Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

[Toasty]

Device is incoming to shop. Had to leave it in place as it is partially working and they need to close out the days business.

Customer complaint of dropped internet connections and "stuttering" connections. On-off-on-off, partial page loads, IM that drops and then comes back, etc.

Visual inspection thru vent slots revealed 1 domed cap in power supply section.

Pictures and cap list to follow when it lands.

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[Toasty]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Update:

Unit was completely recapped and back in customer's hands this AM.

Went this afternoon to verify operation and upgrade the router firmware. Perfect!

It also resolved 2 issues. One was a connection to a website (banking) and the other was the use of the registered version of Malwarebytes'. They could never get into the online portion of the bank site from the website home page and had to use a direct link to the page. Malwarebytes' would always hang the system and would only run the free version.

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[Toasty]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Board Layout




First image attached is full size 1600x1250. Second is reduced 880x688.

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[Toasty]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Original caps were Teapo and UCC.

Note disparity between C23 & C34 ESR.

Last column indicates the replacement series used from Nichicon and Panasonic.

C1  - 100/25 - SEK - 6.3 x 12 - 0.45 >> KMG
C20* - 1000/16 - SZ -  8 x 21 - 0.02 >> HM
C23 - 470/16 - SEK -  8 x 12 - 0.02 >> HN
C34 - 470/16 - SEK -  8 x 12 - 0.11 >> HN
C39 - 470/25 - KY -  8 x 18 - 0.03 >> FM
C40 - 470/16 - SC -  8 x 15 - 0.02 >> HN
C48 - 470/16 - SC -  8 x 15 - 0.02 >> HN
C82 - 470/25 - KY -  8 x 18 - 0.03 >> FM
C83 - 470/25 - KY -  8 x 18 - 0.05 >> FM

* Domed cap. ESR was in spec. Capacitance was 170uF. Read as shorted on leakage test.

C27 - No cap installed from factory. Measured as 1.5v and traced line to Intel CPU chip. Installed 560uF/4v SEPC Poly.

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[bluto]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Looks like it was well worth saving. Slightly OT, but how you determine what caps to put in the blank spots? Measuring the voltage across I can understand. But after determining that this one went to the CPU, how did you decide that it should be a 560uF poly?

[Toasty]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Lowest capacitance in poly I had at the time. Never hurts to kill any ripple on a CPU power line. It's more about ESR than capacitance anyway.

This was an overnight job (received at 12 midnight) and had to be back in customer's hands by 8 AM that morning. No time to order in say a 120uF which may have been more appropriate.

** Correction to Post 4. Cap that was poly'd was C22 not C27 which doesn't exist. **

.

[severach]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Looks like it was well worth saving. Slightly OT, but how you determine what caps to put in the blank spots?

Most places in an SMPS allow a wide variance in capacitor size. Still it's good to check the ripple before and after with a scope to ensure that your mod improved something and didn't make the circuit go FUBAR.

[shovenose]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Even Netgear gone down the drain dammit are there ANY reliable brands these days that consistently manufacture quality products??

[KeriJane]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

Even Netgear gone down the drain dammit are there ANY reliable brands these days that consistently manufacture quality products??

I've never seen a GOOD Netgear router. Every single one that I've seen (-3 total, 1 mine, 2 for friends) have had really erratic operation and lousy Internet connections.

So far, the Apple Airport Extreme has been flawless for two of us. My other Netgear-plagued friend makes do with an Airlink cheapie from Frys that actually works.

Now wishing I saved the lousy Netgears for analysis.

[Toasty]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

The problem has been narrowed to the modem. It is an SMC8014 and from the number of Google hits, it's the root cause of the issues.

The SMC modem has 4 ports and is a modem/router combo. Connecting the 4 systems directly to the modem's ports has been producing the same symptoms. A reboot of the modem clears it up for maybe a few hours and then the problems return. Sometimes with a vengeance where no one can connect.

The cure, from the discussions found, has been to replace the modem with a 'standard' one of another manufacture.

Comcast is due out today to replace the modem. I'll report the results when (and IF) this occurs.

The Netgear FVS338 has not had a glitch in the 4 years it was running on this network. I have always used Netgear products. From wired, wireless, and combo routers to network cards.

Toast

[seanc]

Re: Netgear FVS338 ProSafe VPN Firewall w/ 8 port 10/100 Switch

I can tell you that the DGFV338 also has the same ailment.

We were using it as a WAP, ADSL router and switch to the four printers in our office. It would drop wireless and ADSL connections frequently.
Opened it up, surprise surprise, blown Teapo style cap.
Did a partial re-cap before I went on holiday last month, not had a chance to re-install it yet.