by WebKeyDesign | Oct 11, 2024 | In Stock, Out Of The Box
For my next project, I started thinking about building a home NAS (Network Attached Storage) server. I thought it would be an interesting project and allow me to reuse some hardware that I have on the shelf. I am in no hurry to complete this project, as I have to concentrate on other projects that I cannot ignore. As usual the problem that you run into when selecting hardware, you often find that what you want is out of stock or it is only made by one company and that company is most likely in China. There are a few computer cases that are specifically for building a NAS server, however most of them are not impressive or are are costly for what they offer. Newegg and Amazon both sell computer cases from JONSBO and I specifically liked the N4 case, which was unavailable in the USA from either retailer. AliExpress.com also sells JONSBO products. I have never bought anything from AliExpress and finding credible online reviews is not easy. Hence this is a review of my shopping experience with AliExpress.com and not the actual JONSBO case. I will eventually do that later.
AliExpress Similar to Amazon
The first thing to know is that AliExpress is similar to Amazon. It is a marketplace of different sellers, all selling the same product. If you have the model number for what you want and the company name who makes it, it is pretty easy to find multiple links for the product. The price will vary dramatically and remember that you are buying a product that is in China that has to be shipped to you directly, so shipping charges and import fees will apply. If you are buying something for a couple of hundred dollars, you might not pay much, however if you are purchasing something that is moderately expensive, then it might not be worth it. You would be better off comparing the prices to Amazon if they carry the product. Since what I was interested in was under two hundred dollars, I decided to go ahead and purchase the case.
I searched through all the product listings that I could find for the JONSBO N4 Case and found a link that appeared to be from JONSBO, the actual company, and not a reseller. They included free shipping as well. Note, you have to be extra careful at time of purchase, because the product page lists multiple cases, and I specifically wanted the N4 black model. Double-check that in the Cart page you have selected the correct model and or product.
Buying anything from China directly is confusing, because the companies do not always accurately translate into English their product descriptions and or websites.
Once I completed the order, then you wait. This is not Amazon Prime shipping, because the warehouse is literally across an ocean and multiple states!
Shipping Experience
The order was completed on August 28th at 10 PM US Central time. This is the email confirmation that I received right away.
To track the package, I checked the AliExpress Order Tracking page and here is what it looked like eventually:
The Order Tracking is not accurate. I actually received the package on September 25th. There is a tracking number that is provided did not link to anything, so I checked it manually and found that this was a FedEx number and I was then able to track the package from FedEx.
The Box
Upon inspecting the box, I noticed it stated N3 and not N4. Inside the box, there was an N4 computer case. Much like other companies that make a small number of products, the box is designed for one model, but they ship everything in the same box. I have bought computer speakers and found that they used the same box. You had to check the package label or open the box to make sure you got what you ordered. Here is what the box looked like in my garage.
by WebKeyDesign | Oct 4, 2024 | Apple, Networking, Software
It is quite common to hear that you need to use a VPN any time you are on a wireless network. Your typical free wireless network at the mall or your favorite coffee shop is not encrypted in any way. If you travel, you can rest assure that hotel wireless internet is terribly insecure, just because you never know if there is someone in the next room sniffing all your packets. Lastly, the internet service provider for the hotel is not to be trusted at all. However, VPN companies themselves can be shady and there is not a good way to verify who can be trusted with your internet communications. It is possible for technically minded people to spin up a virtual machine and provide their own VPN service, but this requires some effort and virtual machines costs can add up. In the end, I decided to go ahead and pay for a dedicated VPN service.
iPhone with Windscribe VPN
My VPN usage is primarily for my iPhone and so I am not going to go into any detail about using Windscribe on a Mac or Windows machine. Needless to say, Windscribe provides multiple clients and setups for all your devices. I chose Windscribe VPN because of their reputation and my initial experience with their free trial. I pay for a yearly plan, so that I can keep my costs down. Anything beyond a year for a service seems to be a gamble. No one wants to sign a 5 year lease, so don’t do it for software as a service either!
The iOS app allows you to connect to a variety of locations. I specifically choose the Chicago locations and select Wireguard as the protocol. My experience with iOS and VPN apps is that once you plug in your phone to charge, iOS will close out your VPN after a period of inactivity. This means I have to open the Windscribe app and establish the VPN connection. You can create rules that exempt your home wireless network or other wireless networks you trust so that the VPN is bypassed. For the most part I keep Windscribe on for all connections, wireless and Verizon cellular. I know for a fact that if you do not use a VPN and are on your cellular network, that a telecommunications engineer can actually see all your data in real time, (if they connect to the cellular tower device). If you have a VPN, you might as well use it all the time.
No VPN Allowed
Now there are some exceptions, when you cannot use a VPN connection and you might want to turn it off. These are annoying to say the least, but there is not much choice.
Some eCommerce sites do not allow VPN connections. The website will most likely give you an HTTP error such as 404 with a message that proxy connections are not allowed. I have had this issue with Lowes.
Warehouse stores and my Verizon cell service do not work well. Often when I am at Menards, Lowes, or The Home Depot, I will get zero bars and if I try to use the in store WiFi, they do not allow VPNs and so my choices are to walk out to the outside yard of the store and use my cell service or choose an insecure store wifi network.
I do have to say that Target and Walmart have great WiFi and their mobile apps make it very easy to scan for in-store prices.
The other exception is at home when I have apps that need to connect to the WiFi network to see local devices. My Sonos speaker is a good example of this. I want to stream Spotify to my Sonos, and so I can either make an exception rule for my home WiFi or just turn off the VPN.
Block Stuff
Windscribe offers a variety of blocking options. Turning some of these on will save on bandwidth and also keep you safe from malware. Windscribe describes this feature: R.O.B.E.R.T. as a customizable server-side domain and IP blocking tool.
Turning on any of these options is account specific and will apply to your other devices as well. Note there is a link at the bottom of the screen that takes you to your account, where you can specify your own custom rules.
Final Notes
I recommend Windscribe as a VPN option for your iPhone. Overall it has worked well for me and my kids.
by WebKeyDesign | Mar 13, 2024 | Out Of The Box, Tech Notes
Since I work from home now, I started to try and make everything in the home office as quiet as possible. I replaced the fluorescent light ballasts with new ones that do not buzz. In fact, when replacing one of the ballasts, I found that it was actually burned out! I swapped out the tubes as well with new LED ones. The next thing was to tackle the tower Windows Server box that sits in the office. I took the case completely apart and installed all new Noctua fans except for the CPU cooler fan. The fan power control for the motherboard was still too noisy, so I used a Noctua fan controller instead to power most of the fans to be slower. This reduced the noise and I was able to work in a quiet office for several months. What eventually cropped up was the power supply started to make some fan noise. This Windows Server runs all the time, so some components can fail over time.
The Power Supply
This is actually the second XFX power supply. The original XFX 850 failed after a couple of years. I sent in for warranty and received a new replacement. In the mean time I purchased this model:
XFX ProSeries P1-1050-BEFX 1050 W ATX12V 2.2 / ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Now after a few more years with the 1050, it started to whine and make fan noise when the tower would heat up. Trying to get warranty service for slight fan noise, will probably be hard and this power supply is out of warranty at this point. It has been running for 9 years!
WARNING! POWER SUPPLY HAS ELECTRICITY AND CAN HURT YOU!
Do not do this if you do not know what you are doing. It is best to just buy a new power supply if you are not proficient with electronics.
Disassembly
I disconnected the power cord from the power supply, then held the power button for a couple of minutes on the computer to discharge some of the electricity. Next, I disconnected all the computer cables from the power supply and unscrewed it from the tower case. After this, I unscrewed the main screws and carefully opened the power supply. The HA13525H12F-Z fan is partially glued to the case, so I recommend a plastic tool to detach it.
Once I had it opened, I did not detach the fan power line to the supply. After using a can of compressed air to clean off the dust, here is what it looked like:
The power supply and fan were not as dusty as what I thought it would be. Make sure you do not touch the blue capacitors as they may still have a charge. You can google the fan model number HA13525H12F-Z if you want to replace it with a new one. For me, I just want to see if I can keep the original fan after some maintenance. A replacement fan would most likely be $25 or more and so it would be easier to just buy a new power supply.
This is perhaps one of the easiest fans to work with. It literally snaps apart and once you have it disassembled, you can clean the inside with some cotton swabs and a bit of rubbing alcohol. Be careful, as you do not want to break any of the copper coils.
What I noticed is that there really was not much lubricant left, so this can explain the whining sounds. I used some sewing machine oil and a bit of Permatex Anti Seize lubricant. Less is more in this application, because you do not want any oil or lubricant spilling out. Clean up any excess and check it once more, after snapping the fan back together.
Conclusion
After this maintenance, my fan noise is now gone and I hope to get a few more years out of this power supply. Another plus is that I kept more electronic waste from the landfill.
Since I work from home now, I started to try and make everything in the home office as quiet as possible. I replaced the fluorescent light ballasts with new ones that do not buzz. In fact, when replacing one of the ballasts, I found that it was actually burned out! I swapped out the tubes as well with new LED ones. The next thing was to tackle the tower Windows Server box that sits in the office. I took the case completely apart and installed all new Noctua fans except for the CPU cooler fan. The fan power control for the motherboard was still too noisy, so I used a Noctua fan controller instead to power most of the fans to be slower. This reduced the noise and I was able to work in a quiet office for several months. What eventually cropped up was the power supply started to make some fan noise. This Windows Server runs all the time, so some components can fail over time. 
