Tomorrow you’re either going to give or receive (or both) electronic devices that require network connectivity in order to work. They may be video game consoles, smartphone/cell phones, a GPS device or the like.
Every year, data networks get absolutely clobbered with traffic which at times will overload them. These networks won’t go down but will be "spotty" or slow. The companies who operate the servers do their best to prepare for this, but every year more and more people are getting connected so it gets more difficult to predict what the data traffic spikes are going to be.
If you do encounter spotty or slow connectivity, here are a few tips to get around that inconvenience.
1. Disable synchronization services temporarily
If the electronic whatever-it-is has a sync feature but doesn’t require it in order to function, disable it for the day. Less data transfer will be required, so it will speed things up a bit.
2. If it doesn’t require a new account to use, don’t use one.
Whether it’s a web site, gaming console or otherwise, the network servers that handle new accounts are separate. Rather than signing up for a new account and risking a timeout from server overload, simply use whatever existing account you have, should you have one.
3. If it does require a new account to use, leave as ‘bare’ temporarily
For many new accounts you’ll be asked if you want to customize it. Don’t. Leave as-is for the day and get back to it tomorrow.
4. If it can work without the update, skip it
Many electronic devices once connected to the network will ask if you want the latest update of the firmware, patch or whatever it is. If you don’t need it in order to use the device, skip it and apply it in a few days because the update server will be getting clobbered just as much as the signup/account server is.
5. Have cash ready
All credit/debit transactions must be processed electronically in order to make purchases. If their servers decide to go wonky that day, having cash cures that inconvenience quick.
Credit/debit networks don’t get overloaded on Christmas Day, but they are dramatically understaffed/undermanned because of the holiday itself. As such, transactions may be slow or simply not work.
Leave A Reply (2 comments So Far)
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Rebecca
768 days ago
Regarding your post titled “Not buying Windows 7? You’d better start learning Linux now [RANT]“. I have never used Linux and so do not know much about it. Other than the price, why would I want to use Linux over Windows? Is it more secure? That would be, for me, the top reason. I am very computer literate, but have kids and not-so-computer-literate adults using the computers in my home. Would it be worth the time and effort needed to get everyone up and running on Linux vs just biting the bullet and buying Win 7?
Rich Menga
767 days ago
Linux’s only good selling point is the fact it’s free, otherwise Windows 7 Home Premium, and *only* Home Premium is worth the buy because any higher version (Professional or Ultimate) is a waste of money.
Windows 7 is secure straight out of the box. Combine it with Microsoft Security Essentials (which is free) and that’s a good setup.
There are however ways to make XP secure. If you’re of the type “I don’t want to buy Windows 7, but I want XP to be more secure”, I’ll center my next article here on that as it is worth knowing that info. This is something I very recently had to deal with – my father’s PC is running XP and buying a 7 license was out of the question because I wasn’t about to spend $100 on a $300 computer box.