The WiFi routers that we have in our homes to have an Internet connection are designed to be always on, this does not mean that, on some occasions, the router is damaged and we have to buy a new one, or call our Internet company to let us change it. There are some components in routers that break down more than others, especially depending on the use we give them, the temperature in our house and the correct ventilation of our equipment. Next, we are going to indicate which are the components that most often break.
Router components that break the most
Although routers are designed so that they are always on, this does not mean that they cannot have faults and even some of their components can be damaged over time and use. Next, we are going to explain which ones are the most damaged.
Current transformer
Without a doubt, the component of the routers that most often breaks is the current transformer . Routers use direct current to work properly, and with all domestic WiFi routers comes the usual power adapter to connect it to the Schucko plug in our home, which is alternating current. These devices are usually the ones that break the most due to possible power surges in our home, power outages and also the harmonics that we may have in the electrical installation. Although it is not normal for them to break in 2 or 3 years, it is quite likely that after this time they will be damaged if you do not connect them to a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply).
If your router suddenly won’t turn on, or only the backlights on the Ethernet ports turn on, it’s quite likely that the power adapter is broken, and you’ll need to buy a new one. If you are going to buy a new one, you have to pay close attention to the voltage (V) and also the amperage (A) that your old transformer uses.
Wi-Fi external antennas
Another component that tends to break easily is the WiFi antennas, as long as they are external. If you have a router with external antennas and you have placed it in an accessible place, it is possible that inadvertently it suffers the odd blow. The RP-SMA connectors of the external antennas are not as strong as we think, and a sharp blow could easily break them , so we must be especially careful when leaving objects near the router, so as not to touch the external antennas.
In the event that you have a WiFi router with internal antennas, you will not have this problem, since the antennas are inside the router’s own casing. In this case, what you should never do is place objects around the WiFi router, because you will be “covering” the internal antennas that we have available.
Rear Ethernet ports
If you have many devices connected via cable, and the Ethernet network cables are too tense , you could damage the part of the rear RJ-45 ports that we have in the routers. It is very important that, if we have multiple wired devices, we do not have the cables tense or move the router from position, because in one pull we could break both the router’s RJ-45 port and the plug of the network cable itself.
Our recommendation to avoid this problem is that you make sure that the network cables are not too tense, and if you are going to move the router, that you take into account the devices currently connected, and do not forget to also take into account the cable of the current transformer.
CPU chipset and Wi-Fi
The two components that usually have the highest temperatures in a router are the main processor and also the WiFi controllers (2.4GHz and 5GHz). If we do not have good ventilation in the equipment, the processor could reach temperatures of 90ºC, causing the useful life of the device to decrease rapidly. The same happens with WiFi controllers, and in this case temperatures of 85ºC could be reached without many problems. When the temperature is so high, there is usually instability in the WiFi network and also with the Internet connection.
Make sure you have the router in a well-ventilated place, away from direct sunlight and do not put anything near or on top of the router, in order to improve the ventilation of the equipment.
These are all the components of our routers that usually have the most breakdowns, we can avoid many of these breakdowns by following the advice that we have indicated.
