Do you reboot often your router ?

[coxhaus]

Routers should never have to be rebooted except for firmware update reboots. Once the router is set it should run forever.

 

[Trentors]

Back on track. GT-AC5300. I reboot weekly just in case. The ROG routers are not very stable IMO and the 2nd GT-AC5300 I have as an AiMesh node needs to rebooted 3-4 times a week because it stops responding. It is a software issue though.

 

[pikolo]

When my family goes to sleep, all electronic and electrical devices that are not needed are plugged off, including the router.

So the router reboots every 24 hours.

 

[Marc66]

I own a RT-AC66U and only reboot after a firmware update or if there is a problem with my connection

Problems with connection were never due to the router and since there's no Merlin FW update for my router for nearly 2 years, it's been running forever without a reboot. RAM usage remains low (ie. doesn't increase over time) and the router is running fine.

Note that I'm not running anything on top of the firmware (entware, ad filters or any of those "plugins"). WiFi is also completely disabled and so are all the file sharing options. My router is just routing; I have a NAS, switches and other access points for the non-routing stuff

 

[L&LD]

@Marc66 I would be a little concerned running an outwardly facing network device that hasn't received updates in 2 years. Regardless of how often it needs to be rebooted.

Those routers from so many years ago were relatively simple, comparatively, and the firmware could be very robust, stable and reliable on its own, but new security issues are constantly being discovered.

I would suggest a newer router that is currently supported should be considered.

 

[leerees]

The only time I reboot my routers is when I update the firmware.

It's Linux, it shouldn't need rebooting at all. If you are having to reboot, there's something wrong.

It's the same with switching devices off overnight. If you do that, the electronics will wear out due to constant temperature changes.

My desktop PC (an old but still very capable i7-4930k) has been switched on since I brought it in 2014. Suspend / sleep mode is disabled. Whilst it has been upgraded with SSD's, it still has the original WD 1TB hard drive.

 

[BreakingDad]

These people that turn off their routers at night... My dad was doing this, now he leaves it on thanks to my input.

I can't sleep without adequate radiation passing through me.

 

[dosborne]

If you do that, the electronics will wear out due to constant temperature changes.

I would argue that this hasn't been the case for at least the last 15-20 years it may have been true in the 1980s but any decent manufacturer will be using components that can easily withstand shutting down / startup thermodynamics.

 

[slytho]

I've been powering off one of my router's each night for the last ... um decade or even more. The current model is an A86U. Powering it off works like a charm; haven't had any hardware issues. However, before powering off it is properly shut down ("halted") by a simple cron job because some services are running on it.

Why powering off? Simple: because it's only used for a few hours in the evenings. No need for it to be idle for 12 or more hours each day. And it's just one of the factors that contributes to a smaller energy foot print these days.

 

[TexasFlood]

I had my RT-AC66U set to reboot daily because of would start to have small issues after a few days if not. Probably didn't need to be every day but a 4am reboot didn't hurt anything. Since I got the RT-AX86U I haven't rebooted it. The only reboot since setting it up was an automatic firmware update.

 

[wouterv]

I've been powering off one of my router's each night for the last ... um decade or even more. The current model is an A86U. Powering it off works like a charm; haven't had any hardware issues. However, before powering off it is properly shut down ("halted") by a simple cron job because some services are running on it.

Why powering off? Simple: because it's only used for a few hours in the evenings. No need for it to be idle for 12 or more hours each day. And it's just one of the factors that contributes to a smaller energy foot print these days.

This is a devilish dilemma: yes for a smaller carbon footprint it seems ok to power off unused equipment, on the other hand power cycling and specially the startup of electronics adds a lot to aging of components. A shorter life time of the equipment that it often power cycled can be expected, which increases the carbon footprint because you have waste and need to buy new equipment.
Well, another move these days is to manufacture repairable equipment again.

 

[slytho]

Well, I don't think it's as devilish as you suggest. The assumed wear due to powering off and on seems so little that it doesn't affect the life span in a relevant way. Yes, they are servers, but that doesn't mean they have to run 24/7 to be good. I have had two routers so far in my life, both of them ASUS. I've been swiching both off and on each day for many, many years - because this is the way I like it to work in my environment ... no adverse hardware effects.

I'd rather say the router's location has much more potential adverse effects, like if it's exposed to the sun near a window, or in a humid basement or in a badly ventilated corner in a closed sideboard or kicked down from a shelf by a ball tossing child ...

Eventually, I replaced my first router not because it was broken or worn but because Merlin/ASUS ceased supporting it with new firmware any more ... for understandable reasons. The second router will probably face the same fate.

 

[Tech9]

The second router will probably face the same fate.

If your router was manufactured in 2017-2018, probably not:

Router temperatures

yes, and even the slightest bit helps. I had wired a 120mm 12v fan to a usb plug and taped it on my 86U and got 66C temperatures. This last time, I just set it standing on its edge about 4 to 5 inches away, not "pointed" at the chip, just towards the router, and that got me the same 66C temps...

www.snbforums.com

This component inside fails often on power on, LAN4 light death:

Router temperatures

this is when I truly wish I had CAD skills. I have been imagining designing a manifold/duct that attaches to the bottom of our AC86 routers where the stand "leg" hides the bottom air vents. place a fan blowing into it, and thus, bringing cool air into the bottom, and allowing it to escape...

www.snbforums.com

This specific model will last longer if left on 24/7 with no power interruptions.

 

[sol1109]

As electronic components continue to shrink the junction reliability continues to shrink. With every power cycle you subject the components to internal stresses both thermal and electrical. Mostly in the first milliseconds of operation but those stresses can induce other potential failure modes.

 

[slytho]

I understand your arguments and no doubts, those effects are really there. But the question remains: does it have a lasting impact on the router's probability to die earlier or is it just academical? Like when I overtake someone on the highway, I'm aging slower than the other one according to Einstein, quite nice. But should I start trying to overtake everbody from then on because of that? The effect exists, but ...

 

[L&LD]

The Einstein effect has no bearing at such low speeds.

And according to all documentation so far, living fast is the route to dying sooner too.

 

[Tech9]

But the question remains: does it have a lasting impact on the router's probability to die earlier

This specific router has a little bug in reference design application of MT3125 step-down converter. The more often you cycle the power, the more chances to end up with a dead router. I don't know if Asus fixed it with later AC86U models, but it's a common issue.

 

[OzarkEdge]

This specific router has a little bug in reference design application of MT3125 step-down converter. The more often you cycle the power, the more chances to end up with a dead router. I don't know if Asus fixed it with later AC86U models, but it's a common issue.

I ran my 2018 China AC86Us 24x7 on a UPS. The first one died (LED4) just under 2 years; the second about 6 months after that. They were doomed no matter what.

OE