NetGear WGR614v1 router

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  • trodas
    Badcaps Veteran
    • Jan 2006
    • 770
    • Czech republic

    #1

    NetGear WGR614v1 router

    I'm f*cking furious!

    Two years ago I bought two NetGear WGR 614 v1 routers. One I used 24/7 with 4 devices + two eight port NetGear switchers and one I borroved to friend, who use it less with only 3 computers. Port 4 not used on "his".

    Yesterday I talked on ICQ with Big Pope about caps and stuff, and my connection went down. I assumed that this is my ISP again, and don't worried too much about it - there is lot's offline work too, so... Anyway, since the connection won't kick even in next morning, I rebooted few times cablemodem (but ping on router and then cablemodem was good) and finally I rebooted router, witch seems to be working good, yet still... And connection kick for a while AND there was again a problem on port 4 of the 4 port switcher output part of the router!

    When I stated earlied in the thread about WGR614v4 that I did not have any issue with my WGR614 v1 I did not wanted to elaborate on one problem, that I had and never be able to figure it out, so I won't listed it as problem.
    That was - about half or 3/4 year after purchase and install the router become losing sometimes connection on port 4 - I would say the least powered port then. I thought - bad contact. Cleaned, bend the contact to make better contact, inspected again, again measured cables, put new connectors at them again and again... and no help at all.
    But suddently - always after some fiddling - the port 4 kicked back in and worked for month's w/o signle issue. Hmmm.



    So, I remembered the unhappy used with WGR 614 v4 and his bad caps and in hurry I opened the router to check out what NetGear come up with v1 - and !DAMN! - these are Tocon caps! Yep, similar "grade" as Teapos, GSC and other "worsest of the worse"....





    I got a bit more furious and - checked the Pannyes stock. Well, their 470uF 16V ones are 16mm high. There is no more that 12, maybe 13 mm space. So, I checked out and whoa, Samxons GD 470uF 16V fit well.
    It should be noted that there are two 470uF ones and two 330uF ones - these are 25V rated, tough there is no 25V on them - nowhere near, 16V ones is more that enought there... I recapped all with 4x 470uF 16V Samxons GD and - turned the router on/off at least 20 times today w/o a glitch - eg. it never lost again the connection on port 4.



    I should be happy - after all, 5min of work or something? And problem is gone for good. But all I feel is growing anger at the NetGear designer, who used such caps - Tocons are well-known for his failing - in fact, that is the only one thing one can count on them...
    And how the price could increase, if there are used proper caps, like Rubycons, Nichicons or Samxons - when the Panasonic ones are out of question as Panasonic don't make small-enought 470uF ones...?

    Now, 470uF 16V Pannyes at http://digi-key.com cost 0.116$ in 1000 pieces volume and I bet NetGear produced much more that 250 units, so their price will be far lowr for sure.
    (when one want 25000 of them, it cost only 0.09289 then for general public, NetGear sure could nagotite even lower price...)

    Come on, this is four caps per unit and the damn cursed Tocons gotta cost something!

    So, I take it, that for NO REASONS NetGear rob their customers by using known bad brand of caps in their units and I bet countless of users pay by their time like me, trying to figure out WTF is going on with their router - I must consider myself happy, no major problems, but I also did not used much the WiFi part, mostly disabled it, so...


    Anyway, since the unit run pretty hot, I decided that it is time for better cooling holes that these very little ones NetGear made:





    Hope you like my work, guys
    "It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." - Voltaire
    "I believe that all the people who stand to profit by a war and who help provoke it should be shot on the first day it starts..." - Hemingway my config - my caps
  • kc8adu
    Super Moderator
    • Nov 2003
    • 8832
    • U.S.A!

    #2
    Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

    remember that is a consumer level throw away unit.made for those with the walmart mentality.if it outlasts the warrenty the mfr is happy and in another month you buy a new one!

    Comment

    • Shroomie
      Badcaps Veteran
      • Apr 2006
      • 356

      #3
      Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

      Argh. I discovered the same thing today with my Linksys - all Hermei caps in there. Only a matter of time...

      It does seem wrong to use known bad caps though, if only because most consumers never think of the router being broken and assume there's a bad connection or setting somewhere. Think of all the tech-support money they could save...assuming these don't make it out of warranty, which seems plausible to me.
      You know there's something wrong when you open up a PSU and are glad to find Teapos.
      Why I don't buy cheap cases!

      Comment

      • trodas
        Badcaps Veteran
        • Jan 2006
        • 770
        • Czech republic

        #4
        Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

        kc8adu - yes, todays it is. But when it started and I freshly bought it, hell, it cost premium (it was the first 54MBi WiFi router with relatively great set of features - some only promised to be in the firmware soon, yet never realized, tough) and certainly it won't be at the near 40$ price tag...
        If I'm not mistaken, it started close or over 100$...
        But after all - even it is todays cheap - it mean that it should not last? Where the hell we goten to?
        I getting sick of the "use and then throw away" way of life.


        Shroomie - oh, sorry to hear that. So, just look if Pannyes, Rubys or Samxons fit there and prepare your stock. You gonna need it... Hermies are IMHO a slight bit better that this Tocon's, tough. It might last a bit longer before first problem happen - but for the sake of zero packet lost - I would replace 'em now...
        And your point about how much these caps cost not only consumers, but also NetGear on RMA's and stuff - I would say that it was utmost stupid decision to use Tocons there, when for example the Samxons you can get for the same price... and they will last - after all, they use Japan electrolyte, so... We have yet to see some blown out, hehe. I think I can fake it, tough, with overvolting them and stuff, but that will be - well - fake

        PS. love your sig - but on the other hand - this is very sad
        "It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." - Voltaire
        "I believe that all the people who stand to profit by a war and who help provoke it should be shot on the first day it starts..." - Hemingway my config - my caps

        Comment

        • Galvanized
          Badcaps Veteran
          • Mar 2006
          • 468

          #5
          Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

          Like your work trodas. I too chamfer most any hole drilled . I've priced Cisco and it's breath taking. Going over to friend's homes I've seen comps, CRTs and router/modems covered with paper work, hats or jackets and that's not very good for needed cooling .

          Re.Shroomie's sig. I've seen two PCP&C 510s posted in the last week that went down. They use Teapo. I have no idea of how case cooling was set-up or if the end users had down rated the fans.

          Comment

          • starfury1
            Badcaps Legend
            • May 2006
            • 1256

            #6
            Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

            hi all

            Yeah sad it is how throw away we have become by the price of things
            (price of getting someone to fix it world be more then its worth...unless DIY)

            I can understand Trodas about the caps, for the sake of a few cents per unit they could offer a more reliable device... and as you said its not the cheapest to buy, Couple of days work worth to the avg low paid worker in Aust when they were first released.
            but "as above" [kc8adu post] seems to be the case these days.

            The vent mode looks great!....almost as if it was designed that way...very cool looking

            I had to check out a problem with a ADSL moden Touchspeed 530...yep stuffed caps its a well known prob with them. This one had done maybe 2 years service.
            (google it or if you want photo etc pm me via forum)

            Got a few linksys products none have died yet but if they have rubbish caps its only a matter of time.

            My Dlink DSL300 adsl modem was still working after about 5 years plus on 24/7, now replaced with a billion for VOIP use and thats the only resaon its been pulled off line
            (althought it probably does need the caps replace 5 years cooking and cooking in OZ heat)
            You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you may be swept off to." Bilbo Baggins ...

            Comment

            • trodas
              Badcaps Veteran
              • Jan 2006
              • 770
              • Czech republic

              #7
              Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

              Well, as I said earlier - the price was far higher in release and my buy time and so far, first problems surfaced about after 3/4 year with the suddently disconnecting port 4 or these 4 ports router/firewall/WiFi access point.

              There is simply no excuse (see the laughable price of Panny FM caps at digikey and imagine the volume prices from manufacturer directly!) to use crap Tocon caps.

              And thanks guys to like my "drill madness" It certainly help to cool the router down and so far, these Samxons inside work great - remember, every freaking bite I transfer from and to the net was supported by Samxons caps. If they fail, I would be there complaining like hell

              I could only wonder why NetGear so much underestiminated the cooling problem... It only escalated the Bad Caps (tm) problem, of course. And mainly it bring so much problems to people using NetGear products...

              Clearly - unless you got from Big Pope four these Samxons GD/GC (same size, GC is much much much better in specs, but it is almost a waste for router where Tocons do fine for some time...) 470uF 16V and willing to do recap...

              Similary weird cap I find into the older NetGear RP614 router, yet it holding well still. However I think I still recap it for the sake of longetivity and to get rid of possible problems that might surface in the worst time imaginable (as problems usualy do...)
              "It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." - Voltaire
              "I believe that all the people who stand to profit by a war and who help provoke it should be shot on the first day it starts..." - Hemingway my config - my caps

              Comment

              • Big Pope
                Approved Vendor
                • Dec 2005
                • 426

                #8
                Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

                Hey trodas,

                I suggest you replace a 9dbi WIRELESS/WLAN R-SMA Antenna as following picture, you must get a big surprise.

                http://i6.ebayimg.com/01/i/07/54/07/ce_1_b.JPG
                My SAMXON Capacitors Database HERE!!

                X-CON is a new brand for SAMXON's Polymer Capacitors.

                Comment

                • trodas
                  Badcaps Veteran
                  • Jan 2006
                  • 770
                  • Czech republic

                  #9
                  Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

                  Nice suggestion, but where to buy it?

                  Anyway, I was not using the WiFi part, only when someone visit and have a WiFI in netebook and the number of data to transfer is reasonably low... Other than that I prefer to keep one spare wire on one of my 8-port switchers
                  "It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong." - Voltaire
                  "I believe that all the people who stand to profit by a war and who help provoke it should be shot on the first day it starts..." - Hemingway my config - my caps

                  Comment

                  • Big Pope
                    Approved Vendor
                    • Dec 2005
                    • 426

                    #10
                    Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

                    Originally posted by trodas
                    Nice suggestion, but where to buy it?

                    Anyway, I was not using the WiFi part, only when someone visit and have a WiFI in netebook and the number of data to transfer is reasonably low... Other than that I prefer to keep one spare wire on one of my 8-port switchers
                    I have bought 2 from ebay in previous period. The signal of router is really more stronger.
                    My SAMXON Capacitors Database HERE!!

                    X-CON is a new brand for SAMXON's Polymer Capacitors.

                    Comment

                    • Lyskar
                      New Member
                      • Dec 2014
                      • 8
                      • USA

                      #11
                      Re: NetGear WGR614v1 router

                      Sorry to dust up this old thread but it showed up for my WGR614 V7 router. It's caps are still ok for now but I added a 12V fan and I ordered some heatsinks with thermal tape for $10 on ebay. It's noisy but the connection is stable. Until I get the heat sinks I fiddle more with it.

                      Comment

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