Why routers fail

In a few cases I was able to reset the router to factory default, but in most cases the only solution was to replace the unit.

Things started slowing down a couple of weeks ago but we lived with the problem for a while. There was also the issue of Panda Internet Security doing its things in the background. About a week ago I swapped the speedstream DSL unit out. The existing one was an ebay purchase that was shipped with insufficient packing and the case has a hole and possible internal damage although it has been working for about 2 months.

No difference. Starting last Friday I pulled Panda off the main machine which was direct to the router. Still the pits. Went back direct to the primary speedstream and it was OK. Rset the router both possible ways. Reloaded the setups. No differences. Your email address will not be published. Hardware vs. Software Keyloggers Read Next. April 12, at pm. This is a rare case but I hope this helps someone with what seems like a failing router. Issue: Recently I had a netgear just drop the internet every couple of hours.

So I tried a factory reset, but had the same results… Solution: Found out if you unplug every cable besides mine it loaded up normal….. Shildor says:. April 20, at pm. Over the years I have come to the conclusion that Routers are built to fail after a couple of years of use. Like Keef said. Like to see one offered with a 5 year unconditional Warranty That will be the day -lol. B Huss says:. February 17, at pm. The router started slowing and finally stopped working at the end of September.

It died on Dec 23rd. The tech service had me send it in for repair. I got it back and installed on Jan 7th. They told me that they would either recondition it or send me a new one.

I called and asked which they had sent, but no one could tell me. There was no warning, last night all was fine, this morning no connection and the 2. The router and modem are in a clean, dry and cool location. Knew what to try, went thru that drill less than 2 months ago and their customer service is closed today anyway. Have the modem plugged into the CPU where it works just fine, but no one else can use their networked items again.

Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I've been having problems with my internet connection over the past weeks intermittent disconnections, slow transfers, etc , and my provider keeps telling me that the problem is not on their end.

The router is quite old DIR , so I'm starting to wonder if it could be the issue and if I should replace it. Is it possible that it is the cause? Can they become so outdated that they cause intermittent interruptions of service? If I reset the modem and the router, they work fine for a few hours, but the problems starts again after a while. In general, routers can and do fail. The primary cause of failure for consumer grade equipment is heat stress.

Most consumer grade hardware runs far too hot and have respectively poor air cirulation compared to their ventilation needs. In general, consumer grade hardware is not as robustly made as commercial or enterprise hardware. But all physical devices are subject to physical effects.

It's not uncommon for consumer grade devices to fail within a few years due to heat or vibration issues. Routers stuck near windows argh! Contrast that with commercial grade devices which are often still working for 10 or more years after their first deployment. Most cable modems have either an ethernet port or WiFi ability. Of course, bypassing the router means you bypass the router's firewall protection and NAT abilities so take due precautions on your computer.

If I reset the modem and the router, they work fine for a few hours, but the problems start again after a while. The easiest way to check if the router is Out of Service or near to this inevitable state, you may try with another one temporary from a friend for example. If this solved the Internet connection problems, you have the answer Entry level D-Link Routers, and older d-link routers are not known to be very stable. While some were decent, if unspectacular, they began failing in large bunches years after they were put in use.

I am in agreement with all comments that I read about heat - poor ventilation design, or poor ventilation on the end-user's part. However, what usually leads to many of what Joan complains about, is simply the newer and higher speeds now capable and whether your router can handle them. I had to 'put down' a perfectly good Netgear wired-only router that was like yours about 3 years old - my provider was trying to offer me 15MBs download speeds and I could only manage 7.

I had a similar issue with a DIR From my experiments I assume, that it has issues with portscanners even with the latest firmware.

Try replacing the power supply before you get a new router. In my experience they fail about times as often as the routers themselves. Anything electrical can fail over time. That is probably not what is happening in your case. The router you have currently is two generations behind. More than that though, the router you have is a single band router. The 2. That interference results in your router or device having to drop packets and resend them which slows down your connection and wireless G is already pretty slow.

Drop enough packets and you get disconnected from the network, however your device doesn't necessarily know that it was disconnected yet. Too Long Read Anyway: Get a new router and use the 5ghz wireless band for all your communications.

You may need adapters on computers but most mobile devices should support 5ghz at this point. We delete comments that violate our policy , which we encourage you to read. Discussion threads can be closed at any time at our discretion. Chris Mon. Alina Bradford. May 2, a. The easiest ways to clean your router Unplug your router and tip it to the side.

Use a cotton swab to scoop dust lodged in your router's vents. Now playing: Watch this: Russian hackers targeting your router: Here's what to Discuss: Fix a common router problem with a can of compressed air.