to use in the build. There are so many choices at varying price points today, unlike when I built my first PC decades ago. This is a particularly good time to build a PC given the arrival of next generation technologies from AMD, Intel and Nvidia. For a DIY NAS, you should use more reliable components (MB, SSDs/HDs, fans) since it will be running 24x7. With the components you have currently selected for this build, you won't be live streaming on Twitch or YouTube or transcoding 4K video. No worries, that's not for everyone. There is an abundance of online resources available to help with the actual PC assembly, if needed, so set aside any concerns you might have i...
by deskjockey
Fri Oct 09, 2020 3:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

I have been building my own PCs since 2008. A couple years ago I rebuilt one into a 9-drive NAS using the UnRAID OS. Although this system is in regular use holding backups of my other computers, I built it mostly for hobby interest/curiosity. I have been using Synology NAS units since 2011 and I'm generally quite pleased with them. I currently run a DS416j as my primary NAS device, and I plan to upgrade that to a DS1520+ in about a month with some Cyber Monday help. Those are my bona fides for the following comments on your plan. I don't have any specific comments about your proposed parts list, except that the motherboard is limited to 6 SATA devices. If you are future-proofing, you may want to investigate compatibility of add-in drive co...
by deskjockey
Fri Oct 09, 2020 9:49 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

I'm leaning toward building a budget NAS instead of buying one off the shelf, primarily to get a more capable rig with more future-proofing than Synology or QNAP offer at my pricepoint (around the $380 or so cost of a Synology DS418). What do you all think of the below configuration? I know the Pentium is anemic, but the NAS will only need to transcode at most one or two streams, as I can mostly direct-stream most of my Plex media. I plan to shuck easystore drives for the HDDs, but I'm not sure if these will work with the mobo I've chosen without modification or not. Any advice on whether this configuration is sound, or what I can change to make it cheaper without impairing performance? This would be my first build, as to date I've only bou...
by deskjockey
Sat Sep 26, 2020 8:55 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: My LenderFi refinance is going well
Replies: 1849
Views: 213996

Re: My LenderFi refinance is going well

My online access also became available yesterday. Diego sent me a link and told me it had been activated a few minutes earlier. I went ahead and set up autopay, since my first payment Is due on October 1st. This was definitely a more drawn out process than my last refinance with LenferFi last December. I locked on July 6, closed on August 7, and only got things completely set yesterday, so a nearly three month process. Last time it took a total of six weeks from when I applied to when my online portal from PennyMac was ready to go.
by deskjockey
Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Synology NAS -> DS220J, DS420j, DS418
Replies: 38
Views: 3083

Re: Synology NAS -> DS220J, DS420j, DS418

KlangFool wrote: Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:34 pm TheMightyQuinn,

1) But, I can buy 2 X DS220J with the price of one DS420J or DS418.

2) This is not my first NAS. I have 2X Iomega NAS. One had died and the second is on the last leg.

I am looking for replacement.

KlangFool
The DS220j only has 512MB of memory, so it could bog down faster that the 420j depending on how heavily it is taxed. Other than that, the specs of the 220j and 420j are pretty much the same, from what I can tell.
by deskjockey
Tue Sep 22, 2020 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Synology NAS -> DS220J, DS420j, DS418
Replies: 38
Views: 3083

Re: Synology NAS -> DS220J, DS420j, DS418

Yes, the DS418 has a faster (Intel based) processor which lets you run more demanding apps. As an example, I run a HDHomeRun DVR app on my main NAS (a DS918+). The Intel processor also lets you set up the NAS with btrfs file system rather than ext4. But for just file sharing and DLNA the x20j should be fine. One other difference I remembered between the DS418 and the x20j units - the j units have a max volume size of 16TB. Not an immediate concern for your use case, but something to be aware of. I think you're getting your models mixed up. The Synology DS418 does not have an Intel processor, it uses the exact same Realtek RTD1296 found in the DS420j. The main differences between the DS420j and the DS418 are the memory module size (the DS41...
by deskjockey
Mon Sep 21, 2020 8:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

This evening I received an email from Dell -- curiously sent Saturday evening -- informing me of a delay in delivery of a monitor I had ordered in late August. The website listing had indicated a delivery date by September 22 (2020). I decided I could wait a few weeks for delivery and therefore didn't buy a different monitor another vendor. After I placed the order, I received an email from Dell confirming the monitor would be delivered by September 22, 2020. The revised delivery date is now December 29, 2020. LMAO, Dell wouldn't even commit to making the cut-off for Christmas. Now you've got me worried--I seriously entertained the idea of building my own PC a few weeks ago, but decided to go with a Dell G5 5000 instead (i7-10700F, RTX 206...
by deskjockey
Mon Sep 21, 2020 8:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: PC Build Thread - 2020... and beyond!!!
Replies: 1358
Views: 140240

Re: PC Build Thread 2020

This evening I received an email from Dell -- curiously sent Saturday evening -- informing me of a delay in delivery of a monitor I had ordered in late August. The website listing had indicated a delivery date by September 22 (2020). I decided I could wait a few weeks for delivery and therefore didn't buy a different monitor another vendor. After I placed the order, I received an email from Dell confirming the monitor would be delivered by September 22, 2020. The revised delivery date is now December 29, 2020. LMAO, Dell wouldn't even commit to making the cut-off for Christmas. Now you've got me worried--I seriously entertained the idea of building my own PC a few weeks ago, but decided to go with a Dell G5 5000 instead (i7-10700F, RTX 206...
by deskjockey
Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Is this guy trying to scam me on a car I'm selling?
Replies: 172
Views: 16870

Re: Is this guy trying to scam me on a car I'm selling?

Bobby206 wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 8:27 pm
makingmistakes wrote: Thu Sep 17, 2020 7:58 pm I’m now thinking #1 is just some bored person and this is how he entertains himself.
Or a total freak.

Too freaky to be a scammer though.
I'm still on the fence about #1 being a scammer. Definitely some odd stuff going on, but I've known folks who write like that, and others who routinely overshare at the drop of a hat, even when told not to, even stuff that I would never even think of telling someone else. I think there is a modest, but growing, possibility that OP will end up with two bona fide buyers driving a ways to throw cash at him.
by deskjockey
Thu Sep 10, 2020 6:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties
Replies: 7
Views: 849

Re: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties

If you want to keep using the Acer laptop you could buy a 4-5 bay enclosure with a USB-C connection. Your Acer laptop has a gen 1 USB-C connection. It's not the most elegant solution but you are not downgrading from an i5 to a Celeron. I use a program called Drivepool that organizes multiple hard drives including letting you create one big pooled drive: https://stablebit.com/ I don't use RAID. Files are stored intact on each drive so it's not a catastrophe if a drive goes bad and the RAID array can't be recreated. Good solution in cases where you have very different drive sizes unlike RAID where it's strongly recommended to use the same NAS hard drives. If you are interested in backing up files there is a free program called snapraid but i...
by deskjockey
Thu Sep 10, 2020 6:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties
Replies: 7
Views: 849

Re: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties

I have a Synology 5-bay NAS. If you get the 5-bay (i.e. more than 4) then you can set it up with 2 drives redundant if you want that level of security for backups. I have no experience with PLEX but Synology does that. Be careful not to be pennywise and pound foolish in regard to the number of bays. Having more bays means you can use smaller drives which are cheaper. You have to find the sweet spot for your needs, but I think more is better. Also, look into the process for upgrading the drives in the future. A downside of the 2-drive redundancy is that I have to upgrade multiple drives before there is any actual increase in the NAS capacity. If I used just 1 drive redundancy then upsizing the NAS is much easier. Also keep in mind this expe...
by deskjockey
Thu Sep 10, 2020 6:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties
Replies: 7
Views: 849

Re: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties

I have been running a 4 bay Synology NAS device for more than a decade as a media server and backup. Runs cool and quiet In my wiring closest and i almost never have to tinker with it. Interface is nice with plenty of “apps” available. I used to run the Synology Security Station for monitoring and recording security cameras and it was a pretty slick and affordable little DIY system that pairs with a phone app. Lots of things you can do with it. +1 to the above comment about only using drives made for NAS applications. They will fail eventually and be very difficult to recover if you use any old HDD. Also, NAS RAID is great and all, but i would still suggest backing the whole thing up to a cloud service if there is anything on there you can...
by deskjockey
Wed Sep 09, 2020 6:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties
Replies: 7
Views: 849

Looking for advice on a NAS for backup and media server duties

I currently have a couple of small (4TB) and two large (10TB) hard drives attached two our computers for file storage and backups and have an old stand-alone computer (an Acer Aspire E5-575G with a Core i5-6200U and a busted screen) set up as a Plex server, also with an external 10TB drive holding our media collection attached. The set-up works, but it's klutzy and leaves me with less insurance on the back-up front than I would like (not to mention a lot of clutter and power bricks). I'm thinking of getting a bare-bones 4-bay NAS to replace the individual back-up and media storage drives, but have a few questions that I hope to get your input on: 1. Will this setup reduce the time I need to administer things? Right now I need to double-chec...
by deskjockey
Wed Aug 12, 2020 8:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?
Replies: 30
Views: 5757

Re: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?

Thanks, folks!

I finally dug up a video showing the installation of a similar shower door by the same company. Apparently the door track is glued down with caulk and all of the seams we've discussed (between the track and the shower pan on both sides and between the track and the door side frames) need to be caulked. The door track has drain holes in several places to allow any water that collects in the track to drain out. I'm going to go ahead and re-glue the track to the pan and will then caulk every join.
by deskjockey
Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?
Replies: 30
Views: 5757

Re: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?

OK, did a bit more cleaning and discovered that the bottom tracks of the shower door are glued down directly onto the shower pan--no screws or other attachment mechanisms are present. The glue has deteriorated (I guess because water had been trapped there) and I can now lift the middle of the track up by about an inch. The ends of the track are still well glued down, which presents me with a conundrum--how do I re-glue the track if I can't get the ends unglued? I guess I could just caulk it in the three areas I pointed out in the picture and it should be water tight, but I'm hesitant to do that without gluing the track down properly. Right now, the whole thing is air drying--there was a ton of mold under the track that I had to flush out. S...
by deskjockey
Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:51 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?
Replies: 30
Views: 5757

Re: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?

allones wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:48 am Yes. Seal any seam where you don't want water to go.

I would also be concerned about the opening between the wall and tub to the left of your arrow. That's a great spot for water to get into your wall and do some real damage.
That's a weep hole on the shower pan. It's designed to collect moisture that condenses on the inside of the shower walls and allow it to drain so the walls can dry out, so it shouldn't be sealed off.
by deskjockey
Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?
Replies: 30
Views: 5757

Re: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?

carolinaman wrote: Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:49 am I could not see the image you provided but I had some mold collected under old, clear caulk below my shower door. I removed old caulk, cleaned mold and put new caulk down. Hopefully, it is watertight and will prevent mold. I am a strong advocate for caulking in situations like that
I fixed the image link--it should be working now.
by deskjockey
Tue Aug 11, 2020 9:56 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?
Replies: 30
Views: 5757

Re: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?

It's really difficult to say by just looking at the picture. I've always caulked any area of a shower that would allow leaking. If I am seeing correctly, I would be particularly concerned about the gap to the left of the door channel. I've been using Lexel lately because it seems to adhere better leaving less chance for mold to get under it. It is a little more difficult to work with than regular silicone. Personally, I'd caulk everything around the door channel and in the shower stall. I'd rather fight mold than having to deal with water damage around the shower. Fortunately, water damage around the shower is not an issue in this case. The lip on the outside of the door (the right side, in the picture) is pretty deep and holds the water i...
by deskjockey
Tue Aug 11, 2020 8:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Should I caulk this area on a shower door?
Replies: 30
Views: 5757

Should I caulk this area on a shower door?

A little background--the three areas with red arrows pointing to them were not originally caulked when we built the home eleven years ago. About four years ago, a handyman caulked the seams on the left and the right of the picture (where the door sits on the shower pan) because those areas got mildew constantly. I just finished removing that caulk, which had a ton of mold and mildew on it. Upon removing it, I noticed the area was waterlogged, likely because water came into the area from the gaps the top arrow is pointing to. Should I re-caulk the seams between the door and pan (while also caulking the gaps in the door tracks)? Or should I leave the caulk off and just deal with the mold and mildew as it appears? Here's the area as it looks l...
by deskjockey
Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:55 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265599

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

anon_investor wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:45 pm
deskjockey wrote: Tue Jul 07, 2020 4:51 pm Just locked at 2.625% on a 20 year with LenderFi. Loan amount is a little over 450K and we're in Virginia. It's a nearly-no-cost refinance, as we'll have to pay $200 out of pocket for closing costs not covered by the $2,045 lender credit. This is the second time we refinance with LenderFi (last time was in December), so we took advantage of their rate insurance program (or whatever it's called). Let's see how long it takes to get to closing.
How was your experience with LenderFi last time?
Smooth and fast--I applied on 25 November and we had the closing on 13 December. We could have done it a few days earlier but my work got in the way.
by deskjockey
Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:54 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265599

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Just locked at 2.625% on a 20 year with LenderFi. Loan amount is a little over 450K and we're in Virginia. It's a nearly-no-cost refinance, as we'll have to pay $200 out of pocket for closing costs not covered by the $2,045 lender credit. This is the second time we refinance with LenderFi (last time was in December), so we took advantage of their rate insurance program (or whatever it's called). Let's see how long it takes to get to closing. This is great, I am trying to get them on the phone. Did you go to their site and directly apply? Would it be ok to do a complete application with them and use that to bargain and compare with my current lender? Does the credit score take a hit if I apply at multiple places at the same time? Current Mo...
by deskjockey
Tue Jul 07, 2020 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265599

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Just locked at 2.625% on a 20 year with LenderFi. Loan amount is a little over 450K and we're in Virginia. It's a nearly-no-cost refinance, as we'll have to pay $200 out of pocket for closing costs not covered by the $2,045 lender credit. This is the second time we refinance with LenderFi (last time was in December), so we took advantage of their rate insurance program (or whatever it's called). Let's see how long it takes to get to closing. That's a pretty good rate. Is that like a relock? I am talking to LenderFi right now to refi my 30 year, but the rates they are quoting are too high and so far and they have not quoted me anything at no cost...I am still talking to them. Did u have to negotiate to get a no cost deal? Not a relock, but ...
by deskjockey
Tue Jul 07, 2020 5:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265599

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Just locked at 2.625% on a 20 year with LenderFi. Loan amount is a little over 450K and we're in Virginia. It's a nearly-no-cost refinance, as we'll have to pay $200 out of pocket for closing costs not covered by the $2,045 lender credit. This is the second time we refinance with LenderFi (last time was in December), so we took advantage of their rate insurance program (or whatever it's called). Let's see how long it takes to get to closing. This is great, I am trying to get them on the phone. Did you go to their site and directly apply? Would it be ok to do a complete application with them and use that to bargain and compare with my current lender? Does the credit score take a hit if I apply at multiple places at the same time? Current Mo...
by deskjockey
Tue Jul 07, 2020 4:51 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Refinance Mega Thread
Replies: 12862
Views: 1265599

Re: Refinance Mega Thread

Just locked at 2.625% on a 20 year with LenderFi. Loan amount is a little over 450K and we're in Virginia. It's a nearly-no-cost refinance, as we'll have to pay $200 out of pocket for closing costs not covered by the $2,045 lender credit. This is the second time we refinance with LenderFi (last time was in December), so we took advantage of their rate insurance program (or whatever it's called). Let's see how long it takes to get to closing.