Router sulks, then works.

On one of these groups, I posted about 6 months ago about the adapter for my router failing after a power outage. Apparently it's not a power surge but just normal unplugging and replugging that is bad for many things (especially maybe if they can cool off in between). I used a universal adapter for a while and bought the exact replacement adapter, with the D-Link label, on Ebay. Everything fine.

Last night we had another power failure and today, after futile attempts to get my mail, I see that none of the lights on the router are on. I hadn't even gotten around to taking the universal adapter back to it's drawer in the basement!

So I switched to that and it didnt' work, but after I unplugged and plugged it in 3 times, ALL the lights on the router went on and stayed on. I ended up unplugging it from the adapter at least 10 times before it finally started working. And now it's been fine for hours.

Reply to
Micky
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A cold reboot requires that all the capacitors (ALL of them) are fully drai ned within the unit. This can take sometimes a few seconds, sometimes hours . And why it is when doing a cold reboot one holds down the start button fo r 30 seconds prior to actually connecting power. This helps discharge those capacitors.

Next time, before connecting the wall wart, try holding down the start butt on for 30 - 90 seconds.

Peter Wieck Melrose Park, PA

Reply to
pfjw

As a general rule, based on typical product design of older equipment, a power reset is only reliably achieved through disconnection of power for a few minutes. I use a 5 minute rule, based on worst case experience with larger machines - with experience this can be reduced.

Reset buttons and even on-off switches can not always be counted on to do this.

If you only want to do this only once, it's worth the extra wait, particularly if there are many suspect devices (including PCs) in the possible fault chain. With experience, some fault-specific components in the chain may be identified to reduce any running around.

RL

Reply to
legg

Avoid the problem: buy an uninterrupted power supply.

Have a good day,

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Wolf K 
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Reply to
Wolf K

By any chance, are you on Southern California Edison (SCE)?

Despite being plugged into a surge suppressor, a SCE outage late last year fried my router, possibly when power was restored. I had to go out and buy a new one. SCE denied any responsibility and refused to reimburse the cost of the router. All they did was apologize for the inconvenience. Last Saturday, we had another SCE outage. I rushed to unplug my router before the electricity came back on. This time, my router survived.

SCE has outages sufficiently often, that I refuse to surrender my land-line phone service. AT&T powers the phones independently of SCE, which means I can call SCE when there is an outage. Such calls are impossible during an outage with VoIP phone service, and even some cell towers die when SCE dies.

SCE repeatedly tells me that I can report outages through their Web site. It does not tell me how to reach their Web site when my PC, my router, my modem, and the Internet cable service all fail to work without electricity.

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David E. Ross 
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Reply to
David E. Ross

On 2016-06-08 10:39, David E. Ross wrote: [...]

Get an Uninterruptible Power Supply. Essential protection IMO. Get one large enough to power your computer, the wi-fi, and the modem for 10 minutes or so, plus a USB cable and software to shut down the computer in your absence.

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Wolf K 
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Reply to
Wolf K
[snip]

During the last multi-day power outage here, I was using a laptop and mobile hotspot. I ram my generator only part of the time to keep them charged.

BTW, I have seldom (if ever) benefited from reporting a power outage. The system is usually busy from others reporting outages. However, I still liked checking the map that shows outages.

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Mark Lloyd 
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Reply to
Mark Lloyd

I have one, but I didn't think to connect the router to it. Thanks

Reply to
Micky

I don't report them because I know there are others more impatient than I. I just sit in the dark. Plus these days, I wonder if they self-report?

I think night before last was just for a moment. I have a UPS on my DVDR, but it doesn't work as well as I'd hoped for, and iirc even with the UPS, the DVDR forgets what shows to record if the outage is more than a few moments. (testing would be very inconvenient.) Or I could compare with my analog clocks.

Reply to
Micky

Its fairly common for items with an SMPSU to have an inrush limiting NTC thermistor, these reduce in resistance when current flow heats them up - they take a few minutes to cool back to room temperature and return to the higher resistance.

They're mainly to limit the charging surge for the reservoir capacitor - some items don't have the NTC device, but don't seem to be conspicuously any less reliable.

After a certain manufacture date; anything over 50W had to have a PFC front end - basically a switch mode regulator that preceeds the reservoir capacitor - soft start is easier and cheaper to do electronically than include the NTC device.

Reply to
Ian Field

Well this thing is pretty old. 8 years at least but I can't remember where I bought it. Maybe it was used. D-link DI-524

Reply to
Micky

It would seem that the logical thing would be to simply buy a new router from a good maker. If the router uses a 12V supply and your area has bad power problems something like a Belkin BU3DC001-12V instead of a 'normal' wall-wart supply might be advisable too if the plug is fully compatible. I use the Belkin on my AT&T modem (it came with one) and another on my main switch in the equipment room (I had a spare one just sitting there) while each of the computers has their own 1200VA AC UPS supplying it and any important ancillary network equipment, etc, in their vicinity. I have five of these AC UPS units. The power in my area really sucks big time and I eventually learned my lesson...

But I never did see any symptoms such as you describe -- everything reset fine after being powered off for a few seconds or when the reset button was pressed (in the old days where there were actual reset buttons on small network equipment).

Reply to
John McGaw

Garbage. I had nothing but problems with that vintage D-Link hardware due to line glitches. The stock 5V 2.5A JTA0302B power supply is a known headache. They tend to last about 3-5 years before the capacitors bulge. If you put a scope on the PS line, you'll find it full of switching trash. If you're good at brain surgery and working in tight spaces, you can possibly fix it.

This is unusual, but cute: (1:41)

Look through the Linksys refurbished collection for a cheap replacement:

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Jeff Liebermann     jeffl@cruzio.com 
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Reply to
Jeff Liebermann

Yeah, now I r emember that we talked about capacitors (on electonics repair) the last time, and I cracked it open and looked, but I didnt' seen any that looked swollen. Maybe I just don't know how to look.

And my experience is consistent with yours, 2 bad ones in 8 years. Last time, after the new power supply came via Ebay, it dawned on me that I'd bought a spare at a hamfest, but I went to look at it, and it had no wifi, only routing, and the power supply wasn't with it. But then a few months later, I found a brand new, still wrapped in cellophane, same thing as I'm using. I'd forgotten I had both. So I know where to get a 3rd powersupply and if it blows, I'll go back to the Ambico Universal Digital Camera AC Adaptor, 2100mA, with 4 different tips** and voltages from 3 to 7 volts. I paid $9 for it

20 years ago for just this sort of situation. **tubular tips, none of which would fit any digital camera made these days, because they are all USB, aren't they? Even many of the brands of camera they list don't make cameras anymore, afaik: Hewlitt Packard, Vivitar, Kodak, Minolta, Epson. Epson?

I'm working on it, but when I get good at brain surgery, I plan to be a brain surgeon.

Reply to
Micky

Quote from someone

But I never did see any symptoms such as you describe -- everything reset fine after being powered off for a few seconds or when the reset button was pressed (in the old days where there were actual reset buttons on small network equipment).

Seen those sort of symptoms all of the time. Power glitching is a good rea son for them. If there's no backup batteries within the device, pull the a dapter and short the input to the router for at least 39 seconds. I've res urrected a number of things this way. The last device was a wireless mouse . Did the "short trick" overnight and it worked. Usually 30s to 1 minute usually works.

The method has a good reason why it works. I also resurrected a automobile clock that died shortly after a jump start. A bit harder and it was never removed from the dash.

Reply to
Ron D.

Electrolytics don't always bulge - sometimes they get hot and expel electrolyte past the rubber bung, when they cool, a vacuum forms and sometimes makes the top slightly concave.

If you remove them - the dead ones usually feel lighter than they should.

The usual problem is ESR - high internal resistance, this causes losses when filtering the output from an SMPSU. Those losses translate into heat that you can feel - but watch out; electrolytics on the primary side of an SMPSU can have live cans!

You could always buy an ESR meter - but the good ones aren't cheap.

Some types of combined continuity/voltage testers with 2 LED indication can give a near enough test - one LED "kicks" as the capacitor charges when you press the button, the other LED "kicks" on discharge as you release the button. It takes experience to read how fast or slow the LEDs fade, but I got away with such a tester for years.

Reply to
Ian Field

But it's more likely that the electrolytics on the secondary are the problem. Those run at much higher frequencies than 60 or 50Hz from the line, which makes them more vulnerable.

Michael

Reply to
Michael Black

You mean the power, right? Not the internet input.

There is no internet input to car clocks (well, maybe there is these days) so it's the power.

I'll try this sometime. Everything is working now. 39 seconds?

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Reply to
Micky

Not so with the electronic PFC front end.

The rectifier output only has a low capacitor film type - the rough DC goes straight to the PFC circuit, that is basically a flyback boost converter, and that's what charges the reservoir electrolytic.

Before the proliferation of PFC, I was in mainstream servicing - I had to replace enough rectifier/reservoir electrolytics to complain about how much they cost!

For UK mains; the PFC reservoir has to be rated 450V instead of 385V - and handle SMPSU type ripple. So I expect they're a bit more expensive and probably fail more often.

Reply to
Ian Field

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