The unlikely case of the router and the television!

[Nigel Andrews]

I have been experiencing problems with the wireless side of my Netgear MR314
router.
The wireless network has been failing late at night and returning, slowly,
in the morning.

I have been chasing all sorts of ideas but I am now, reluctantly, coming to
the conclusion that the television set is having an effect!
The wireless router is sited on top of the television, where it has been
working quite happily for the last two years. It now seems that within about
45 minutes of switching off the television the wireless network fails. In
the morning, despite rebooting PC and the router as well as resetting the
router to factory config, the wireless network remains failed. But within 30
to 45 mins of switching on the television the network begins to return
pings!!

It doesn't behave properly even after it returns but it is substantially
usable, whereas it is non-exisitent beforehand!

When looking at the router from a fixed cable connection it seems as if it
is the sending side of the wireless router which is failing. The DHCP issues
an IP to a PC when it is started but that PC doesn't seem to receive it.
Subsequent release_all and renew_all fail to get the IP even though the DHCP
table on the router shows it allocated.

I am trying to get through to Netgear support, but if anyone has any
suggestions I would welcome them!

Nigel

 

[Carey Holzman]

I recommend replacing the router. Or, if it's under warranty, begin RMA
procedures.

Carey

 

[David Efflandt]

I have been experiencing problems with the wireless side of my Netgear MR314
router.
The wireless network has been failing late at night and returning, slowly,
in the morning.

I have been chasing all sorts of ideas but I am now, reluctantly, coming to
the conclusion that the television set is having an effect!
The wireless router is sited on top of the television, where it has been
working quite happily for the last two years. It now seems that within about
45 minutes of switching off the television the wireless network fails. In
the morning, despite rebooting PC and the router as well as resetting the
router to factory config, the wireless network remains failed. But within 30
to 45 mins of switching on the television the network begins to return
pings!!

Have you tried relocating the router? The top of a TV is NOT a good place
for it, where it may have been adversely affected by heat or magnetic
fields. Just hope it is not beyond the point of no return.

The reverse of that was when I thought the monitor of a co-worker was
defective because the top of the image was wavering annoyingly. When I
was going to return the monitor and removed a clock sitting on top of it,
the monitor suddenly worked perfectly. Apparently a transformer in the
clock had been affecting the monitor.

 

[Chuck]

Have you tried relocating the router? The top of a TV is NOT a good place
for it, where it may have been adversely affected by heat or magnetic
fields. Just hope it is not beyond the point of no return.

The reverse of that was when I thought the monitor of a co-worker was
defective because the top of the image was wavering annoyingly. When I
was going to return the monitor and removed a clock sitting on top of it,
the monitor suddenly worked perfectly. Apparently a transformer in the
clock had been affecting the monitor.

I worked with some ladies once who taped "Out To Lunch" posters to the front of
their monitors. When they were working, they would carefully lift the posters
(still taped) over the top of the monitors, so they rested on top (and blocked
the air vents). One day, one monitor burned out.

The repair tech was not very polite when he swapped monitors, and the posters
were removed quickly.

 

[Nigel Andrews]

Thank-you for the contributions.

I am getting even more convinced that this is a temperature issue. I decided
to leave the TV on overnight and early morning the network was still working
(where it would have been failed on previous nights).
This is where it gets stranger!
I did notice that whilst it was working, the speed was very slow. The room
temp had by then dropped about 3 degrees from the normal day temp. So I put
a small paddy bag on top of the router and over the next 20 minutes the
speed slowly improved back to it's normal (fast) speed. This morning the
speed is still up to normal and the transferring between PC's and browsing
network drives is working smoothly and without the previous errors.
I still find it difficult to accept that a few degrees temp change is the
root cause, but everything is pointing that way.

Maybe tonight I should tuck the router in bed and give it some milk and
cookies!!!

Nigel

 

[Malke]

Thank-you for the contributions.

I am getting even more convinced that this is a temperature issue. I
decided to leave the TV on overnight and early morning the network was
still working (where it would have been failed on previous nights).
This is where it gets stranger!
I did notice that whilst it was working, the speed was very slow. The
room temp had by then dropped about 3 degrees from the normal day
temp. So I put a small paddy bag on top of the router and over the
next 20 minutes the speed slowly improved back to it's normal (fast)
speed. This morning the speed is still up to normal and the
transferring between PC's and browsing network drives is working
smoothly and without the previous errors. I still find it difficult to
accept that a few degrees temp change is the root cause, but
everything is pointing that way.

Maybe tonight I should tuck the router in bed and give it some milk
and cookies!!!

Actually, the few degrees of temperature *can* make a difference with
failing hardware. Think about the expansion/contraction thing. My guess
is that something in the router is working when it is warm - a
connection is being made - and failing when it gets cold. If you can
live with coddling your router - perhaps knitting it a tiny sweater -
then fine. Otherwise, consider buying a new router!

Malke

 

[Nigel Andrews]

Thanks Malke,

Well it does still seem to be a temperature thing. Again last night it
failed about an hour after the TV was turned off.
I tried this morning wrapping a single layer of bubble wrap around the
router without turning on the TV, but that didn't seem to improve things.But
then I found the router wasn't warming up inside the wrap. I'd assumed that
there was an amount of self generated heat but it seems to be very small.
After about an hour of the TV being turned on underneath it then it did feel
warmer and began to work. So I will try a more complete insulation idea for
the router to build up it's own heat a bit more.

This gets stranger by the minute!

I am still waiting for a positive answer from Netgear. My phone call last
Tuesday has still not got a response from support. I beleive the router is
still under their longterm warranty and so I should be able to swap.

Nigel

 

[Malke]

Thanks Malke,

Well it does still seem to be a temperature thing. Again last night it
failed about an hour after the TV was turned off.
I tried this morning wrapping a single layer of bubble wrap around the
router without turning on the TV, but that didn't seem to improve
things.But then I found the router wasn't warming up inside the wrap.
I'd assumed that there was an amount of self generated heat but it
seems to be very small. After about an hour of the TV being turned on
underneath it then it did feel warmer and began to work. So I will try
a more complete insulation idea for the router to build up it's own
heat a bit more.

This gets stranger by the minute!

I am still waiting for a positive answer from Netgear. My phone call
last Tuesday has still not got a response from support. I beleive the
router is still under their longterm warranty and so I should be able
to swap.

I think replacing the router is the best idea, Nigel. You've spent more
time on it than it's worth. Just get a new one and stop knitting that
little sweater.

Malke