Ever had your wireless router just stop working?

[npmommie]

I don't know why it failed, and I couldn't figure it out myself. Nothing I did to try to fix it worked. I wasn't going to pay someone to figure it out for me either LOL
so I went to Staples and bought a new one. it was $39 ( we just needed a basic one), and there is a $10 rebate. so $29 after that.
problem solved we are back to wireless in the house.

thanks everyone for all the help and input

 

[Barbossa]

Hardly. Your numbers suggest I was designing digital electronics before you even existed.

Well, your attitude is understandable because so many who reply do not even know how electricity works. An A+ Certified computer tech typically knows nothing about electricity or hardware. Will often post insults because he *knows* how to swap parts. So your reply is appropriate in most cases. But not this time. How much time did you spend with vacuum tubes? How many microprocessors did you design by soldering wires?

Nobody said anything about only identifying failed hardware. Solutions start by defining what has failed - AND why. Most routers are more than sufficiently robust. But most buildings are still designed to make electronics damage routine and easy. Most will foolishly replace a router (shotgun) rather than fix the reason for damage or intermittent operation.

Troubleshooting experience means you know best evidence is a dead body. If a router is dead, one can also identify what causes that unacceptable failure. True engineers do not just fix things. Identifying a defect that causes a failure is also routine. Many foolishly assume replacing a router every three years is acceptable because the actual problem is a human.

Most home router ports are designed to withstand 2000 volts without damage. A router covered in dust and still working is normal.

A router dead in six years is normal? Nonsense. That demonstrates why hearsay and junk science reasoning is still alive and well in an economy where experts are A+ Certifed techs or ‘geek squad’. Many routers routinely replaced on speculation are not defective. A harmed router means the informed also eliminated reasons for that failure.

One failed router is likely a manufacturing defect. Two in three years suggests problems traceable to a human failure.

Well, dude, I'm 50 years old. So you were designing digital circuits in the 50's? BS. The truth now, what have you done that gives you such immense knowledge of electronics? I can't wait to hear the answer.

 

[Barbossa]

Wow are you Sheldon Cooper - bazinga

LOL!

 

[westom]

I have never had a wireless router last more than 2 years. In fact, I just replaced mine again (had the previous one for one year). I just figured they were poorly made and not designed to last very long. I didn't know anything about "flashing" the firmware, I will have to try that next time I have a router failure, which should be in about 11 1/2 months!

Did firmware just suddenly change in a router? Of course not. Software does not change. But many do not first learn what has failed. First identify a problem. For example, most do not even view the indicator lights or internal status pages. So many instead replace only what they understand. Flashing firmware is, at best, curing symptoms.

Manufacturing defects are a most common reason for failure. But if multiple router failures exist, then manufacturing defects do not explain it. Manufacturing defects are that rare. Reasons are more likely found elsewhere such as a problem with household wiring (the missing protection) or using a protector located too close to the router. In each case, failures due to human failure.

If reading with care, then protector and protection are obviously different items.

Normal is to have a perfectly good router caked in dust. Replacing routers every three years means a home owner is ignoring the problem. Routine is to identify and correct household mistakes that would cause router and modem failures. In every case, no more failures even a decade later. And, BTW, other appliances also stopped failing.

Those who will fix only what they understand (ie firmware, heat) typically get angry. Post cheapshots. Many do not like to admit insufficient knowledge. Therefore will not learn simplest layman stuff essential for no failure. Because they can replace a router, therefore they are expert? Nonsense. If informed, a poster includes technical reasons with numbers. Normal is to never have a router failure. Even numbers were posted that say why.

Router ports are designed to withstand 2000 volts without damage. Only people who actually know this stuff would also know such numbers. Those who just keep replacing routers would not know that or know why each router failed. In short, a router failure every one or three years is directly traceable to human failure. Routers are designed to withstand over 1000 volts without damage. A number that says how serious the household defect may be. And why the informed solve the problem rather than flash firmware.

 

[westom]

Well, dude, I'm 50 years old. So you were designing digital circuits in the 50's? BS.

What I was working with and numbers you can go learn. 35W4, 50C5, 12AT7, and 0B2 (which was one of my favorites). Can't remember the number from the full wave rectifier. Its was long ago.

Meanwhile, reality stands unchallenged. Router failures every three years means human failure. Either created by the homeowner. Or exists because the homeowner does not understand why a simple problem exists.

50 years old? We still call you 'the kid'. When men were men, the computer was 400 pounds. 5 Mb drives were easily 100 pounds. One disk drive even moved its heads with motor oil. You kids had it easy.

 

[Captain Hindsight]

All the time!!! I seem to change mine out once a year! The cheaper the router the faster I have to change it. I'm now on a Cisco ASA that is supposed to be bulletproof, so we'll see how long it lasts...

2 things to check though.... power (you may want to put in on a UPS) and environmental conditions... i have mine in the attic (which gets warm) which is the source of my problems

 

[westom]

2 things to check though.... power (you may want to put in on a UPS)

UPS does nothing for power. In fact, dirtiest power that electronics will often see comes from a UPS in battery backup mode. For example, this 120 volt UPS outputs 200 volt square waves with a spike of up to 270 volts between those square waves. Power so 'dirty' as to sometimes harm small electric motors and power strip protectors. And perfectly ideal power for electronics. Why? Because electronics are so robust.

Anything a UPS might do to 'clean' power is already done better even in that little wall wart power supply.

What happens to the cleanest power? That 120 volts is filtered as good or better than a UPS might do. Then converted to higher voltage DC - well over 300 volts. Then filtered again, then converted to radio waves - far more 'dirty' power. Then filtered again. Then converted to high current radio waves. Then converted to rock solid and cleanest low voltage DC.

Show me any UPS that does this much? No matter how 'clean' that UPS power is, the power brick converts it back to even 'dirtier' power before converting it to the cleanest and stable DC voltage. Anything that UPS might do for hardware protection is already done better inside electronics. UPS has only one purpose. To provide temporary and 'dirty' power during a power outage.

Show me a UPS that does more than a standard (above described) power supply? Which means posting manufacturer spec numbers.