De-lid your Routers

[tp4tissue]

N66u

Wifi Radio temperatures

Without de-lid 

2.4ghz radio - 65 Celcius
5ghz radio - 60 Celcius

De-lidded + old 120mm fan + coat hanger wire + .3 amp 5v nokia cellphone charger ac-brick (powers the fan)

2.4ghz radio - 37 Celcius
5ghz radio -  30 Celcius



Saw those numbers come in, I'm Sooo Happpy

[singaporean123]

are you serious?

my n56u heats up pretty hot too, wondering if i should do the same.

will the dust etc be caught in the routers?

[tp4tissue]

are you serious?

my n56u heats up pretty hot too, wondering if i should do the same.

will the dust etc be caught in the routers?

there's gonna be dust overtime for sure.

but look at how small the surface area is

Once a month, for 3 seconds with the vacuum

My numbers are "Load" temperatures.

I maxed it out with 20,000 connections via torrents @ 100Mbit on the wifi

You can use the USB port on the router to power the fan if you like as well. but, I didn't have any resistors of the right value.

[Topre]

are you serious?

my n56u heats up pretty hot too, wondering if i should do the same.

will the dust etc be caught in the routers?

there's gonna be dust overtime for sure.

but look at how small the surface area is

Once a month, for 3 seconds with the vacuum

My numbers are "Load" temperatures.

I maxed it out with 20,000 connections via torrents @ 100Mbit on the wifi

You can use the USB port on the router to power the fan if you like as well. but, I didn't have any resistors of the right value.

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Vacuums should not be used on electronics in case of static. Compressed air works better and more safely.

You should be able to hook up the fan directly to the USB port (5V) without any issues or resistors. Computer fans can are usually powered with 12V (PSU).

[PointyFox]

Really?  I'm indifferent to warm routers, except for on cold days when they make nice hand warmers.

[tp4tissue]

Really?  I'm indifferent to warm routers, except for on cold days when they make nice hand warmers.

watch out u don't want to get hand cancer

[bobjane]

The capacitors were on their way out so I replaced all the stock junk with good quality ones.

Also decided to do something about the overheating:
- Heatsinks on all the ICs/chips (still waiting on some heatsinks).
- Added some air intake holes to the bottom cover.
- Mount a 120mm fan on top (waiting on fan adapter).

As for powering the fan, I don't think the USB port on a modem/router would be set up to output any power. Mine will be powered by the computer's USB.

[esoomenona]

The capacitors were on their way out so I replaced all the stock junk with good quality ones.

Also decided to do something about the overheating:
- Heatsinks on all the ICs/chips (still waiting on some heatsinks).
- Added some air intake holes to the bottom cover.
- Mount a 120mm fan on top (waiting on fan adapter).

As for powering the fan, I don't think the USB port on a modem/router would be set up to output any power. Mine will be powered by the computer's USB.

|: umm...

[tp4tissue]

The capacitors were on their way out so I replaced all the stock junk with good quality ones.

Also decided to do something about the overheating:
- Heatsinks on all the ICs/chips (still waiting on some heatsinks).
- Added some air intake holes to the bottom cover.
- Mount a 120mm fan on top (waiting on fan adapter).

As for powering the fan, I don't think the USB port on a modem/router would be set up to output any power. Mine will be powered by the computer's USB.

The reason I did not drill a hole in my cover plate is because each time I'd need to clean it, I'd have to take the plate off.

Also, you should put some silicone on the ic pins on yours because if dust gets trapped in there, and then you run into a humid day.. ZAP..

I put silicone on all the exposed tiny pins.

[microsoft windows]

I leave my routers running in the midst of a four-foot tall pile of dusty computer parts. They still work!

[tp4tissue]

I leave my routers running in the midst of a four-foot tall pile of dusty computer parts. They still work!

I like my packets with no mistakes....

[bobjane]

Also, you should put some silicone on the ic pins on yours because if dust gets trapped in there, and then you run into a humid day.. ZAP..

Those pins ARE awfully close together. Might have to pick up some silicone.

|: umm...

I'm sorry, was that too geeky for a keyboard forum?

[tp4tissue]

Also, you should put some silicone on the ic pins on yours because if dust gets trapped in there, and then you run into a humid day.. ZAP..

Those pins ARE awfully close together. Might have to pick up some silicone.

|: umm...

I'm sorry, was that too geeky for a keyboard forum?

I recommend cutting those side grills off. and just have 2 big vents on the side.

[PointyFox]

Use liquid nitrogen?

[tp4tissue]

Use liquid nitrogen?

that's temporary overclock. and it doesn't seem these new routers can overclock either.

[ComradeSniper]

What is the advantage of this aside from a longer lasting router?

[mkawa]

heatsinking key parts (target analog devices, as those degrade most quickly and ICs, because they're almost always running at _exactly_ their tmax) is more important than delidding. every router has venting for convection cooling, but no one wants to spent the 3 cents per heatsink on the proper heatsinking. oh no my margins would go from 100% to 99.8% waaaaaaaaaa :|

this is why the airport extremes work better than most other routers by the way. first of all, the thing is properly heatsinked. second of all, slightly fewer firmware bugs (and bugs that are coincident with bugs in apple products acting as clients, which almost everyone owns).

[mkawa]

What is the advantage of this aside from a longer lasting router?

fewer errors and better reception (the analog parts are all for RF and the digital parts are cheap ICs that make mistakes, LOTS OF MISTAKES when running that hot.

[tp4tissue]

What is the advantage of this aside from a longer lasting router?

fewer errors and better reception (the analog parts are all for RF and the digital parts are cheap ICs that make mistakes, LOTS OF MISTAKES when running that hot.

Stop diss'n ma router Kawa

This thing was only $90 after coupon,  It's never hurt nobody..

[mkawa]

i was literally buying a new 90$ router like every year before i just gave in and bought an AEBS. it's twice as much, but it will last five times as long, so overall it's a win

[Tym]

Using the router I got free from my service provider 

[Photoelectric]

Okay, now I'm curious...  My router doesn't seem to run that hot to touch, but it's definitely very warm, and if you think giving it a good clean and perhaps keep open would help, I'm down with doing those things.

It's a Belkin Wireless G and it has some ventilation holes on one side and stands on its side to provide better air movement along the sides.






Or is this more beneficial for older and larger routers?

[tp4tissue]

i was literally buying a new 90$ router like every year before i just gave in and bought an AEBS. it's twice as much, but it will last five times as long, so overall it's a win

what? ever year? that makes not sense, did they burn out, upgrade-itch?

You can't expect routers to last 5 years though... faster more powerful ones come out so quickly. I'd say 2 years tops..

[tp4tissue]

Okay, now I'm curious...  My router doesn't seem to run that hot to touch, but it's definitely very warm, and if you think giving it a good clean and perhaps keep open would help, I'm down with doing those things.

It's a Belkin Wireless G and it has some ventilation holes on one side and stands on its side to provide better air movement along the sides.

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Or is this more beneficial for older and larger routers?

Every electronic equipment that "heats up" benefits from active fan-cooling.




as far as cleaning goes, you wouldn't need to clean, because there was no way it could've gotten dirty, since it's convection cooled with no dust blowing at it.

[Photoelectric]

It depends--processors can run quite hot when overclocked, but it won't result in any errors unless overclock is unstable (they have to get VERY hot for that to happen).

[tp4tissue]

It depends--processors can run quite hot when overclocked, but it won't result in any errors unless overclock is unstable (they have to get VERY hot for that to happen).

There's a tolerance for errors in software.

At spec, below thermal envelope, the processor MEETS the tolerance.

That doesn't change the fact that with better cooling, the processor wouldn't be outputting better numbers.

[Photoelectric]

I'd like to see some actual data on this.  My router runs 24-7 and with wireless access as well, and it's never restarted or done anything odd.  I'm pretty sure it runs quite warm, and I don't think running it at 5C above ambient temperature would make me notice any difference.  If it ran at like 70-80C and I'd see it restart or make me lose connection, I'd understand.  But you can't just say that every router would benefit from this "just because in theory".  Some things are worth doing to be thorough and some are not really.

And yes, people overclock their processors and can run 24-7 at 70-80C on Ivy Bridge processors with zero noticeable errors (there exist many vigorous tests for stability).  That's just an example where something running "hot" vs. not hot at all (like at 45C) is not going to affect stability but will perhaps affect long-term durability (though most will upgrade before they will notice any negative effects).

[tp4tissue]

I'd like to see some actual data on this.  My router runs 24-7 and with wireless access as well, and it's never restarted or done anything odd.  I'm pretty sure it runs quite warm, and I don't think running it at 5C above ambient temperature would make me notice any difference.  If it ran at like 70-80C and I'd see it restart or make me lose connection, I'd understand.  But you can't just say that every router would benefit from this "just because in theory".  Some things are worth doing to be thorough and some are not really.

And yes, people overclock their processors and can run 24-7 at 70-80C on Ivy Bridge processors with zero noticeable errors (there exist many vigorous tests for stability).  That's just an example where something running "hot" vs. not hot at all (like at 45C) is not going to affect stability but will perhaps affect long-term durability (though most will upgrade before they will notice any negative effects).

The stability you're talking about is a relative figure based on acceptable tolerance.

That doesn't mean the device is not doing better given LOWER temperatures.


For example, we see mission critical setups in the labs being "under-clocked",  why? because they need very high precision and better stability..

[IvanIvanovich]

I think most of it comes down to the quality of components. Some really just are very bad, and they are not really rated for running warm for extended periods. It's probably less the cpu, network and radio chips, but the caps, vrms and other components that are more prone to heat failure. Though some of the chips used really do suck quite badly too.
I used to run a home made modem router with x86 amd geode. It didn't have any cooling, not even heat sinks. Also the crazy design put the CF card the OS ran from right on top of the cpu literally and no ill effects. That thing ran and ran and even at high load rarely hit 30c. It's kind of too bad there isn't more home level stuff that used those as they are quite good for such roles. I only stopped using it since I outgrew my adsl pci card when higher speeds became available I didn't want to be stuck on measly 6mbps when I can have 15. I thought about getting a new adsl card, but they were just too expensive for higher capability. I wish someone would come out with a pci-e adsl/vdsl card so up to date motherboards could be used with cheap ddr3. I also liked being able to migrate wifi from g to n with very little cost in swapping in a mini pci card hitting apt and back up with little fuss.

[Photoelectric]

Okay, now I'm curious...  My router doesn't seem to run that hot to touch, but it's definitely very warm, and if you think giving it a good clean and perhaps keep open would help, I'm down with doing those things.

It's a Belkin Wireless G and it has some ventilation holes on one side and stands on its side to provide better air movement along the sides.

Show Image

Show Image

Or is this more beneficial for older and larger routers?

Every electronic equipment that "heats up" benefits from active fan-cooling.

Show Image

as far as cleaning goes, you wouldn't need to clean, because there was no way it could've gotten dirty, since it's convection cooled with no dust blowing at it.

I'd like to see some actual data on this.  My router runs 24-7 and with wireless access as well, and it's never restarted or done anything odd.  I'm pretty sure it runs quite warm, and I don't think running it at 5C above ambient temperature would make me notice any difference.  If it ran at like 70-80C and I'd see it restart or make me lose connection, I'd understand.  But you can't just say that every router would benefit from this "just because in theory".  Some things are worth doing to be thorough and some are not really.

And yes, people overclock their processors and can run 24-7 at 70-80C on Ivy Bridge processors with zero noticeable errors (there exist many vigorous tests for stability).  That's just an example where something running "hot" vs. not hot at all (like at 45C) is not going to affect stability but will perhaps affect long-term durability (though most will upgrade before they will notice any negative effects).

The stability you're talking about is a relative figure based on acceptable tolerance.

That doesn't mean the device is not doing better given LOWER temperatures.


For example, we see mission critical setups in the labs being "under-clocked",  why? because they need very high precision and better stability..

No, it all depends on whether a product operates within specified tolerances.  Active cooling will lower the temperature, but if that product (processor, VRMs, RAM, storage, etc.) is already operating within the allowed temperature range for proper operation--cooling is adequate.  You seem like a person I've seen who installed a full custom cooling loop onto his i3 in a large case for his HTPC project... 

I have no doubt some routers actually overheat, but you can't generalize that every router / component needs fans plastered all over it.

[Lanx]

i wall mount my routers ( i have the comcast modem, i bought my own, the wifi and my gigbit green router) i find it a lot easier to have them out of the way in this manner, and i can dust them really fast with the turbo vacuum.

[tp4tissue]

i wall mount my routers ( i have the comcast modem, i bought my own, the wifi and my gigbit green router) i find it a lot easier to have them out of the way in this manner, and i can dust them really fast with the turbo vacuum.

what's a gigabit green router..

is that a second router ontop of your wifi router?

[ften]

My N66U runs pretty hot too but I would never have thought about de-lidding it, I like my routers toasty 

Do you use a custom firmware on your N66U?

[tp4tissue]

My N66U runs pretty hot too but I would never have thought about de-lidding it, I like my routers toasty 

Do you use a custom firmware on your N66U?

tomato

[bobjane]

Here's a router where I didn't want to void the warranty.

These things get a lot hotter than 5C above ambient. The first one I posted ran fine for years until the caps went but it was almost too hot to touch, and that's through 3cm of air and then 5mm of plastic. The components were probably getting close to 100C in summer.

[tp4tissue]

Here's a router where I didn't want to void the warranty.

These things get a lot hotter than 5C above ambient. The first one I posted ran fine for years until the caps went but it was almost too hot to touch, and that's through 3cm of air and then 5mm of plastic. The components were probably getting close to 100C in summer.

nice rig...

Warranty is for chumps though..

If you're using a cheap router like me.. there's really no point to ever claim a warranty..

Bust that bad boy open and get Serious Cool.



We pretty much know for a fact that routers are dying from heat.. So if you've tested for DOA + infant-death for a good 2-3 weaks,  you're in the clear for custom cooling