Sam Berlin

Founder and principal writer at The Basic Hub.

Sam Berlin (not his real name - his choice) is the founder and principal writer at The Basic Hub. He writes about technology, personal finance, and the practical skills that help people navigate modern life with confidence.

Sam believes that technical knowledge should be accessible to everyone - explained without jargon, assumption, or condescension. Before starting The Basic Hub, he spent years in IT infrastructure and systems administration, where he learned that the simplest explanation is almost always the best one.

He currently lives in Vietnam, where the perpetual summer reminds him that most problems look less intimidating in good light.

Contact: sam.berlin@thebasichub.com

Articles by Sam Berlin

Your Walls May Already Be Wired for a Network - Just Not With Ethernet October 7, 2026
Coax already in your walls can carry a wired network - when it works.
The Text on Your Phone Is Too Small - Four Settings That Fix It October 7, 2026
Android's default text is too small to read comfortably. Four settings fix it.
Why IPv6 Keeps Changing Your Devices' Addresses - and the Fix September 14, 2026
Give every device an IPv6 address that survives your ISP renumbering it.
Why Your Printer Keeps Going Offline - The Fix for the Most Annoying Device in Your House September 10, 2026
Why your printer shows offline, and the ten-minute fix that works.
Buying a Used or Refurbished Laptop - What to Check Before You Pay September 9, 2026
What to check before you pay for a used or refurbished laptop.
Your Wi-Fi Extender Is Making Things Worse - The Overlap Problem September 5, 2026
Your Wi-Fi extender may be why every device drops. Here's the free fix.
Back Up Your Computer - The Easy Way August 31, 2026
The backup minimum: one drive, one cloud copy, one restore test.
Windows' August Update Broke Cursors and Wallpapers - Skip It, but Mind the October 13 Deadline August 31, 2026
August's bugs are fixed - install September's update, and mind October 13.
One Breach Away: The ASOS Hack and Why Your Reused Password Is the Real Problem August 28, 2026
Credential stuffing opened ASOS accounts. Here is how to stop it.
Windows 11 25H2 Is Installing Itself - What to Check Before It Lands August 24, 2026
25H2 installs itself on most home PCs. How to delay it, and what to check first.
A Company You Bought From Got Hacked - Now What? August 19, 2026
What to do when a breach email lands: a three-rung action ladder.
AI for Your Everyday Tasks - Writing, Research, and Getting Organized August 19, 2026
Use free AI for writing, research, and organizing - with prompts that work.
New Laptop, First Day: The Setup Checklist Before You Trust It August 18, 2026
The half-hour first-day checklist that sets up a new laptop right.
What Home Networking Gear to Buy at Every Budget August 16, 2026
What to spend, what to skip, and what genuinely makes your Wi-Fi better.
Your Internet Bill Went Up Again - Three Calls That Reverse It August 16, 2026
Your internet bill went up again. Three calls get your old price back.
Windows' August Update Is Out - The Five-Step Routine That Gets the Fixes Without the Gamble August 16, 2026
The five-step routine that gets Windows' August fixes without the gamble.
Three Scams to Watch For - and the One Question That Breaks Them August 14, 2026
Three scams doing the most damage now, and one question that breaks them all.
Online Anonymity - Tor, Burners, and When You Actually Need Them August 14, 2026
Tor, VPNs, and burner phones - and when you actually need them.
The Hack That Wiped a Man's Baby Photos: 5 Lessons August 9, 2026
A hack wiped a year of baby photos. Five lessons to keep your accounts safe.
Your Spare Mini-PC Can Be a NAS - Here Is How August 7, 2026
A spare mini-PC can replace a NAS for less money and less fuss.
AI Is Free and Actually Useful July 25, 2026
Free AI tools anyone can use, with nothing to install and nothing to pay.
Should You Pay Off Debt or Start Saving? July 25, 2026
The answer depends on the interest rate. Here is how to decide.
Compound Interest Explained: Why Time Beats Money July 25, 2026
How money grows on its own, and why starting small beats starting late.
Windows Just Broke My Computer - Here's What to Do July 23, 2026
Microsoft's July update is crashing Dell PCs. Here's the fix in 5 minutes.
Stop Buying Wi-Fi Gear - Diagnose First July 23, 2026
Before you buy a mesh system, spend 10 minutes diagnosing.
The Subscription Purge - Reclaim $1,600 a Year You're Wasting July 23, 2026
The average American wastes $1,600 a year on forgotten subscriptions.
Troubleshooting Slow Internet July 5, 2026
A step-by-step guide to why your internet is slow and what to do about it.
Ethernet Cabling - A DIY Guide July 5, 2026
Running Ethernet cable through your house is simpler than you think.
QoS - Stop Your Buffering July 5, 2026
QoS is the router setting that stops one call ruining everyone.
What Is a NAS? Your Own Private Cloud July 5, 2026
A NAS is your own private cloud: a hard drive every device can use.
Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and 7 - What's the Difference? July 5, 2026
Wi-Fi has generations now, like cell phones. What each means for speed.
Future-Proofing Your Home Network - Planning for the Next 5 Years June 26, 2026
The network decisions you make today will help or haunt you.
Wi-Fi Extenders vs Mesh vs Powerline - The Complete Comparison June 26, 2026
Three ways to fix weak Wi-Fi, three very different results. Which to pick.
Smart Home Devices - Why They Kill Your Wi-Fi and How to Fix It June 26, 2026
Your smart devices are probably ruining your Wi-Fi. How to fix it.
Parental Controls and Managing Kids Online - What Actually Works June 26, 2026
Blocking sites is a losing game. What works for kids online.
Internet Speeds Explained: Mbps and Latency June 26, 2026
Mbps is not the whole story. Latency and jitter matter too.
Move Your Body June 22, 2026
Walking, swimming, cycling, rowing - and one we left out on purpose.
Get Off the Floor (When You Can't Kneel) June 22, 2026
The toe lean stops you falling. Here is what to do when it does not.
What Is a VPN? What It Does, What It Doesn't June 19, 2026
Ads oversell VPNs. Here is when one helps and when it is a waste.
When to Call Your ISP - And What to Say When You Do June 19, 2026
Most internet problems are not your ISP's fault. How to check before you call.
Powerline Adapters: When Wi-Fi Won't Reach June 19, 2026
Your home's wiring can carry internet signals. Here is how well it works.
Internet Plans - What to Look For (And What to Ignore) June 19, 2026
ISPs make plans confusing on purpose. What actually matters.
How to Buy a Router - What Actually Matters June 19, 2026
Router boxes are covered in jargon. What to look for at every budget.
Home Network Security - What Actually Matters June 18, 2026
Forget movie hackers. The real threats to your home network are simpler.
Mesh Wi-Fi Explained - When You Need It, When You Don't June 18, 2026
Mesh systems are popular, but most people do not need one. Here is why.
What a Modem Does - and Why Your ISP Box Does Two Jobs June 18, 2026
Modem vs router, why your ISP combines them, and whether to buy your own.
What Ethernet Actually Is - And Why You Want It June 18, 2026
Wi-Fi is convenient; Ethernet is better. What it is and why to run a cable.
Don't Fall June 17, 2026
The most important thing to learn after 60: one exercise, two minutes a day.
OK, I Did the Arm Thing. Now What? June 17, 2026
Still standing. Still no gym. Here's what I do next.
Just Start June 17, 2026
Before routines, before targets. Just get out of your chair.
3 Router Settings That Make Your Wi-Fi Faster June 15, 2026
Three router settings that take five minutes and make Wi-Fi feel faster.
The 5 Router Settings You Should Change Right Now June 15, 2026
Your router has hundreds of settings. These five matter most.
How to Run a Proper Speed Test - Most People Do It Wrong June 15, 2026
That speed test result is probably lying. Here is how to get real numbers.
Where to Put Your Router: Your Spot Is Probably Wrong June 15, 2026
Where you put your router matters more than its price. Move it and fix Wi-Fi.
How to Set Up Separate 2.4 and 5 GHz Wi-Fi Networks June 15, 2026
Stop your smart bulb from dropping off. How to split your Wi-Fi bands.
Wired vs Mesh Wi-Fi - Should You Wire Your House? June 15, 2026
Ethernet is faster, mesh is easier. How to decide for your home.
Wi-Fi 2.4 vs 5 vs 6 GHz Explained Simply June 14, 2026
Why your phone uses one Wi-Fi band and your smart bulb another.
Router vs Modem vs Switch - What Each One Actually Does June 14, 2026
Three boxes, three jobs. What each does and whether you need all of them.
What Is a Home Network? (The Big Picture) June 14, 2026
The internet is a highway; your home network is the driveway.
Win Bigly - Scott Adams June 1, 2026
Why we recommend this book and what it means to link to it.
Independence for Life - Will Harlow June 1, 2026
Why we recommend this book and what it means to link to it.
Is Your Router a Security Risk? The Five-Minute Firmware Check January 1, 0001
Router flaws are out. Five minutes finds out if yours is on the list.