operating temp

[corwin]

So I'm looking at putting my router up in my attic and the operating temp spec is rated up to 104f, I live in Texas so I know it's going to exceed this by 20+ easily during the summer. Anyone know if those ratings are very conservative or should I reconsider? It's a TP-Link Archer C7 specifically if that makes any difference...

 

[imagoon]

Generally I find the ratings a little conservative but in an attic in texas will likely not make it last long.

 

[nsafreak]

Yeah if you're putting it in the attic in TX it'll definately reduce it's lifespan. You might want to see if you can build some kind of enclosure to pass as much air over it as possible. But it's not something I would recommend. If possible perhaps just see about locating its antenna up in the attic if possible since I'm guessing you're doing this to extend range.

 

[ggadrian]

The real question is: can you afford to replace it if it breaks?

I have my switch (yes, not really comparable) below my router without any kind of airflow and we have pretty hot temps in summer, so the switch runs really hot. I just don't care, if it breaks it's just 20$ and in 24h I have a replacement delivered at home.

 

[corwin]

Yes I could afford to replace it but I would prefer not to have to do it continually. Yes I was planning to do it for better coverage, was also planning to stick the cable modem up there but would probably run into the same issue, just too damn hot as I figured...

 

[azazel1024]

Generally, yes, it'll be fine a bit outside of spec. However, attic in Texas, unless really, really well ventillated is probably going to hit at least 30+F over its max spec.

It WILL kill it sooner rather than later. At best you could possibly consider opening it up and attaching a BIG heat sink to it and/or installing a small cooling fan to draw air through it (even hot air is better than stagnant hot air).

Otherwise you are asking for it to die an early death and/or suffer repeated lock-ups.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Generally, yes, it'll be fine a bit outside of spec. However, attic in Texas, unless really, really well ventillated is probably going to hit at least 30+F over its max spec.

It WILL kill it sooner rather than later. At best you could possibly consider opening it up and attaching a BIG heat sink to it and/or installing a small cooling fan to draw air through it (even hot air is better than stagnant hot air).

Otherwise you are asking for it to die an early death and/or suffer repeated lock-ups.

Any fan is just going to blow hot air over hot components

 

[ch33zw1z]

Consider it dead. It's just a matter of time.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I had reason to position a router in a window of a garage as a repeater for the rest of the house. Well, the router is black, and the Sun came streaming in the window one morning and cooked it good.

I put a (white) paper towel in front of the router to reflect the sunlight away from the router, but it was never quite the same after that incident. Lots of signal drops and lockups and stuff, that never really happened before that incident.

 

[azazel1024]

Any fan is just going to blow hot air over hot components

Yes, but if the chasis temperature is 15F above ambient with zero active ventilation and 5F above ambient with active ventilation (I am making up numbers), I'd rather take 5F+130F attic over the components than 15F+130F over the components.

Its probably dead either way, but there is at least a tiny bit larger chance it might make it if you work to improve ventilation/heat dissipation than if you don't.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

It's redundant at this point, but I echo the other sentiments that it's probably not going to last long up there.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Attics are a pain in the ass, why in the world would you want to put something up there that you may possibly need to replace at some point?

I would just mount it in a closet or something.

I just did the conversion and 124F comes up to 51C! That is about the temperature of the inside of a furnace plenum when it has been operating for a while and has had a chance to fully warm up. Would you put your router inside the furnace sitting on top of the heat exchanger?

Typically for our COs/Cell sites when temp reaches about 30C we get an alarm. 50C would be a highly emergency situation as the equipment is at risk. We may even initiate a remote shut down of the equipment, taking the entire cell site out of service, to save the equipment. Though if we have somebody on the way we will usually let it run but continue to monitor it closely.

I've seen cell sites hit like 60C, but that is extremely bad on the equipment. Telco equipment is built like a tank though. It's actually the cold they don't like.