Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

[vince88]

Just got two Cisco/Linksys WRE54G WiFi extenders manufactured in November 2007 that failed within a month of each other. Both failed to power up. The sliding 'power plate' in the back is only a passive cord adapter. Opening the box requires removing four screws under the rubber feet. As shown in picture 'open', the WRE54G has two boards [1] the networking board [2] the power supply board. On both failing WRE54G, the power supply was about 2 volts, too low to power up the networking board that requires 3.3volts. Both failing power boards showed bulged output capacitors C8 (CapXon 25V 220micF 105deg) and C5 (CapXon 25V 100micF 105deg): these caps are the two caps on the right next to the red/black output wires in the picture 'power'. Replacing these caps solved the problem. Hard to imagine that Cisco would use these CapXon capacitors that are known to fail as late as November 2007.

[retiredcaps]

Re: Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

Hard to imagine that Cisco would use these CapXon capacitors that are known to fail as late as November 2007.

Last I heard is that Linksys still runs somewhat independently inside Cisco and makes their own decisions.

Certainly, back in 2007, when this device was made, Linksys was still running autonomously (as evident by the Linksys - a division of Cisco).

[mariushm]

Re: Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

They just bought the power supplies from an OEM which used Capxon. I would say FSP but I don't see any FSP markings on it.

Can't say I like the live cables going under the PCB with the low voltage stuff but it's insulated properly.

[budm]

Re: Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

I have three of them with failed caps also.

[ben7]

Re: Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

What sort of circuit does this use? (2-transistor, or IC)

I'm a bit surprised that there is only 320uF on the secondary!

[Behemot]

Re: Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

I guess it does not matter much, it has output of a few watts at max. Surelly I would recap it with twice as much at least And there is also one crapxon and a few ceramics on the data board.

[vince88]

Re: Linksys WRE54G extender with failed CapXon's

I added some pics showing [1] the power board with the C3 & C5 caps removed [2] the ‘power-plate' slot and [3] the ‘power plate'.

Power block: the power block is marked ‘UMEC' and uses an opto-coupler 817B as IC1, plus a reference voltage source AP432 717AL at IC2; I did not trace the schematics. C3 & C5 are on both side of an output choke CN2.

Cisco vs Linksys: this is an interesting question about rebranding.
Before being acquired by Cisco, Linksys [like Netgear, Buffalo, etc.] was already operating in the rebranding mode: they would shop ‘ready-made' ODM designs from Taiwanese design houses, then ask these houses to rebrand their design by merely a cosmetic (case)/splash screen (firmware) change. This why you can find the very same design under the Linksys /Netgear/CompUSA/etc. brand. In most cases, the products were shipped directly form the ODM manufacturing plant [usually in China] to the wholesale operation in the USA or Europe. Linksys owned the product, and you would blame Linksys for any flaw, even if the ODM was responsible for the bad choices.
The same is true for Cisco: the minute they put their name on the product, they own it. On one side, people would feel more confortable to buy a product with Cisco name: ‘nobody got fired for buying Cisco'. On the other hand, Cisco then owns the product with all its qualities and issues: you cannot have a cake and eat it.
Cisco knows this game very well, because they are masters at acquiring companies that are bypassing them in market oversight. Where would Cisco, a company blindly dedicated to multi-protocol routing, be without its Kalpana acquisition that gave them an entry into the Ethernet switching market that they missed? Where would Cisco Home and Small Business Business Unit be without its Linksys acquisition when the company was entirely focused on Enterprise and Telco ‘big irons' and when D-link and Netgear were eating its lunch in that market ?
In summary, I will held Cisco responsible for the outdated C3 & C5 in a product that bears their name.
I will also hold responsible for the end products all the companies using ODM designs, for example in laptop Dell, Gateway, KD, etc.