Overheating router cooling solution

[jaytmoon]

Hello All,
I have this Linksys wrt610n v2 router that has begun to get "very" warm when my network is moving a lot of data (gaming, ptp, etc). I searched for a commercial solution but it seems no one has produced a really viable solution for someone to purchase so I decided to build my own solution for this problem with easily acquired parts. My only requirement was to not void the router warrantee.
Parts List:
2 Antec 80mm 12v case cooling fans
1 Radio Shack AC to DC power adapter Variable voltage (273-316)
1 Staples File Box (wire mesh construction part #11942)
1 Molex connector-female with 3 to 4 " of lead wire attached
Heat Shrink wire insulation tubing (about 2 ")
4'' wire ties (about 5)
Tools: solder iron, wire stripper/snips, electrical tape.
Assembly time: approx 1Hour.
To build this, cut off the pin connector from the end of the ac/dc adapter to expose the 2 bare wires (about 1/4 "). Determine the polarity or the wire to make the subsequent assembly go smoothly as the fans will only work with one wiring orientation .
Note: (test with a low voltage setting on the adapter to be safe)
With your Molex connector in hand and the red/black wire leads exposed a 1/4", slip a 1" section of your heat shrink tube over each lead, twist the bare leads to each of the leads from the ac/dc adapter together (Verify the polarity with a quick plug in and power up to the fans.
Now once you have the fans spinning, you can hit the bare wires with a bit of solder and then cover up the wire joints with the shrink tube to seal the deal.
Once you've got the fans running, it's time to mount them to the inside of the File Box to blow or draw air to/from the overheating components (your choice).
I spaced the fans a few inches apart and roughly centered from front to back of the box with the open end of the box towards the rear allowing me to tuck the power adapter inside.
The fans include mounting screws so I only needed to spread the wire mesh open a little to allow for the diameter of the screws to pass through and grab the fan's frame holes. Once the fans were secured, I just used a few wire ties to tidy up the loose wires down to the frame. Note: you may be compelled to clean up your Cat5 wires when done!
Photo's here: http://www.flickr.com/x/t/0096009/photos/53544699@N06/

 

[Guest]

Your solution is ingenious but rather space consuming. Given the useful lifespan of the average piece of computer equipment I wouldn't worry so much about the warranty.

I've seen a neat solution to an overheating Netgear router which involved mounting a heatsink on the offending chipset and cutting a hole in the router's case so that the heatsink poked through. No fan required.

I copied the same plan when I found a 19 inch monitor which had failed thru heat issues -- cut a hole in the back, and mounted a very large heatsink (4 x 2 inch) from an old Pentium II onto the mu-metal housing the electronics. Heatsink temp often rises 8 degree centigrade compared to the surrounding air, which suggests it's doing some good.

 

[jaytmoon]

"Your solution is ingenious but rather space consuming. Given the useful lifespan of the average piece of computer equipment I wouldn't worry so much about the warranty. "

Well, Thanks for the compliment. I would have used a shorter box if I could have found one on the store shelfs but the deeper box allows for more air flow and it is easier to get your hands into to work on the components. I could have used an Acrylic platform but I wanted to keep the materials cost and labor time down to a minimum. As the space issue goes, it was not a real concern in my case as you can see by the photos. I may try this again with other base materials when I find a more suitable material. As the warrantee goes, I'm a little miserly when it comes to equipment that cost me $160. us, and I want it to last (hopefully) as long as the unit it replaced. My pockets are not that deep!
I have seen many "mods" requiring the disassembly of the router and adding heat sinks or fans, but I did not want to void the warrantee (yet). After running this cooler for a day the router is now nearly room temperature ( 78f) using a IR thermal scanner.

 

[Guest]

This topic has been closed by Fihart

 

[jaytmoon]

Best answer selected by jaytmoon.