Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2018 April 20

= April 20 =

Difference between routers with repeater function and repeaters with router functions
I assume most of the capabilities are implemented as software and not as hardware. I see that the device case are different. The repeater is more a small squared device, that can be plugged directly close to an electric plug, maybe behind furniture. The router is more like a flat device, that has to be put on furniture. Is the difference mainly motivated by marketing? --Doroletho (talk) 09:09, 18 April 2018 (UTC)


 * Based on the way I understand it, the repeater does no actual routing in the definition of a Router being able to direct/translate traffic between networks, such as a LAN and the Internet. It simply repeats the signal it takes in back out again, the same as a normal amateur radio repeater for example. Here's my setup for example: I have a router hooked into my cable modem on one end of my house with a particular wireless SSID, and a repeater on the other end of the house with the same SSID. They do have different IP addresses and a particular setup within the repeater firmware to facilitate the operation, and the main router still serves as the gateway address regardless, however other devices will simply connect to the device with the strongest signal, be it the router or the repeater. RegistryKey(RegEdit) 07:51, 20 April 2018 (UTC)


 * I think I have a repeater at home. I could not get a signal from my router in a remote part of the house, so I bought this NETGEAR AC750 WiFi Range Extender (EX3700-100NAS). It must be a repeater. AboutFace 22 (talk) 16:29, 20 April 2018 (UTC)

Desktop at Windows 10 Hewlett Packard
I have posted on this issue before. The answers were not to my liking. And what do I expect? I hope someone from Microsoft might pay attention to this problem and fix it. It is about the icons on my Windows 10 desktop. The hardware is HP Pavilion. After I purchased the machine, for the first 18 months or so I was placing the icons in convenient clusters and could find them there at will. Then one day, perhaps half a year ago I booted the computer and saw to my shock that all icons were clumped up on the left side of the desktop neatly arranged in about 6 columns. I moved them back to their old positions. After the next update which happen way too often, the icons migrated to the left again. I spread them across the desktop as my wont was. In short I did it a few times and finally gave up. I decided to learn their new positions clustered on the left and use them this way. It worked but a few days ago the Windows rearranged them all in that rectangle on the left and my learning came to naught.

What is the idiotic idea behind it? It is obvious that it is not a bug. It is by design, there must be a program that does it. Geometrically the icons are arranged perfectly well but what is it for me?

At work I have Windows 7 still. A month ago after an update I saw my icons clustered on the left also!! AboutFace 22 (talk) 16:45, 20 April 2018 (UTC)


 * The first thing to check is auto-arrange. Right-click somewhere on your desktop (not on an icon). A context menu with "View" should appear. If it doesn't, make sure you are using the right mouse button, not the left one. Make sure you are not clicking on an icon or a program or the clock or the start button. (You have no idea how many days of my life have been wasted trying to explain what "right click on the desktop" means. If you are reaching for your sharpie to write "click", just walk away from the computer.) Once you see the context menu, click on View. A submenu will appear. One of the options might be Auto arrange icons. If that is checked, Windows will keep automatically arranging your icons. You obviously don't want it checked. If it isn't checked, there is a different problem. 209.149.113.5 (talk) 18:07, 20 April 2018 (UTC)

I know the difference between right and left. The keyword "auto-arrange" gave me a clue, thanks. Then I went to the View as you said and a drop down menu opened. "Auto-arrange" option WAS NOT CHECKED there, however, another option: "Align Icons to Grid" was. I unchecked it. Now I have to do a weeks long experiment, to see if that was the culprit. What is the Grid though. Many thanks, AboutFace 22 (talk) 20:12, 20 April 2018 (UTC)


 * The grid is just a fixed width so that icons are not too close together. I always switch it off so that I can squeeze more in a row.  Like you, I've had various versions of Windows reset both of these options for no apparent reason, though mine have now been stable for some time.  If you do an improper shutdown, Windows always forgets recent changes because it picks up a reserve copy of the registry files.  I used to know where these options were saved, but I can't remember now.  It's somewhere in the files user.dat or user.nt depending on the version of windows.  I expect someone else can tell you exactly where in the Registry it is stored.  ( If Windows were a person, I'd describe it as very stubborn and reluctant to learn my settings, but eventually it seems to settle down and submit to instruction. )   Dbfirs  20:24, 20 April 2018 (UTC)

I definitely appreciate your help. Thanks AboutFace 22 (talk) 22:09, 20 April 2018 (UTC)

Cell phone signal strength
Is there a website to check cell phone carrier signal strength? I want to see if ATT or t mobile has stronger signal in my area, the signal coverage map I found shows them the same color so it is not helpful, I need strength not coverage.--User777123 (talk) 20:10, 20 April 2018 (UTC)


 * This site has some advice and a list of apps that you can download. Akld guy (talk) 20:55, 20 April 2018 (UTC)