Stoker discounted

cookingdude555 · January 2015

I see the stoker for 10% off right now. Is this because of a newer model coming out? I dont mind paying the full price to wait for the newest model, but if this is truly just a discount, I think I will pick one up.

ummgood · January 2015

The discount is to encourage people to order because they can't ship until after 1/31. I called today because mine has taken a really long time to ship and they explained to me they are having trouble with the wifi component supplier being back ordered. Yes you would get the new one with the discount.

cookingdude555 · January 2015

Thanks, I am going to order then!

U_tarded · January 2015

Get used to back orders on anything that comes has parts from Asia. Most ports from on the west coasts are super log jammed from a union strike that has been going on for like 8 months.

sancho65 · January 2015

Could someone please explain the difference in the new model and the previous one?

DMW · January 2015

@sancho65 - I don't know all the details, but the feature that was a big deal for me is the Stoker II WiFi has 802.11b/g/n. The Stoker WiFi is 802.11b only. If you have a single 802.11b device connected to your wifi network, everything slows down. Even though this does not require the speed of 802.11n for what it does, it won't slow down the rest of the network while attached.

stlcharcoal · January 2015

DMW said:

@sancho65 - I don't know all the details, but the feature that was a big deal for me is the Stoker II WiFi has 802.11b/g/n. The Stoker WiFi is 802.11b only. If you have a single 802.11b device connected to your wifi network, everything slows down. Even though this does not require the speed of 802.11n for what it does, it won't slow down the rest of the network while attached.

Never heard that, good to know. I don't think I have anything on my network that is still b......I think everything is g or n. Would one of those dual band routers fix that problem or are those only to separate ac?

DMW · January 2015

stlcharcoal said:

DMW said:

@sancho65 - I don't know all the details, but the feature that was a big deal for me is the Stoker II WiFi has 802.11b/g/n. The Stoker WiFi is 802.11b only. If you have a single 802.11b device connected to your wifi network, everything slows down. Even though this does not require the speed of 802.11n for what it does, it won't slow down the rest of the network while attached.

Never heard that, good to know. I don't think I have anything on my network that is still b......I think everything is g or n. Would one of those dual band routers fix that problem or are those only to separate ac?

There are 2 bands with wifi, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.

802.11b/g/n - 2.4Ghz

802.11a/n/ac - 5Ghz

Note that 802.11n can operate on either band. It is higher performance on 5Ghz.

If you have a dual band router, devices attached at 5Ghz will not be impacted by the presence of an 802.11b device attached to the 2.4Ghz radio, all devices attached to the 2.4Ghz radio will be.

Many client devices are 2.4Ghz only, higher end and almost all newer devices are dual band.

r8rs4lf · January 2015

Get used to back orders on anything that comes has parts from Asia. Most ports from on the west coasts are super log jammed from a union strike that has been going on for like 8 months.

Your information couldn't be more further from the truth @U_tarded‌ . There is no strike here. We are not on strike. Also, our contract expired in July so it's been almost 6 months. The employer, PMA (representative for marine terminals) has decided to cut ALL night side vessel operations along the entire west coast after initially cutting night vessel gangs down to three per ship, then only one per ship. Their reasoning is to concentrate more on "yard" operations to make room for containers being discharged from the vessels during the dayside. They claim the yards are too congested which is an all out lie. They have not ordered any more labor than usual for this particular operation which proves that it's all a smoke screen to get us to accept an unfair contract. One of the reasons why containers are not being moved quickly is because there is a major chassis shortage or so PMA claims. Chassis are those metal frames that containers are loaded on which are then taken out of the terminal from an outside trucker. We are not responsible for providing these chassis. The terminals are. We just load them up and off they go. I got off the night shift just a few hours ago and did not see any shortage of chassis. I however did see many, many vessels sitting idle at the terminals. Not only many ships sitting idle at the terminals, but even more anchored outside the LA and LB harbors. Cargo is being discharged at a crawl. With these bigger ships coming into port, I've seen sometimes seven gangs being worked on one vessel. Now take away ALL night side vessel operations and you can see why there is such a slowdown. We are not responsible for ordering the labor. We just provide the labor which is ordered from the marine terminals, but PMA is responsible for the allocation. PMA has asked all marine terminals to cease the ordering of vessel labor at night. We are here to work! There have been already two marine companies that have decided to go against PMA's request of not ordering vessel labor. PMA has fined them $50K and has suspended their membership. Now understand that these two terminals specialize in break bulk cargo, NOT containers. So why has PMA done this to them? There is no shortage of chassis at those terminals because they don't deal with containers. All of these tactics by PMA are for one reason, to get us to agree to an unfair contract all the while holding our economy hostage.

stlcharcoal · January 2015

DMW said:

There are 2 bands with wifi, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.

802.11b/g/n - 2.4Ghz
802.11a/n/ac - 5Ghz

Note that 802.11n can operate on either band. It is higher performance on 5Ghz.
If you have a dual band router, devices attached at 5Ghz will not be impacted by the presence of an 802.11b device attached to the 2.4Ghz radio, all devices attached to the 2.4Ghz radio will be.
Many client devices are 2.4Ghz only, higher end and almost all newer devices are dual band.

This thread has gotten way OT, but why stop now right?

What's the best router to upgrade to in your opinion? Looks like the Netgear N900 and AC1900 Nighthawk get pretty consistent reviews.

I've just have a little cheapy Belkin one--when I bought it all that was attached was a laptop, printer, and Roku. Now it's 3 laptops, two phones, two ChromeCasts, Amazon FireStick, two kindles, Roku, PS3, 2 TV's, video cameras, Tivo, and the printer.

The choke point is my internet connection. I have a microwave antenna pointing at a water tower. It's hit or miss, but averages about 1.5 Mbps on good days.

ummgood · January 2015

I have an AirPort Extreme and it is the most reliable connection I have seen with no drop outs. I have had belkin (old one and really reliable) and net gear and linksys. With those two it is a crap shoot if you'll get a good router or not. The airport is expensive but it works and is super easy to configure. I also have a 3 TB drive hooked up to mine as a network drive.

I just added an airport express as an extender since my house is a typical huge Texas house and it took about 2 minutes to setup. So easy. I like equipment that I don't have to maintain because I work with software all day at work and just need a break at home.

4Runner · January 2015

My Stoker has no impact on my Wifi network at all.

SLOandSteady · January 2015

Has anyone used one of these for an insulated vertical smoker? Color me intrigued . . .

U_tarded · January 2015

@r8rs4lf I just know what I read and I can see your side, but that's your side, I wasn't incorrect I just had different information than you. What you say makes complete sense to me. However, this was the last press release I saw and it's a sad day when 2parties can cripple the economy of over wages, especially after the recession that we just had and are crawling out of.
This came through in a company memo but it is PMA's side
PMA Press Release on Continued ILWU Labor Slowdowns
LONGSHORE UNION WORK SLOWDOWNS BRING TERMINAL OPERATIONS TO THE BRINK OF GRIDLOCK
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (January 12, 2015) – Eight months since contract talks began, and after more than two months of ILWU-staged slowdowns that have methodically reduced terminal productivity at the five largest ports on the West Coast, operations are approaching complete gridlock. Since late October 2014, the ILWU has crippled what were fully productive terminals in the Pacific Northwest and Oakland, and exacerbated a difficult congestion issue at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach by intentionally withholding dozens of essential skilled workers each shift for the past 10 weeks. The ILWU’s action in Southern California goes against 15 years of precedent and targets precisely the skilled workers who are most essential to clearing congested terminals. By withholding an average of 75 yard crane drivers each day, the ILWU has stalled the movement of tens of thousands of containers, PMA estimates. Since November 3, the Union has reduced these yard crane operator positions in Southern California by 67 percent. Last week, after repeated calls by PMA for the involvement of a federal mediator, the ILWU agreed to outside intervention. Since the mediator joined the talks, no further agreements have been reached and ILWU work slowdowns have continued to the point where many terminals are in peril of complete gridlock. ILWU members, among the highest paid union workers in America, are receiving full wages and benefits while stifling productivity and putting West Coast port terminals at the brink of full shutdown. To date, the ILWU and PMA have reached tentative agreements on health care and increases to pay guarantees. That tentative agreement provides fully employer-paid health care benefits valued at $35,000 per worker annually. PMA also has proposed pay increases and pension enhancements. There are no takeaways in the PMA proposal. “The PMA has a sense of urgency to resolve these contract talks and get our ports moving again,” said PMA spokesperson Steve Getzug. “Unfortunately, it appears the Union’s motivation is to continue slowdowns in an attempt to gain leverage in the bargaining. The ILWU slowdowns and the resulting operational environment are no longer sustainable.” The PMA has alerted the local port authorities to the deteriorating situation on the docks.

U_tarded · January 2015

Super messy especially after reading this. http://www.ilwu.org/pma-deceptively-blames-workers-for-port-congestion-caused-by-chassis-mismanagement-and-other-supply-chain-failures/

DMW · January 2015

stlcharcoal said:

DMW said:

There are 2 bands with wifi, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.

802.11b/g/n - 2.4Ghz
802.11a/n/ac - 5Ghz

Note that 802.11n can operate on either band. It is higher performance on 5Ghz.
If you have a dual band router, devices attached at 5Ghz will not be impacted by the presence of an 802.11b device attached to the 2.4Ghz radio, all devices attached to the 2.4Ghz radio will be.
Many client devices are 2.4Ghz only, higher end and almost all newer devices are dual band.

This thread has gotten way OT, but why stop now right?
What's the best router to upgrade to in your opinion? Looks like the Netgear N900 and AC1900 Nighthawk get pretty consistent reviews.
I've just have a little cheapy Belkin one--when I bought it all that was attached was a laptop, printer, and Roku. Now it's 3 laptops, two phones, two ChromeCasts, Amazon FireStick, two kindles, Roku, PS3, 2 TV's, video cameras, Tivo, and the printer.
The choke point is my internet connection. I have a microwave antenna pointing at a water tower. It's hit or miss, but averages about 1.5 Mbps on good days.

If all you use your network for is Internet access, a new router probably wont't help that much given your current bottleneck. For device to device file transfers, etc, then yes. I just got a Netgear Nighthawk R6700 and the coverage is excellent. The router platform seems fairly stable as well. This is the first consumer wifi router I've had. Prior to this I always used enterprise class gear from my demo kit. But I no longer cover wifi gear for work and was not going to drop that kind of coin for home. This thing is really good. I picked it up at Costco on a whim and am glad I did.

@4Runner - If your network is primarily used for Internet access, the presence of an 802.11b device probably will not be noticeable. If you time a file transfer between 2 PCs on your network with and without an 802.11b device associated, this is where you may notice it. Lots of other factors play into wifi performance. In a highly crowded RF environment, it also may not be notcieable as interference is causing the bottleneck rather than 802.11b beacons.

Salmonegg · January 2015

I use The Wirecutter and Small Net Builder for wifi gear reviews, SNB has a fairly consistent test suite but the reviews can be a little technical. Wirecutter does a better job of explaining price/performance and real-world performance of a few popular models. I run an Asus RT-68u at home, which is OK, but my MacBook pro is the only device which really benefits from the AC. One thing I like about it is that it lets me run the same SSID for the 5ghz and 2.4ghz radios, so I don't have to set up two networks on my dual-band clients. (This is lazy and has some drawbacks, but works ok given my devices and users. I've run copper to anything that really needs a stable connection, anyway.)

Don't be taken in by the speed claims on whatever model is most recent. As a rule, you won't see those speeds unless you're running between two identical routers (or to a brand new wireless add-on card from that same manufacturer) under optimal conditions. You can save $100 or more by buying one generation back and you'll likely get a more stable firmware in the bargain.

4Runner · January 2015

DMW said:

stlcharcoal said:

DMW said:

There are 2 bands with wifi, 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz.

802.11b/g/n - 2.4Ghz
802.11a/n/ac - 5Ghz

Note that 802.11n can operate on either band. It is higher performance on 5Ghz.
If you have a dual band router, devices attached at 5Ghz will not be impacted by the presence of an 802.11b device attached to the 2.4Ghz radio, all devices attached to the 2.4Ghz radio will be.
Many client devices are 2.4Ghz only, higher end and almost all newer devices are dual band.

This thread has gotten way OT, but why stop now right?
What's the best router to upgrade to in your opinion? Looks like the Netgear N900 and AC1900 Nighthawk get pretty consistent reviews.
I've just have a little cheapy Belkin one--when I bought it all that was attached was a laptop, printer, and Roku. Now it's 3 laptops, two phones, two ChromeCasts, Amazon FireStick, two kindles, Roku, PS3, 2 TV's, video cameras, Tivo, and the printer.
The choke point is my internet connection. I have a microwave antenna pointing at a water tower. It's hit or miss, but averages about 1.5 Mbps on good days.

If all you use your network for is Internet access, a new router probably wont't help that much given your current bottleneck. For device to device file transfers, etc, then yes. I just got a Netgear Nighthawk R6700 and the coverage is excellent. The router platform seems fairly stable as well. This is the first consumer wifi router I've had. Prior to this I always used enterprise class gear from my demo kit. But I no longer cover wifi gear for work and was not going to drop that kind of coin for home. This thing is really good. I picked it up at Costco on a whim and am glad I did.
@4Runner - If your network is primarily used for Internet access, the presence of an 802.11b device probably will not be noticeable. If you time a file transfer between 2 PCs on your network with and without an 802.11b device associated, this is where you may notice it. Lots of other factors play into wifi performance. In a highly crowded RF environment, it also may not be notcieable as interference is causing the bottleneck rather than 802.11b beacons.

Agreed. So for all practical purposes, a b device really doesn't have a noticeable impact to a residential network. Certainly will not bring all devices to b speeds. I tested downloaded speeds but haven't tried a intranet file transfer. Will do on my next cook though. I'll report results. Love geeking out.

Stoker discounted

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