Gadgets and stuff

Friday, August 17, 2018

TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 Router

Got this cheap TP-Link Archer C7 AC1750 v4 router for the coming free internet speed upgrade from my ISP. As a N router user for the past few years, this is considered a pretty good upgrade for me.

Setting up the router was quite a breeze and several specific ISP profiles are there to quickly get you up and running. Navigating through the router management UI is fast and responsive.

You'll need to enter your admin password when you boot up the router for the first time. Choose a password which has a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters and mix with some numbers in between.

Rebooting and powering on the router takes some time, which is longer than my old Asus router.

Stability

The router is on and connected to the internet for 3 weeks plus now. It is still running without any issues supporting about 20 devices in the house. Stability wise, I'd say it's pretty good.

Coverage

So far I've only observed the 2.4Ghz band and it is actually slightly better than my Asus that has 9dbi high gain antennas.

Archer C7 Version 4.

What's in the box? CAT 5e LAN cable, 3 detachable antennas, power adapter, quick installation guide, router itself.

TP-Link Archer C7 12V/2A adapter.

CAT 5E 24AWG LAN cable.

From left to right; power connector, power button, reset button, USB 2.0 ports, WAN port, Gigabit LAN ports.

Bottom side of router. Two mount holes to mount router on the wall.

LED indicator is just nice, not too bright in low light condition.

Top-side, fingerprint magnet glossy surface. But it's not a big deal.

Router with antennas attached.

Saturday, July 7, 2018

Stock camera app startup too slow - Redmi Note 5 Global

Some people are complaining about the stock camera app on the Redmi Note 5 Global startup is too slow. So I'm testing this on V9.5.13.0.OEIMIFA, the previous firmwareV9.5.6.0.OEIMIFA has similar results as well. Let's have a look.

The slowest I've observed is close to 2 seconds, is that too slow for you or acceptable? Do leave a comment below.

Monday, June 11, 2018

First Update V9.5.13.0.OEIMIFA is released for Redmi Note 5 Global

Xiaomi has just released the first update for the Redmi Note 5 Global version. The V9.5.13.0.OEIMIFA firmware seems to have fixed quite a few issues. Android security patch is also updated to the latest one which I'm quite happy about.

Download links for V9.5.13.0.OEIMIFA
Recovery ROM
Fastboot ROM

Camera changes and fixes

Some bugs on the stock camera app were fixed; slow startup, taking next shot is slow and photos taken in portrait mode are zoomed automatically. I think Xiaomi increased the exposure or brightness slightly and faster shutter speed in some. Photos also have a slightly warmer tone to it.

*update(7/7/2018): Some people still have slow startup on V9.5.13.0 it seems. Others like me don't have this problem even on the previous firmware.

Photo comparison before and after firmware update

I've taken photos before (V9.5.6.0.OEIMIFA) and after (V9.5.13.0.OEIMIFA) the firmware update, if you're interested, read on.

These Redmi Note 5 sample photos are all taken in low light and below average lighting conditions.

All photos are taken in:

1. Auto mode ( unless stated otherwise )
2. Picture quality is High
3. Contrast, saturation and sharpness is Normal
4. All photos are taken 38 cm distance from subject, phone is placed on a fixed stand and position.
5. Lux Light Meter by Doggo apps is used to measure the lighting near the subject ( the light sensor on the phone can never measure lighting accurately, but it can give a rough estimate which is good enough ).
6. Auto exposure setting: Center weighted.

A. Lighting intensity near subject is 150 lux. ( left is before, right photo is after update )