Is it bad to turn off a modem/router

tarshm

April 12, 2010 8:14:11 AM

hi i recently upgraded to a netgear wirless-N 300 modem/router (DGN2000) as it was an absolute steel for the price..coming from a single port modem/router suppplied by my ISP.

my question is this.

i would turn my old modem/router off everynight when the PC was turned off, and there were no issues with it ever, other than its single ethernet port.

i was just wondering is it bad to regularly turn off a modemrouter, say at night when no one is using it. can it potentially harm the firmware or ISP wan settings or is it just me been paranoide. On the other hand can it shorten the life of the device if left on 24/7. Pros and cons decisions decisions

i thank you for your time and answers, you are most generous

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Anonymous

April 12, 2010 8:48:18 AM

If you want to save the planet turn off the router (though the power consumption is negligible, really, if you do this with every appliance in the house I guess the savings mount up).

Most people leave them on because one wants access instantly without fumbling around with power switches. There's also a school of thought that says devices last longer if they are not subject to the trauma of being turned on too frequently.

With the previous generation of Netgears you had to think about heat issues -- probably still a good idea to keep the device ventilated, out of direct sunlight etc if you leave it on.

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tarshm

April 12, 2010 9:22:54 AM

Ok so based on that, it shouldnt matter too much if its left on 24/7. on general use it doesnt seem to get hot but under heavy bandwidth usage and network applications it gets a little hotter.. at the moment i have it standing up to give it maximum surface area contact with ventilating air, might throw a usb fan on it lol

but as long as i know im at no risk of screwing up firmware or ISP settings by turning it off im happy.

btw if you dont mind could you refer me to an article or website detailing what you call "trauma of being turned on too frequently" im just interested.. keeping in mind at most it would be once per day

thanks for the reply

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Anonymous

April 12, 2010 11:26:57 AM

Re your concern about firmware and settings, on some brands of router (Thomson, I'm talking about you !) I've noticed that they sometimes revert to factory settings when switched off and on at the wall. Not an issue with Netgear.

"trauma of being turned on too frequently" I doubt if you'd get much in the way of results if you Googled that ! If you look up in more general terms about turning stuff off, you'll find there's little agreement except on energy saving grounds.

I go with the logic that if it's bad for electronics to turn them on and off, it's 365 times more bad to do that daily.

Particular to wireless routers is the fact that the thing can't be hacked when it's off.