Optimal Router Temperature

[PARC]

Hi guys I was just wondering what is the optimal or normal working temperature of our router. I'm currently using the AC88U and I just want to know is this the normal temp?

I just need some clarification so that I wouldn't worry too much

 

[FreshJR]

Doesn't matter. It will be fine.

Mine hovers upto 80*C. Many electronics start shutting off/throttling atl 100*C

 

[cmkelley]

The room where we keep our computers gets a bit warm, so my AC86U runs about 83C. I worry about it a bit, but I've never seen anything definitive on arm processors. I seem to recall my AC3200 also running "hot" but I don't have any screenshots that show it.

For reference, the actively cooled CPUs in our computers run around 40C.

 

[FreshJR]

Silicon is silicon, it will be fine.

The thing to be worried about is how close ASUS placed the on board capacitors next to the heat producing components.

Even then, the diminished life expectancy of the capacitors from the higher operating temperatures will still have them outlive the useful life of the router.

Mechically the temperature gradient between a 70*F and 100*F ambient room temperature with regards to radiant heat transfer isn't too drastic

 

[FreshJR]

Silicon is silicon, it will be fine.

The thing to be worried about is how close ASUS placed the on board capacitors next to the heat producing components.

Even then, the diminished life expectancy of the capacitors from the higher operating temperatures will still have them outlive the useful life of the router.

Mechically the temperature gradient between a 70*F and 100*F ambient room temperature with regards to radiant heat transfer isn't too drastic

Just some rough calculations, at 100% continuous load

68*F ambient = 80*C router load
100*F ambient = 90*C router load
125*F ambient = 100*C router load
175*F ambient = 120*C router load

 

[PARC]

Thank you very much guys! Really appreciate the inputs. Now I have nothing to worry about.

 

[st3v3n]

We have a small fan off to the side of our RT-AC3200 that blows directly at the router, modem and video boxes sitting on the shelf. Temps on the router are usually 45C and room temp runs 70-75F. A router we had several years ago ran hot, and only lasted about 8 months without a fan. Since we added the cooling fan, we've never lost another one.

We've had active-cooling fans running in our rack-mounted studio gear for years. We regularlyclean and replace the fans when they wear out or become noisy, and the gear remains cool. One of the first things they used to teach in electronic repair classes is that over-heating causes the premature demise of all sensitive electronics sooner or later, whether it's a TV or computer.

Cooling fans are quiet, inexpensive, and using them has always proven beneficial for our gear. The best example is that your computer CPU will quickly melt-down if the cooling fan isn't turned on at boot-up; it's the same principle, just not as extreme for a router. Years ago, computer CPUs didn't require an active heat-sink-fan combination, yet cooling solutions sold by the millions, helping the CPUs last longer and run faster. Consumer grade also routers didn't run as warm in the past, or at least not as hot as they run today. Routers are especially good at being cat-magnets, and who ever saw cats looking for a cool place to bed down? It's a personal choice; if the router seems to be running too hot for your taste, no one will fault you for cooling it. The YMMV applies as always; good luck whatever you choose.

 

[Rob Q]

Here's mine,
2.4 GHz: 48°C
5 GHz: 49°C
CPU: 75°C

 

[st3v3n]

Seems to be about average. Have you tried pointing a small fan at the router as an experiment, to see how yours responds? Every few degrees lower helps. Cheers.

 

[FreshJR]

@st3v3n to be more exact. Every 10*C lowered doubles a capacitors lifetime.

Capacitors do NOT expierence the CPU reported temp. Conversely their operating temperature will be lower the further they are from the heat producing components.

I expect a router to last at minimum 5 years and be completely obsolete at 10 years. Doubling capacitor life is not a concern at these intervals. (I even run my desktop passive cooled and it has been in service for 7 years).

If your router died in 8 months, that was either a severe design flaw in terms of component location, or you got unlucky and some part was almost dieing. If the latter case, the fan would of extended the life to 1.5-2years max (which is still premature).

For comparison of similar electronics:

Amazons 1rst gen fire stick runs ~70-80*C at load
Amazons 2nd gen fire stick runs ~90-100*C at load (pretty sure it throttles at 100*C)

http://www.aftvnews.com/amazon-fire...1st-gen-but-dissipates-heat-more-efficiently/

Doesn't seem they are worried about it either.

 

[st3v3n]

FreshJR, it's not a problem; don't worry about our capacitors, old routers, length of service, be it 5, 10 or whatever years. It has no relation to your remote diagnosis, but the router tjat died (mentioned in passing)did so because of a minute gap, and so the chip finally overheated and melted down. If a fan had been in place to circulate the air, it wouldn't have failed; stuff happens. Asus replaced it under warranty with the same model and that replacement still runs fine and much cooler.

The response wasn't but should've remarked in reply to PARC's concerns re temps. The pros/cons of hot running routers and/or active cooling has been beaten to death on this site and countless other forums. Fans are effective in reducing temps; pardon if any member took it adversely. The response to the concern over temps was offered in good spirit, and was not intended to provoke a discussion of 'this router should last x years' with/without active cooling, and/or to induce speculation of why something dies before it's time; they do, it did, and that one could've been avoided. Whatever one's view or expectation of how gear can/should last and/or perform with/without a fan, as long as the user is happy with it, that's what matters. Lets move on. Cheers.

 

[FreshJR]

Wasn't trying to attack anyone. I can see and understand both sides of the story, and was just trying to supply some technical details.

My preference is on the noise-free side, that is all !
Cooler is better, but I am not personally willing to make the sacrifice and in turn accept the lowered life expectancy .

 

[st3v3n]

FreshJR, thanks, I wasn't trying to be snarky. Sometimes things become frustrating even on hump-day.

I seldom have time to respond to any of the threads. It's the sole remaining site I make time to read or respond to. It's a great site with many great, professional people, with much to offer if one has the proper search-fu. Most members are well-mannered, but even the 'old- hands' weariness creeps in at times. As one wizard put it recently, there's too much hate in the world, (and the world is all online now). There's always a rocker switch that can handle any situation

Last year there was a photo of the routers I found that showed the tiny gap that caused the overheating ours died from. Could've been insufficient thermal material or poor QC don't recall.

The $10 fan on the router shelf is silent until your ear is next to it. The automated studio boards we run have Noctua fans mounted on the bottom, to pull air through and direct it down to cool the PSU, LCD display, and reduces electrical noise that used to show up in recordings when the board became too hot. They're old units but not as old as Bob Grohl's Neve board from Sound City. Some things age better than others if you give them some help. With the best condenser mike sitting 3 feet from the board, there's no audible noise from the fans. The poor router seems inexpensive by comparison. Well worth the small price of the fan to keep the toys running well. The live long and prosper rule applies, as long as the end result makes you smile. Cheers.

 

[PARC]

Thanks everyone! Having a fan really made a big difference. Got a small laptop cooler for $8 online and now the temp plays around 50+C to 60+C

 

[joegreat]

Hi guys I was just wondering what is the optimal or normal working temperature of our router. I'm currently using the AC88U and I just want to know is this the normal temp?

I just need some clarification so that I wouldn't worry too much

Everything below 100° C is fine - so no worries, no cooling, no nothing needed!

My fully busy Main Router (with no cooling ) is is at following Temperatures 2.4 GHz: 45°C - 5 GHz: 62°C - CPU: 86°C and the idling Access Point at 2.4 GHz: 40°C - 5 GHz: 59°C - CPU: 75°C

 

[st3v3n]

PARC, nice photo. I used a L/Top cooler for a while, but the fan induced RFI which was unacceptable, the fan off to the side got the job. Posted today's-temp-pic, 12 hours, both tunnels running video streaming with OpenVPN; now, if only electricity were free Cheers.

 

[PARC]

PARC, nice photo. I used a L/Top cooler for a while, but the fan induced RFI which was unacceptable, the fan off to the side got the job. Posted today's-temp-pic, 12 hours, both tunnels running video streaming with OpenVPN; now, if only electricity were free Cheers.

Oh I never thought of RFI, anyways been testing the cooler since yesterday and its seems ok , all connection are still good so far. But thank you for the heads- up.

 

[FreshJR]

but the fan induced RFI .

How did you measure this.

My router sits on top of a subwoofer which will give off significantly stronger alternating magnetic fields than the alternating currents in a brush based DC motor. (We are talking 3 vs 300watt difference)

 

[st3v3n]

The wireless signal dropped off and occasionally there were visible spikes in the wireless signal strength. I'd liked to have put the cooler/fan on an oscilloscope, but it wasn't necessary; as soon as the cooler was removed, the noise issue was resolved. It was a no-name fan in a really cheap cooler. It's easy enough to tell if your wireless signal is affected, if it begins dropping out when it didn't before, and you haven't changed anything other than sticking a laptop cooler, under it; that was the only variable so no extensive tests or measurements were required.

If your woofer is sufficiently shielded, the magnetic field shouldn't have much of if any effect on the router, (never say never). I'd be more concerned about the vibration that can affect the parts. I've always avoided stacking any electronics on speakers.

As far back as the 1960s, we removed amplifier heads from the speaker stacks; while the result didn't look as cool, ie a taller amp stack, the tubes lasted much longer when they weren't constantly shaken, rattled/vibrated. Tube life was at least doubled, the sound remained clean, and parts didn't separate from circuit boards. Most consumer electronics have a much different level of RFI they're allowed to give off by govt regs and how much they're required to accept. Unlike electronics for satellites or military applications, routers aren't shaken to bits, baked during lab tests, tested in a vacuum nor hardened against EMP or RFI. The FCC/UL warnings that are sometimes printed in the fine user manuals (usually) state the device can't cause interference to other devices and must accept any interference it receives in return. Hardly fair. Cheers.

 

[IronTiger]

I recently started to have some WiFi issues with my ASUS RT-AC88U which coincided with all of my 5 kids being home 24/7 due to Covid-19 crap. I added a fan and the temps dropped immediately plus the WiFi issues have disappeared. Here's a screenshot:

And a later pic: