Guys,

I already have a few scanners :
01. iCarsoft MB 2.0 I think was US$150 from USA
02. Autel MS906BT . I paid US$1,600 from Autel local Indonesian dealer.
03. Launch Creader Elite for Benz. Under US$200 from Amazon.
04. Xentry Passthru with OpenPort 2.0 on a laptop.
The Xentry is like FOC and the dongle OpenPort genuine US$170ish and clone one US$35 ish..... but I have to buy a new laptop for it as my oldie 2014 workstation laptop W530 Lenovo got damaged by accident some years ago.
My even older 2008 Acer laptop running Vista was too old and freaking slow.

Now it is time to get a full blast Xentry from BenzNinja.

==================

I just wanna share my experience. From someone who is a certified IT stupid when it comes to Windows ( me blind on Mac ) or computers, and seeing BenzNinja install required programs on my new laptop.
Basically I hate laptop/PC computers when I need to enter BIOS yada yada or messing with Windows software.

I have limited experience with Xentry PassThru installation I sourced from a guy in youtube. To me that alone was not so easy , you can imagine how poor is my IT skill.

All I can say is, when you want to have BenzNinja service suitable laptop, dedicate 1 laptop for it and DON'T TOUCH it for any other use except for Xentry works, DON'T INSTALL any other programs on it.
DONT browse on it yada yada. Think this laptop as an Autel Scanner which basically is an Android Tablet which is locked to only work for Autel programs.


NOTE : My C4 module is coming soonest 3-4 more weeks, so this is a review of the Laptop and programs install only, for now.

01. Shopping Experience for a recommended used laptop.
Lenovo X230 is the recommended unit, but to me it is too old by today at approx 10 years.
So I asked Ninja, can X270 work ? He said yes.
So I bought a used one at US$266, a touchscreen one from an online market place here : https://www.tokopedia.com/oceanla/le...am-16gb-ssd128
This market place is like the Indonesian version of AMAZON so to speak.

The X270 arrived and guess what happened when I tested it ?
I tested the keyboard and some buttons were misplaced .... those I ticked red/pink.

The lower new looking keyboard is a reference I use, from internet.


These laptops they sold are not from local Indonesia market. They are imported from XYZ countries.
So they probably cannibalized parts from other laptops to make a working one.
So it is not a personal used laptop by a John Doe if USA guys buy at CraigList or equivalent.

So I returned it, and it can be done with ease within 48 hours.


================

I then tried to buy a NEW one instead.
From the same market place but different seller/store who has a 2021 model Asus TUF A15 laptop, but a zero track record seller who later tried to con me.
The con is them trying to communicate with me outside the market place messaging system and sent me a link on my cell phone ( seller can see buyer cell number for shipping purpose )
which I am sure is a virus to attack a WhatsApp phone.
You see I carry 2 phones, one is a dumb Nokia without internet capability and one is a typical Samsung smartphone.
For online shopping and credit card One Time Password receiving which is via SMS/Text, I use my dumb Nokia phone because it is not hack-able over the air.
I been carrying 2 phones with 2 different service providers since the 90s. In the 90s it was because I am out at sea often and travel to remote region where certain cell provider
has good remote area service and some don't. So must carry 2 phone/numbers at all times and having a back up is always good at sea.
I actually enjoyed the CON they tried to pull and had fun with them till the last minute I cancelled the order when I am done messing with them

========================

So I ended up buying a new ( but 2021 model year ) Asus TUF A15 with Ryzen 7 4800H ( 8 core ) , 8GB DRAM, 512GB M.2 NVMe with GTX3050 video card.
https://www.asus.com/id/laptops/for-...uf-gaming-a15/
I choose this unit because it has native RJ45 ( Ethernet ) which later is the connection method to the C4 module.
I rather use native RJ45 instead of using adapter from USB-C to RJ-45.





ABOVE, that silver box is called the C4 module/box or multiplexer ...whatever.



I chose a gaming laptop because its cooling system is better than regular laptop.
2021 model year is to save some $$. It cost me US$806.

My current laptop is HP Envy 360 15.6" I use for Xentry Passthru and Pico Scope, it gets hot fast because I work at 30-32C ambient temperature and often use extra 27" display.

=====================

So I got the 2021 Asus Tuf A15 ready installed with Team Viewer and I contacted BenzNinja.
He got into my Laptop via Team Viewer and he told me, get rid of the Windows 11 and install Windows 10 ... OOOPPPPsss
Dang , I then googled and managed to get it to Windows 10. I never knew I can downgrade from 11 to 10 ...LOL, IT stupid me .

How much data installed on my laptop ?
300GB worth including the Windows and whatever other programs installed by Ninja. This is why he insisted 512GB SSD is a must.


How is 8GB DRAM doing ?
It is borderline decent but 16GB would be better. I will buy another 8GB DRAM soonest.
I tried running the Xentry simulation software and WIP/EPC together, the balance memory is only 1 ish GB or 7GB DRAM used.
At start up the Windows 10 and whatever other programs in the background is already eating up 4GB of DRAM.
My other HP Envy 360 laptop is a 16GB and my oldie 2012 6 core PC is a 42GB ( was 48GB but 1 unit went bad ) and my 2014 8 core PC is a 32GB.
I am familiar with DRAM needs as I used to do video rendering and that needs lots of DRAM and I can open up 20+ Google chrome browsers and a few PDF and AutoCad, 16GB on my PC wont do, 24-36GB up is minimum.


When near completion, Ninja told me to remove secure boot.........got to Google again how to do that . IT stupid me.


How long was the total installation done by BenzNinja ( remotely ) for my Laptop ?
Since I told him to do it on his own time, I let my laptop run non stop for 3 days.
I think it took him like total 5 hours a day x 3 days = 15 hours. I'll be damn !!!!
I did not turn off my air-cond in my working room for 3 days...LOL. I need my laptop to run at 22 - 23C ambient temp during those 3 days. I do not want it to hang.
BenzNinja local time is 7 hours behind my time zone. So that is another slight delay for coordination.


Why was the installation for my laptop was that long to 15 ish hours ?
Well I think newer modern laptop is not as easy as the older X230 Lenovo ( year 2013 )
My Asus has those stupid Asus bloatware installed by Asus.
I have extra stand alone graphic card Nvidia GTX3050 installed by Asus, instead of a typical Intel CPU built graphic chip.
I am on AMD CPU, which is less known/understood by most compared to Intel.
The AMD Ryzen 7 I use also has its own built in graphic chip.
BenzNinja basically CLEANED my laptop down to only basic programs. This I saw took time. I can see what he is doing on my laptop screen , but too fast for my It stupid eye to understand completely.
The amount of programs he installed is a lot, not only Xentry.


https://benzninja.com/faq/


Having a clean laptop with most suitable Windows version to run the Xentry is important for stability.
Regardless that I am IT stupid, I too have installed a few marine navigation software on my older laptops which at that time it was Window Vista but the programs actually wanted Windows XP, still works.
By the time I have no choice but to use Windows 7, I lost that marine navigation software where the worldwide marine charts alone is worth well over US$10,000* at that time. (* mine was a hacked version LOL )
When Google Earth (GE) was still much "friendlier" version 8-10 years ago for a laptop , we can use it to assist marine navigation without internet active. It was a great help at sea out of cell phone coverage.
Add GPS dongle and wow, I can use it in real time with my boat icon moving. I use this more for Reef avoidance.
This needs a lot of preparation before the trip, will take days to download to laptop the image cache layer by layer and limited to 2GB only by GE and laptop can not ever get connected to
internet again after cache keeping completed, because Google Earth will scramble the cache in my laptop by the next few days if I ever logged on again.
So I had experience and sorrow, where newer Windows can ruin my good running 3rd party program or other 3rd party programs interfering with other 3rd party programs.


So now I have 2 laptops for my car diagnostic :

01. The 2021 Asus TUF A15 in discussion and this is dedicated for BenzNinja Xentry only. Nothing else.

02. The 2022 HP Envy 360 15.6" Touchscreen Ryzen 5-4800H ( 6 core ), 16GB and 512GB SSD. No extra Nvidia graphic card.
- For Xentry PassThru with OpenPort 2.0
- For PicoScope , Pico 6 and Pico 7 software here
- For browsing and as general purpose laptop I carry when I travel.
- No programs removed at all, Windows 10.

Due to laptop screen being small a 15.6" , I will never exceed FULLHD resolution 1920 x 1080p on it, otherwise text become so small and icons too. I hate it.
I hate lower resolution than Full HD too, like 1366 x 768, too course/rough and not nice to work on Xentry and PicoScope softtware.

I have now the advantage with 2 laptops, I can do Xentry and PicoScope stand alone on 2 laptops. This way no shared grounding at all for the PicoScope signal to Xentry device be it C4 or OpenPort.
Electrical noise control is better with stand alone laptops running on battery power when and if needed. Like total isolation.
I have a stand alone 27" DELL display on wheel-stand, I use to run PicoScope on the 27" and the Xentry PassThru with OpenPort on the laptop main screen, but at times for noise control is not good because
PicoScope uses USB and so is the Xentry PassThru OpenPort.



NOTE :
01. Cost wise, you get in touch with BenzNinja directly, I do not want to disclose that information. That is his privacy.
02. Source to get the approved C4, when you are already BenzNinja member, you will get that information. That is his privacy too.



I shall update when I get the C4 module..............

 

Installation doesn't take 3 days
Only for outside USA and Canada it takes some longer and in your case, due to the waiting list and huge amount of daily cases it took 3 times longer
​​​​​​​it's 4-5 hours in general

 

Your IT skill itself is amazing Peter...

 

Master Surya, thank you for gracing us with all these important details to build a solid foundation forward.

You deciding to use the best Ninja's toolset is exactly what you need to push the limits where few have been. Congrats for graduating scanner school. MB should pay for your engineering contribution.

I am sure you'll want to work exciting issues that you could not control earlier. Like...

• ECO S/S
• Turbo Rpm control
• ALT Voltage broken regulation
• Better Oil pressure switched at 1,000Rpm

For your Samsung needs, the new model come with something you may like. It is called eSIM
These basic phones now let you use multiple SIM cards for multiple service providers at the same time.
You get to have as many cellular company for data, voice, roaming werehever country you travel to.
These SIM are loaded as virtual certificates into the phone. It's like an encrypted software image of a hardware chip.
My TMobile carrier gives me unlimited free roaming data including 5Gb high speed.... I don't really expect 5G data network in Bora Bora. I'll be more lucky filming the coral life underwater. Let's see how fast I can fill up my 512Gb Samsung.

As far as Windows machines, you've seen how everythings can still be slow no mater CPU 8-Cores, 16GB SD-RAM and 512GB SSD.

Microsoft builds its Windows like Mercedes its vehicles... for short lived performance and repeat buys.

I have spent decades researching SW/HW solutions for micro-second timing latencies...
The Windows system issue every users faces is I/O's are obstructed by chaos. Meaning legions of bottlenecks are working against efficiency. It's like a giant data traffic jam in the NT-Kernel.
Microsoft chief architect Mark Rusinovitch, PhD referred to this unsolved issue as I/O STORMS. When all fixed up, you realize Windows is loosing 30% speed and wasting 20% power for a few reasons.
The outcome is slow and hot machines when compared to all the other OS platforms emerged from UNIX/LINUX.

This is turning customers away from MS who are busy moving to virtualized environment. Soon they will do the opposite: local distributed computations. Another artificial cycle.

Practically do a good job at debloating the machine and UPDATE DRIVERS OF CHIPSET, SSD, VIDEO.Pay attention to the list SCHEDULED TASKS (Telemetry reporting...) that can hang the machine, No1 being the monthly patches!

Let your machine idle itself to spleep instead of shutting it down. This lets the OS work on house cleaning, scanning, patching, spying...

 

Cali,
No wonder why 2 core all the way to 6 core makes no difference for Excel or PDF
But for video rendering aside from GPU assist, multi core is POWER .

 

Holy sh-iet the C4 (interface ) is so fast !!!!



From start of Xentry the program to listing of all modules and to quick scan for error codes all modules........... it is faster than my Xentry PassThru like 5 times !!!! Crazy.
I will mess with it more and report back.


BAD NEWS : My freakin spankin brand news Asus has battery drain of approx 12-15% per day in complete SHUT DOWN mode. Battery is internal, so I avoid tearing open the unit for now.
I do not know if this is software problem as in declaration of power level wrong in Windows 10, the MyAsus bloatware been removed you see. MyAsus has its own battery algorithm.
............ or a real battery drain or some circuit not sleeping...... like our car modules failing to sleep. I have scan exterior with my thermal gun but no component in there is even 2C warmer than ambient or the rest.

I have not allow lower than 30% battery reserve so far during the SHUT DOWN test.
I am reluctant to send to Asus for warranty due to the prized Benz-Ninja software already in it, I mean the time to set it up is precious.
I think I should charge full and wait 10 days to see if it is really DEAD by battery drain or some software calculation error.

 

@S-Prihadi , my first advice: BACKUP the installation before you start messing with it. That is, buy another SSD and CLONE IT exactly as it is before further modifications. If something happens, it is an SSD swap and continues as if nothing happened. If something happens, and Benz-Ninja needs to rework it, it will be painful.

 

YES Sir will do that for sure.

 

There's a Power option setting available in Windows 10. It manages if the machine is allowed to wake up from full Power-Off to install updates at night.

You'll want to read the Mgt logs to see what the machine has been up to.

Windows machines pretty much expect to be connected for updates. The best way to enjoy a fast machine during daytime is to let it go to sleep by itself. That way it will consume update ASAP.

Not returning your new ASUS laptop for service is a pretty good way not get a refurb machine.
Eventually check the support site for a BIOS update
Double check the machine doesn't get stuck in standby mode with other options disabled.

Plan B is to keep it plugged in at all time.

Let's troubleshoot it !

🤞

 

Not going to lie - this is impressive to read!

Furthermore, not going to lie - it reinforces my opinion that I made the right decision a decade ago to throw out all Microsoft computers and go 100% Apple in my house, as the simple fix is to just restart the computer for 99% of issues!

Also illustrates why I refuse to replace a 9 year old car when I could, for the simple fact that with a press of one little button, I can turn off the little TV screen on the dash and be left with the beauty of illuminated analog dials while still listening to the stereo at night. As cars get more and more i-pad-ish, I call that little button my time warp option - back to the 90’s in style!

 

Battery drain solved last 3 days drain been 2% ish a day and that included the power required to turn ON my laptop each and every day. This is very acceptable.

First I turned OFF the hidden feature called Fast Start up like 5+ days ago.
I watched Utube on this but very few actually showed how to make it appear and accessible when hidden, as I can't un-hide the menu as per their instruction.
Its not a simple hiding if for IT dummy me, its more complex than that until I watch someone who wanted to turn such feature ON instead and I have to use the CMD command to make it visible.
There then I can see the menu to turn it off. Duggghhh.

Anyway, I also believed the other factor is that I have cycled the laptop enough, drain>>charge>>drain>>charge , as such the algo started to see more data and be more accurate.
Battery meter in % value shown without voltage is not too good enough, because I can't verify what benchmark the software uses as full battery 100% charged.

BMW cars need programming each and every time someone replaced the main battery. I think it is the baseline the algo wants to know.


Oky doky, that's all for today update.

 

Surya, I hope your laptop stays fixed with your new settings.
In case it does not consider the following settings to keep it from draining battery when it should be sleeping.


> Wake Timers:
This setting controls if the machine powers itself up to install windows updates. Usually it's a good thing but to troubleshoot sleep issues let's turn this OFF to Disable.


WAKE TIMER options


> Fast Startup:
This option settings are partially hidden. Usually best enabled to provide tiny bit faster cold boots.
Disabling it won't affect run-time speed or hibernation in anyways.


show hidden settings


Fast Startup: ON

> Windows Updates !!


consuming Updates 😳

Between installing updates, collecting and uploading Stats these machines are often busy and slow.

Here is how you can mitigate that:
1- let machine idle itself to hibernation sleep after each use. Doing so provides time to install updates, scan, spie,...

2- Enable "Wake Timers" when "AC Powered" This allows the machine to wake up and do its yoga while you sleep if it's AC plugged but not on Batts.

 

This page with FAST START UP detail check box does not exist until I turn ON via CMD small black window thingy.
That was why I got confused why everyone is showing it exist, so initially I thought probably my FAST START UP was not activated........Dugghhh.



The rest of the other pages you showed I done those already, thank you.
Asus has its own extra battery management and I can lock full charged to 80% only as a way to extend battery life when fully connected to power supply.

I think the battery algo went nuts because first 24 hours of use it was always power supply connected and then 4 days non-stop I let it run during the Ninja install , also power supply connected for sure.
The algo never seen any discharge yet...........

Thank u

 

Check what user credentials you are logged in with.
Are you an Administrator or a limited user with basic privileges?

Both user types are good to have for risks mitigations.

> When you administer the machine settings you need to have full administrative privileges.

> In case you run untrusted software without "signed secured boot", built-in Trojans, viruses or rootkits with security exposure..., then you want to log in with limited privileges. When the malware tries to act as if it was the user, it does not have enough privileges to bust the PC install.

It's very much like the TWO SEPARATE USERS:
Surya doctors the turbo engine
vs.
Surya drives redline on open roads

You know, same octopus changing color/patern to fool an attacker 🐙 ...
Use both "Admin vs. Surya" to login safely.
✌️

 

Its Administrator, this I know.


Cali wrote :
Both user types are good to have for risks mitigations.

> When you administer the machine settings you need to have full administrative privileges.

> In case you run untrusted software without "signed secured boot", built-in Trojans, viruses or rootkits with security exposure..., then you want to log in with limited privileges. When the malware tries to act as if it was the user, it does not have enough privileges to bust the PC install.

Aha, I never think of it from virus penetration point of view. Thank you

So did you get to dive in Bora Bora or at least snorkling ?

 

A 'few' scanners

 

OMG, Bora Bora is really one special Polynesian place for pure bliss. We are already planning a repeat trip!
​​​​​​
BB is a naturally enclosed lagoon with perfectly calm tropical waters, flat shallow beaches beautiful skies and few tiny moskitos.


Bungalow accomodation$$$$

Diving/snorkeling: "When in Rome do like the Romans", right

tip top ✌️

This place is such a paradise with endless shallow tropical beaches .... Forget about advanced dry-suit rescue diving with computer, BCD, belt and a 45mn tank... easy does it - No deco. sickness, nothing


My call to hurry down the lader in the lagoon


YLW nice to see you ✌️
​​​​​​

my favorite camo fish pattern

Snorkeling 4Hrs non-stop with colourful fishes had me captured until vanilla-rhum happy hour. Very effective mouthwash against ocean taste 😁


Two eyes decoy

We took a tour boat out of the lagoon to swim with two dozen black tip sharks and couple ultra friendly sting rays (live barbed stinger).

We missed spoting any tortles, dolphins and whales at this time.

BCK tips


GRY playful ray


loaded stinger in tow


Ray wants petting massage, now!!


Local fly by parade.... 🤩
Actually the tour guide told me wild fishes are fed often if not daily. I can guess fish associate visitors with feed time so their brain gets stimulated with dopamine when they spot half-dozen visitors. The friendly rays get seriously excited in a gentle way.
Wild life usually runs away scared from unknown unless it involves self sustaining (bull sharks).

Look at this beautiful natural clam display... these shells are fairly common on the lagoon outer wall to sustain feeding exclusively from tides currents :

beautiful "giant clam" shellfish


cluster O' clams (non color corrected)

clams neighborhood community


4* resort staff was nearly as attentive as in the Princess cruise ship main dinning room. Less than hundred guests help them focus on tips. Absolutely everyone spoke english fluently in addition to their Polynesian language.

mamacita

The tiny ukulele guitar makes fantastic live music shows at dinner time with chorus singing 👏

Live musicians (mp4 video can't upload)
Here's a youtube link with Tahitian singing over ukulele


famous Tahitian hips dancing



Great 4G/WiFi coverage in 50 bungalows

Welcomed tropical heat:
My wife noted the shower does not have enough cold water.... Each room has very much needed A/C on simply to dry the air.


wet photo op "I love Bora Bora"
​​​​​​🤿

People have compared Bora Bora destination to Bali vacations. You have a house there... how is it from a tropical insider perspective?

 

Sweet, I am happy that you n wife are having a good time.
Spend what we earned to enjoy older age = GOOD
Money is only money when you spend it, otherwise it is only some binary digits in some computer database

Bora-Bora only have 10,000 inhabitant and the island so small, 12 square miles and extremely in the middle of now where.
Retiring in Bora-Bora I think wont be cheap and fun long term.
For sea or beach destination, it looks awesome.

Bali for me is my intended retirement home, perhaps full time there when the time comes.
Its big 2,100 square miles, bigger than Singapore land size by 600% in fact and Bali has 4+ million population.
There will be more things to do in Bali but exotic atoll and stretch of shallow sandy beach like Bora2 you can't get in Bali but in some other Indonesian destination you can get such atoll, but not well developed tourist destination.