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Do routers have a 'lifespan'?

matt0725

Hey everyone, im currently very confused by some network issues in my home. Every few years, my routers seem to just go to shit. I'll start having dropouts, packet loss issues, high ping, slow speeds, etc. Eventually, ill bypass my router and hook straight up to the ethernet cable from the street, and everything on my PC returns to normal. Replacing the router fixes the issue for a few years, until we go through the cycle again. (this is over the course of weeks/months, i do restart the router, all of the usual steps. My ethernet cables to my home and in the walls all pass testing as well)

 

No other electronics in my home experience these kinds of issues or breakdown after only like 2-3 years. We don't have dirty power, and the router location has changed over the years so it isnt even the same circuit. Do routers just have a lifespan or am i losing my mind?

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Electronics tend to always have a lifespan, and if you get the cheaper ones they simply dont last long. Ive noticed a few brands of routers that simply dont last long or burn out, or capacitors have some qc issues

 

Other then that it seems to be a mixture of things. Are the rooms very humid or anything that could cause other issues? Vaping/cig smoking etc.

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4 minutes ago, Shimejii said:

Electronics tend to always have a lifespan, and if you get the cheaper ones they simply dont last long. Ive noticed a few brands of routers that simply dont last long or burn out, or capacitors have some qc issues

 

Other then that it seems to be a mixture of things. Are the rooms very humid or anything that could cause other issues? Vaping/cig smoking etc.

I usually have Asus brand routers, but the models have varied between the cheapest one and the ~$200 range. I think i had a linksys or netgear one somewhere in there which acted up as well.

 

The room(s) are not humid and no one in the house smokes or vapes. House has central air and heat so the temperatures are never at any extreme.

 

I know everything has a lifespan, but i tend to have good luck with electronics and them surviving, so to have literally gone through 5 routers in 10 years just doesnt seem right to me. this also includes 2 different ISPs should it make a difference to anyone

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Routers run 24/7, and yeah from my experience low/mid end consumer ones rarely last more than 3-4 years.

 

Last time I got fed up and went to the ~$320 range and it's been rock solid for 5 years so far...

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1 minute ago, Kilrah said:

Routers run 24/7, and yeah from my experience low/mid end consumer ones rarely last more than 3-4 years.

 

Last time I got fed up and went to the ~$320 range and it's been rock solid for 4 years so far...

damn, maybe its time to drop some cash on one then to give it a try. Ive been trending cheaper as they die so frequently on me lol

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Can't speak for anyone else but the ASUS RT-AC56U I have been rocking since 2017 ish and it's been fine for me so maybe there are some good cheaper models out there, I mean just a couple months ago I got another security update for it so the supported lifespan has been great aswell and it only cost me around £70.

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13 minutes ago, matt0725 said:

damn, maybe its time to drop some cash on one then to give it a try. Ive been trending cheaper as they die so frequently on me lol

For long term, might be better off building a budget PF Sense or similar router box and look at getting some APs from like Ubiquiti, Rukus, etc that deal with Enterprise customers, not SOHO stuff if you're looking for long term solutions.

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Every router I've had that gave me the same issues always ended up having a failing power supply. My current router (some higher end Netgear) is plugged into an Eaton UPS and has been rock solid for many years. I don't know if failing power bricks is the same reason you have issues, but if you take a multimeter to it I'd be curious. Hell, one time our newer Motorola Arris modem had all the capacitors blow out due to a failing power brick. Maybe the bricks are made to cheap standards. 

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1 hour ago, TempestCatto said:

Every router I've had that gave me the same issues always ended up having a failing power supply. My current router (some higher end Netgear) is plugged into an Eaton UPS and has been rock solid for many years. I don't know if failing power bricks is the same reason you have issues, but if you take a multimeter to it I'd be curious. Hell, one time our newer Motorola Arris modem had all the capacitors blow out due to a failing power brick. Maybe the bricks are made to cheap standards. 

Now, that's a good point! A failed power supply would certainly cause issues for whatever it is plugged into. I wish it was easier to find a good quality replacement power supply for devices than it is. I used to be able to walk into my local Radio Shack and ask them for a replacement power supply for all sorts of things, but not anymore. Now, it's try something from some website and hope for the best. 

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24 minutes ago, Wardude said:

Now, that's a good point! A failed power supply would certainly cause issues for whatever it is plugged into. I wish it was easier to find a good quality replacement power supply for devices than it is. I used to be able to walk into my local Radio Shack and ask them for a replacement power supply for all sorts of things, but not anymore. Now, it's try something from some website and hope for the best. 

Most routers I’ve seen recently run at 12V with varying amps and use the same size barrel connector, there’s only four aspects to power supply connectivity:

- voltage (should be exact)

- amperage (same or higher than the previous is OK)

- connector type/size

-whether the center pin is positive or negative - the device and/or power supply will have a small diagram indicating this

 

To make sure it isn’t local power fluctuations killing even decent power supplies, get a UPS that has AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation, might go under different names with different vendors) as well as a good surge protection rating, or use a separate surge protector before or after the UPS. If you have any separate switches or APs they should be powered this way as well - ethernet cables shouldn’t carry through voltage spikes in general but they are ground-referenced.

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20 minutes ago, brwainer said:

Most routers I’ve seen recently run at 12V with varying amps and use the same size barrel connector, there’s only four aspects to power supply connectivity:

- voltage (should be exact)

- amperage (same or higher than the previous is OK)

- connector type/size

-whether the center pin is positive or negative - the device and/or power supply will have a small diagram indicating this

 

To make sure it isn’t local power fluctuations killing even decent power supplies, get a UPS that has AVR (Automatic Voltage Regulation, might go under different names with different vendors) as well as a good surge protection rating, or use a separate surge protector before or after the UPS. If you have any separate switches or APs they should be powered this way as well - ethernet cables shouldn’t carry through voltage spikes in general but they are ground-referenced.

Its not that 12V PSUs are hard to find, its that you have no idea which are good or bad.  Even branded ones you can't be sure if they are a knock-offs.

 

One thing you can sometimes do though is find old outdated devices brand new with a compatible PSU, for less than a PSU alone would cost.

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8 hours ago, Skiiwee29 said:

For long term, might be better off building a budget PF Sense or similar router box and look at getting some APs from like Ubiquiti, Rukus, etc that deal with Enterprise customers, not SOHO stuff if you're looking for long term solutions.

This. When my current one dies I'll go to a custom build. 

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Go to a distributor of electronic components like Digikey, Mouser, Newark/Farnell, RS Components, TME.eu, and buy wall wart adapter with the right voltage, current and barrel jack.

 

yeah, power supply is usually what fails first, because it runs 24/7 and it's sealed in a plastic box so the heat generated inside keeps all components inside warm and that can degrade over time some components (electrolytic capacitors)

 

very rarely, it can happen for some bits in the flash memory that keeps the firmware to be degraded or corrupted (the flash memory chip that stores the code used by the router) that could mess up the router and make it crash. Updating a new firmware or re-uploading the firmware would "refresh" the memory cells of that flash chip and make it almost as new again. 

 

Example on Digikey (because OP is from NY ) : https://www.digikey.com/short/hhtqqt7c

 

You can choose voltage, current (current can be higher than what your router wants) , and the barrel jack connector diameters, if you want with removable power cable or with prongs on it.  Pretty much all the brands sold will have certifications and all that, they're not noname ebay crap.

 

Most common barrel jack sizes are 2.1mm ID / 5.5mm OD (usually for up to around 30-40 watts) , and 2.5mm ID / 5.5mm OD ( usually for 30-40w and higher) - ID is inner diameter, OD is outer diameter..

 

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thanks for the tips everyone! For now i went out and grabbed a new router as that was the fastest/easiest way to appease the whole family and get the internet running normal again. Im going to look into switching to a pfsense+AP or maybe just snagging a good PSU for this new router and seeing how long it lasts first. When i build a new system i can convert my current one into a router/game server/storage box thing 🙂

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On 10/15/2024 at 6:30 PM, Kilrah said:

Routers run 24/7, and yeah from my experience low/mid end consumer ones rarely last more than 3-4 years.

 

Last time I got fed up and went to the ~$320 range and it's been rock solid for 5 years so far...

seen and experience same thing.

hell the comcast modem. 4 in 12 month.

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11 hours ago, dogwitch said:

garbage lvl cooling

At $15/m for your convenience, at least the last time I checked the rate card for the fee. We bought out own modem over a decade ago, used the first one up till they upgraded us to a speed tier not supported by it and upgraded to our current one.  

I just want to sit back and watch the world burn. 

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8 hours ago, Donut417 said:

At $15/m for your convenience, at least the last time I checked the rate card for the fee. We bought out own modem over a decade ago, used the first one up till they upgraded us to a speed tier not supported by it and upgraded to our current one.  

if i force to. it has to be free to rent. other wise i will use my own.'

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1 hour ago, dogwitch said:

if i force to. it has to be free to rent. other wise i will use my own.'

The only time they force it is on pre paid and the gateway is included in the price of service.  Comcast started include gateway rentals in to their deals as well, so I guess entice people to use their gateways. I for one wont use any of their supplied equipment Ive heard some of the lower end stuff its shit. The Higher end stuff might be fine but you have to sub to the higher end service to get it. 

I just want to sit back and watch the world burn. 

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15 minutes ago, Donut417 said:

The only time they force it is on pre paid and the gateway is included in the price of service.  Comcast started include gateway rentals in to their deals as well, so I guess entice people to use their gateways. I for one wont use any of their supplied equipment Ive heard some of the lower end stuff its shit. The Higher end stuff might be fine but you have to sub to the higher end service to get it. 

i agree. . yeah lower end boxs on centurylink or comcast. have such a high fail rate. tech have boxes in the vans and their a full self every week at comcast office. of failed devices.

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