Top posts

Every blog post that took off on Hacker News, ranked by the votes of its best submission. 216 posts.

Networking & Internet
2026
64

That's not how email works

A confusing letter from HSBC informed me that I've not been receiving their emails, and I have to change the email address they use to contact me. Except I've been receiving all of their emails just fine! The problem, it turns out, is that surveillance capitalism is now so-widespread that the bank cannot conceive that…

66

Starlink Mini as a failover

I recently picked up a Starlink Mini to use as a backup connection for my home network. The underlying technology is fascinating - thousands of satellites in low Earth orbit delivering broadband almost anywhere. With the new £4.50 standby plan, it's an excellent way to keep things online.

79

My Home Fibre Network Disintegrated

Thanks HN folks for all the comments. To clarify a bit, the cables are pulled through PVC conduits under the flooring before being buried in cement. Currently the hypothesis for why the cable disintegrated so quickly is hydrolysis. Singapore is extremely humid after all. A second possibility is that I keep the…

82

Mysteries of Telegram Data Centers (2022)

Telegram claims to have 5 data centers (DCs), referred to as DC1~5 in Telegram’s code and documentation. Among them, DC1 and DC3 are located in Miami, USA; DC2 and DC4 are in Amsterdam, Netherlands; and DC5 is in Singapore. Each account is associated with a DC upon registration and does not change with the…