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# b3n.org

## Sitemaps
[XML Sitemap](https://b3n.org/sitemap_index.xml): Includes all crawlable and indexable pages.

## Posts
- [Automating Quicken with Claude AI](https://b3n.org/automating-quicken-with-claude-ai/): Quicken Classic for Mac is a good personal finance tool—it simplifies and automates most of my financial tracking. But there are a few tasks I do manually every month:
- [Proxmox Backup Strategy | to S3](https://b3n.org/proxmox-backup-strategy-to-s3/): My Proxmox backup strategy has been to backup all the VMs to an onsite Proxmox Backup Server (PBS). Then sync that backup daily to a remote PBS server--this works well--but it requires maintaining a remote server.
- [Cedar Gate Build](https://b3n.org/cedar-gate-build/): I was sitting in the living room, working on the computer. I heard a dog barking out front that sounded just like Blaze. But I knew it wasn't Blaze because he was in the backyard with Kris. Then I heard a woman out front who sounded just like Kris. But I knew it wasn't Kris, because she was out back with Blaze. A few moments later Kris came in the front door holding Blaze by the collar.
- [Ecclesiastes 8:11](https://b3n.org/ecclesiastes-811/): Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. - Ecclesiastes 8:11 ESV
- [Ziply 5Gbps Fiber in Sandpoint Idaho](https://b3n.org/ziply-5gbps-fiber-in-sandpoint-idaho/): After years of watching Ziply install Fiber all over North Idaho and being on the waiting list, Ziply Fiber (referral link) called. Fiber is available at my house. I already have 1Gbps symmetrical with Ting, but Ziply offers faster, cheaper, and a larger variety of plans. In Sandpoint they offer 100 Mbps, 300 Mbps, 1 Gbps, 2 Gbps, 5 Gbps, 10 Gbps, and 50 Gbps--the plans range from $20 to $900/month. Needless to say I got the 50.... just kidding. But I did think about it.
- [TrueNAS Backup Strategy](https://b3n.org/truenas-backup-strategy/): I spent some time over Christmas break simplifying and reducing the cost of our cloud backups. I wrote about the 7 Backup Principals on the MacBook Backup Strategy post and the same applies here.
- [MacOS Backup Strategy](https://b3n.org/macos-backup-strategy/): I simplified our backup strategy for our MacBooks. Here's where I landed:
- [2024 in Retrospect | Strategy Thoughts](https://b3n.org/2024-in-retrospect-strategy-thoughts/): It was -15°. The furnace died. I cranked up our gas stove in the living room to get us through the week. In the midst of this, our utilities company sent out an alert asking us to conserve gas. Both our primary and secondary heat sources run on gas, so maybe I need to diversify. That was how 2024 started.
- [Tracking HSA Transactions in Quicken](https://b3n.org/tracking-hsa-transactions-in-quicken/): A couple of people have asked how I keep track of Health Savings Account (HSA) transactions; so here's how I do it in Quicken.
- [Akismet to Turnstile](https://b3n.org/akismet-to-turnstile/): I've always allowed comments on this blog, and even allow people to disagree. I rarely moderate comments except when they're inappropriate. But one of the issues I have to deal with is comment spam. I moderated the comments by hand for well over a decade but it gradually turned into hours of work each week.
- [My Printer Bought $610 of Toner](https://b3n.org/my-printer-bought-610-of-toner/): Did you know printers can order their toner?
- [TrueNAS vs Proxmox Homelab](https://b3n.org/truenas-vs-proxmox/): TrueNAS Scale and Proxmox VE are my two favorite appliances in my homelab. Overall, TrueNAS is primarily a NAS/SAN appliance, it excels at storage. It is the most widely deployed storage platform in the world. Proxmox on the other hand is a virtualization environment; so it is excellent at VM and software-defined networking. I agree with T-Bone's assessment that TrueNAS is great at storage but if you want versatility Proxmox is a better option.
- [2022-23 In Retrospect | Buffers & Simplicity](https://b3n.org/2022-23-in-retrospect-buffers-simplicity/): This is a two year retrospect.
- [How to Install Minecraft Server on Ubuntu 24.04](https://b3n.org/minecraft-server-ubuntu-2404/): How to install a Minecraft server (Java Edition) on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS.
- [Beating Inflation Portfolio Retrospect – 3-Year](https://b3n.org/beating-inflation/): On June 5th, 2021, I posted a strategy to hold value against inflation which was holding positions in four asset classes: (1) Total Stock Market, (2) I-Bonds, (3) Home Ownership, and (4) Bitcoin.
- [30 Years of Quicken](https://b3n.org/30-years-of-quicken/): Well, I have now been using Quicken for thirty years, spanning three operating systems. I can't think of any other software I've used this long. I started with Quicken for DOS, moved to Quicken for Windows, and eventually landed on Quicken for Mac.
- [Investing as a Christian in a World of Woke Proxy Voting](https://b3n.org/investing-as-a-christian-in-a-world-of-woke-proxy-voting/): Over the last few years, anti-Christian activists have influenced asset managers and are pushing ungodly agendas. If you invest in Mutual Funds or ETFs, your Fund Managers may be voting on your behalf, against your values.
- [22182 Notes. Evernote to Apple Notes (Fail) to DEVONthink.](https://b3n.org/22182-notes-evernote-to-apple-notes-to-devonthink/): I've been a huge fan of Evernote, but over the last 6 years the product has become unusable. I suffered through it, but I really want to find my blue note. So, I moved everything to Apple Notes. Apple Notes couldn't handle my 22182 notes without running out of storage, so I moved everything to DEVONthink (but left a few thousand with Apple Notes) and that seems to be working.
- [Bethany Ruth Bryan – Sep 16, 1990 to June 23, 2023](https://b3n.org/bethany/): We ran after her down the hall and she broke into a run, giggling trying to get away from us.
- [Engineering WordPress for 10,000 Visitors per Second](https://b3n.org/engineering-wordpress-for-10000-visitors-per-second/): Here's how I configured my WordPress server to handle huge traffic spikes. It's easier than you think.
- [2023-06-01 06:18:00](https://b3n.org/2023-06-01-061800/): 2023-06-01 06:18:00
- [Supermicro Fan Speed Script](https://b3n.org/supermicro-fan-speed-script/): 2U Supermicro servers are my go-to. These are much quieter than 1U servers, but the fans spin at 8800RPM. The IPMI fan modes available are Full (9000RPM), Heavy IO (6000RPM), and Optimal (supposed to auto-adjust). Unfortunately, setting the Fan Mode to Optimal seems to have a floor speed of 4500RPM, which is too loud. Even though my servers are in the garage, I sometimes work on projects there and can't have it that noisy!
- [BackBlaze B2 vs AWS S3 Intelligent Tiering | NAS Backups](https://b3n.org/b2-vs-s3-nas-backup/): Good morning. Today is March 31st. 🌐 It's World Backup Day. This is a good day to review your backup strategy. I thought I'd share a cloud backup experiment I've been running for 9-months. I hope you find it helpful.
- [Apple Silicon MacBooks Review](https://b3n.org/apple-silicon-macbooks-review/): Our Dell Laptops were EOL (End of Life) for BIOS security updates. This time, I refreshed with MacBooks.
- [Faster Cloudflare Worker for Plausible Analytics | ~Zaraz](https://b3n.org/cloudflare-worker-for-plausible/): Shave 100ms off the Plausible Analytics POST response, making it as fast as Cloudflare Zaraz GA4
- [Work Management Tools](https://b3n.org/work-management-tools/): Before hitting the tools, I categorize my work into the following areas:
- [Prusa Mini+ 3D Printer Review](https://b3n.org/prusa-mini-3d-printer-review/): I've been running an Ender 3 Pro 3D Printer. But I wanted a workhorse, so I got a Prusa Mini+. The main features I was after:
- [Calvin Benjamin Watson | July 18, 1930 – Feb 4, 2023](https://b3n.org/pops/): When Pops was a teen he and some of the older boys would sneak out of church and hang around outside. One day a handful of young kids fell asleep and their parents took them out and put them in the back of their wagons or cars, and returned to the service. My Grandpops and friends thought it would be a good prank to swap all the sleeping kids. To my grandfather's delight, the parents didn't check and went home with the wrong children. Of course not everyone had a phone (think party lines) so it was a mess and took all afternoon for the parents to sort out the kids and get them to the right families.
- [LastPass Breach and Alternatives](https://b3n.org/lastpass-breach-and-alternatives/): By now, almost everyone has heard of the LastPass breach.
- [Homelab Move to the Garage](https://b3n.org/homelab-move-to-the-garage/): To make more room in the house (converting my home office into a bedroom), I moved my homelab into the garage. It's still a work in progress, the cable management is a mess, but that's about as good as it's going to get for a while, as I have other things to attend to, but here's the progress so far.
- [Brother LED Printer Review | MFC-L3770CDW](https://b3n.org/brother-led-printer-review-mfc-l3770cdw/): There are lots of features in this little box. It even has a printer in there somewhere.
- [🏡 9 Tips to Find the Best Mortgage Lender](https://b3n.org/9-tips-to-find-the-best-mortgage-lender/): How to shop for mortgages and pay your mortgage off early.
- [📶 Wireless Coverage in North Idaho | Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile](https://b3n.org/wireless-coverage-in-north-idaho-verizon-att-or-t-mobile/): This post is an unscientific spot test I did of Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile providers in the greater Sandpoint, Idaho area.
- [We switched from Android Pixel to iPhone](https://b3n.org/we-switched-from-android-pixel-to-iphone/): Out of prudence, I switched my family from Android to iPhone due to Google Killing off Gmail Legacy. Of course, at the last second, Google decided to let us keep our Gmail accounts and phone numbers after all, but I was already past the point of no return. I had moved us to iPhone and ported our Google Voice numbers to US Mobile. But it does mean I can review the iPhone from an Android perspective!
- [Roe V. Wade Overturn | My Thoughts](https://b3n.org/roe-v-wade-overturn-my-thoughts/): When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers. - Proverbs 21:15 ESV
- [Eaton 5P 1500RT UPS Battery Backup](https://b3n.org/eaton-5p-1500rt-ups-battery-backup/): My favorite method of server power reserve is a flywheel. It's also the best way to have completely air-gapped protection from lightning strikes and surges.
- [Google Voice port to iPhone eSIM on US Mobile | Dual SIM](https://b3n.org/google-voice-port-to-iphone-esim-on-us-mobile/): One casualty of Google Killing off Legacy GSuite is we risk losing our Google Voice phone numbers. I estimate I'd need to waste two weeks of vacation to spend on the phone updating my number with every contact, vendor, organization, and government agency. I think it would be best to not lose our phone numbers.
- [2021 in Retrospect | From Wolves](https://b3n.org/2021-in-retrospect/): If I could sum up the entire 2021 it is this: We got dogs, and now we're behind on everything else (including this post, this is the most time-slipped retrospect ever).
- [Gmail GSuite Legacy Alternatives](https://b3n.org/gmail-gsuite-legacy-alternatives/): Update 2022-05-16: Google has relented (for now), you can use this self-transition link to see the option to stay on the no-cost Legacy G Suite.
- [On Earth Peace | Christmas 2021](https://b3n.org/on-earth-peace-christmas-2021/): Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. - Luke 2:14 KJV
- [Thanksgiving 2021](https://b3n.org/thanksgiving-2021/): Monday before last, Kris tried to make hamburgers for lunch but couldn't get the pellet grill to light. We decided to save hamburgers for dinner. In the afternoon, I had a small break between meetings, so Kris and I were out walking the dogs, and a freak storm came our way. We were walking through a construction zone, and the wind was so high I was trying to make sure no debris was heading towards us. All the while, we're being pelted with ice. I think I saw snow goons throwing icicles at us. This was not mentioned in the weather forecast.
- [Drawing the Line on Mandates in North Idaho](https://b3n.org/drawing-the-line/): Josef S. is 101 years old. He served as a guard in the SS Nazi militia. He is now on trial, charged with accessory to 3,500 murders almost 80 years ago. At the time he was young, and just following orders. This young man, in his position, could not have stopped the Holocaust. He may not have even been able to save a single life. If he refused to help in the murders, he would have lost his job and been punished, ridiculed by his peers, and someone else would have stepped in.
- [King Oil | 3D Printing](https://b3n.org/king-oil-3d-printing/): King Oil is a unique game. The board has holes in which players drill for oil. But nobody knows how deep (expensive) the wells are—or if they'll hit oil at all. The deeper the oil well, the more costly it is--you can go bankrupt if you're not careful. But if you don't take a risk, you'll fall behind your opponents.
- [AnyTone AT-D878UVII Plus Review | DMR Radio](https://b3n.org/anytone-at-d878uvii-plus-dmr-radio-review/): This is the best DMR ham radio handheld transceiver (HT) on the market. It's also the only HT I've come across that implements Bluetooth correctly. It's not compact, but it's also not overly bulky for what it does.
- [Browsers & Search Engines | My Thoughts](https://b3n.org/browsers-and-search-engines/): So, I'm not one to boycott companies I disagree with, but it's getting hard to use services where I'm more product than customer. And even more difficult when those companies put their opinions, political agenda, and iniquity in front of my face. Browsers and Search Engines these days are more about maximizing revenue than providing me a service. These are tools and should behave like tools.
- [Protecting Against Inflation](https://b3n.org/inflation/): The hamburger to dollar ratio is getting smaller. While one can never know the future, it appears inflation is upon us.
- [Fixing Recording Disabled | UDM Pro | UDM SE | UniFi Protect](https://b3n.org/fixing-recording-disabled-unifi-protect/): So, we got a puppy and wanted a way to keep an eye on him when we left the house to make sure he behaved. So I thought I'd try out UniFi Protect since we already have a UniFi Dream Machine Pro. The G3 Instant Camera is $30, has infrared night vision, two-way audio, and connects via WiFi, so I can plug it in when we leave or unplug it and stow it away when home (I don't really want to be under video surveillance).
- [Gigabit Wireless – WiFi 6 – UniFi 6-LR](https://b3n.org/unifi6-lr/): I replaced the UniFi AP AC Pro in my homelab with the UniFi 6 Long Range (U6-LR) WiFi AP.
- [Best Gigabit Routers](https://b3n.org/gigabit-routers/): So, you are getting Gigabit Internet, and you need a faster router? Here are your best firewall/router options.
- [2020 In Retrospect](https://b3n.org/2020-in-retrospect/): I've been too scattered on tasks and projects and ongoing commitments. In 2020 I overcommitted (actually, in 2019, I overcommitted, which affected me in 2020) and found myself doing too many things and none of them well and not doing important things I needed to do but had no time for. By necessity, I started building a focus and vision and long-term plans for myself, my family, and the various work areas. With a new realization that I can't do everything, I started saying "No."

## Pages
- [10 Steps to Securing Windows 10 Download](https://b3n.org/freedownload/): 10-Steps-to-Secure-Windows-10Download
- [Products](https://b3n.org/products/)
- [Checkout-Result](https://b3n.org/stripe-checkout-result/)
- [My account](https://b3n.org/my-account/)
- [Checkout](https://b3n.org/checkout/)
- [Cart](https://b3n.org/cart/)
- [Shop](https://b3n.org/shop/)
- [Homelab Book](https://b3n.org/homelab-book/)
- [Affiliate Program](https://b3n.org/affiliate-program/): If you would like to help promote my book, I have an affiliate program that pays out 40% commission on the LastPass Guide:
- [Subscribe](https://b3n.org/subscribe/): Join Ben's Newsletter and Stay Updated HP
- [News](https://b3n.org/news/): National News Wall Street Journal New York Times USA Today Drudge Report Christian Commentary on Current Events The Briefing with Albert Mohler The Dividing Line with James White Answers in Genesis   Local (North Idaho) News Redoubt News Sandpoint Reader Bonner County Daily Bee Tech News Hacker News Ars Technica Funnies Dilbert by Scott Adams Calvin & Hobbes by Bill Watterson Pearls before Swine by Stephan Pastis
- [Server Hardware](https://b3n.org/server-hardware/): Supermicro Fan Speed Script April 15, 2023Homelab Move to the Garage December 2, 2022AMD 8-Core EPYC Home Server Build February 28, 2020How to Get Longer Life Out of Your Dell Laptop Battery May 9, 2019Ben’s Laptop Buying Guide October 13, 2017Is Your WiFi Unstable? November 12, 2016FreeNAS Mini XL, 8 bay Mini-ITX NAS March 13, 2016Dell Hacked: Watch Out For Social Engineering Scams February 24, 2016VMware vs bhyve Performance Comparison July 7, 2015Supermicro X10SDV-F Build; Datacenter in a Box July 5, 2015SSD ZFS ZIL SLOG Benchmarks – Intel DC S3700, Intel DC S3500, Seagate 600 Pro, Crucial MX100 Comparison September 14, 2014Supermicro 2U ZFS Server Build September 9, 2014Intel DC S3500 vs S3700 as a ZIL SSD Device Benchmarks August 18, 2014NAS Server Build – ASRock C2750D4I & Silverstone DS380 April 21, 2014M1015 HBA In the HP Gen8 Microserver August 2, 2013Installed Xeon E3-1230V2 in Gen8 HP Microserver July 19, 2013HP Microserver Gen8 Specs Released June 10, 2013
- [Cell Phones and Wireless](https://b3n.org/cell-and-wireless/): 📶 Wireless Coverage in North Idaho | Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile August 13, 2022We switched from Android Pixel to iPhone July 9, 2022Google Voice port to iPhone eSIM on US Mobile | Dual SIM May 12, 2022Fixing Recording Disabled | UDM Pro | UDM SE | UniFi Protect March 6, 2021Gigabit Wireless – WiFi 6 – UniFi 6-LR March 6, 2021Best Gigabit Routers February 19, 2021Ting Fiber Gigabit Internet October 21, 20207 Homelab Ideas | Why You Should Have A Homelab November 4, 2018Wireless APs and Switches | UniFi February 9, 2017Is Your WiFi Unstable? November 12, 2016Ben’s Phone Guide (2016 edition) October 15, 2016Ting Fiber Internet in Sandpoint February 25, 2016TracFone on Verizon MVNO Review October 31, 2015Nexus 5X Review October 25, 2015Port Forwarding with Verizon Wireless NAT January 14, 2015My Verizon 4G LTE Rural Internet Setup February 2, 2014Meet Ting. New cell phone service challenging Virgin Mobile July 12, 2013
- [ZFS](https://b3n.org/zfs/): Posts on ZFS, FreeNAS, NAS Servers, Data Storage, etc.
- [Disclosures & Privacy Policy](https://b3n.org/disclosures-and-privacy-policy/): This site, b3n.org, is operated by B3N LLC.  For this disclosure and privacy policy the terms "us", "we", and "our" refer to B3N LLC and the employees, owners, and staff as well as any consultants that operate this site and related services and the platforms, servers, and services that are used.
- [Resources](https://b3n.org/resource/): News Drudge Report - Matt Drudge (News not controlled by the Communists) The Briefing - Albert Mohler's Daily Briefing -- audio The Dividing Line and DrOakley1689 - James White (posts on YouTube a few times a week) SD Times - Software Development News InfoQ - Software Development News Ars Technica - Technical News Personal Finance Bogleheads - Investing advice inspired by Jack Bogle Clark Howard Show - Personal Finance - Clark Howard Efficient Frontier - Investing - William Bernstein SlickDeals - I use the alert feature to watch for sales on items I want Computers Paul Graham Essays - Paul Graham's Hacker / Startup Essays Software Development Visual Studio - Microsoft's IDE.  Community Edition is free for personal use Eclipse - Java IDE MuleSoft - Mule ESB (Enterprise Service Bus).  Integration platform Xamarin - Platform to build native apps in Android, iOS, Mac, Windows Phone, Windows Universal App Bible Study Logos - Bible Study Software Awana - Bible Memorization for children and youth ScriptureTyper - Bible Memory System (Web, Android, iOS) ESV Bible Online - English Standard Version ESV Bible - ESV Bibles Kootenai Community Church - Lots of good resources and audio online  
- [Benjamin Bryan | About](https://b3n.org/about/): Ahoy! I'm Ben, I live in the United States of America with my wife, Kris, and son, Eli.