How to fix the Trendnet TEW-652BRP Heat Problem

[tipstir]

http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/354320811.jpg

Going to put this back online for wireless N on 1 wireless N laptop I use instead of the other 2 wireless N. The above image is clear to see how I had installed the heat sink on the WNPU using Gorilla Glue (Dark) (TEMPERATURE RESISTANT – once it’s dry Gorilla Glue is unaffected by extreme heat or cold.)

http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/354631452.jpg

I've taken this router apart again shown above. Boy the gorilla glue is strong can't put that apart again. The heat sink fins are hot and the bottom of the board is hot. But why is the heat still not escaping and hanging around. Okay closer look to find that the side ports holes are block by plastic vent fin covers.

Using a screwdriver shown in image no.#1 you can see how I had pulled down on the plastic vent fins.
Wiggle them back and forth motion until the pop off.
The one in the rear very careful and do it slowly. I didn't damage mine case but it could happen so be warn.

http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/354631455.jpg

I use high speed DREMEL to smooth out the rough plastic inside. Now the hot heat can escape instead of just staying in the case and building up in the router causing heat issues. I see after I had taken apart the DIR-655 it's plastic vents are non-blocking as the TEW-652BRP were blocked with just a slit of an air opening on each side. Doesn't make much sense to me to build the case this way.

Now with the heat sink on the WNPU and the side vents are not blocked it should be cooler now.

Smart thing for me to do is drill holes or use a vent hole popper where the logo is on top to make the air flow in and out but, I guess I'll just flip it over.

 

[Xipher]

Hello, I've been poking about this site, but the post here sorta made me register now...

I'm confused over your choice to use Gorilla Glue to attach a heat sink. Gorilla Glue expands and contains air bubbles, it also has a use as insulation due to its ineffective heat transfer and the fact that it can expand to fill gaps, etc. Although the heat sink will get hot from the proximity, the glue its self is most likely doing more to hinder performance than if you were to just simply hold it against the chip firmly. The majority of the heat is probably going to linger under glue near the die of the chip because the material is doing more to insulate it from the heat sink than it is to transfer that heat, even if the heat sink was cooled via air, the heat would still be trapped under the glue and the heat sink would have little effect.

I think you might want to look into a thermal interface material (or TIM) next time, ranging from thermal tapes to thermal epoxies that are designed for this sort of thing, they would run you about the same if not less than a bottle of Gorilla Glue, but do the job many magnitudes better.

I was reminded right away of someone back in 1998 that broke the tabs for their heat sink off the old socket 7 motherboard they used, poured super glue into the valley on the heat spreader of their new AMD K6-2 to attach it... and killed the CPU after many bouts of overheating from the poor thermal performance of superglue, a material not intended for such a feat in any way shape or form.

Other than that, I can join you on the subject of excess heat from within modern SOHO brouter/routers, its stupid and silly to have the sort of heat output they do and no real means of cooling, it may mean more (better) design, but at least the darn things wouldn't be so taxed!!

On second thought, maybe this isn't the best first post to make... but I still think its very much valid

 

[tipstir]

Using a huge aluminum heat sink on the bottom

Thanks for the feedback and joining our community.

I use gorilla glue (not the super glue one) for other appliances that require high temp heat those product the glue does turn to foam but hardens and still going strong. I decided to use this product on the die as you say or WNPU instead, but you would be surprised to learn how many companies are doing the same. The glue didn't turn to foam but it's harden on. The heat sink is working it's hot the problem I am face with is that the heat has left the top cover and gone down to the bottom. Now, I have some old Nivida cards with huge aluminum heat sinks on the GPU that is now on the bottom area where the vents are.

Shown here is where it would be positioned. I did run a test with gluing it on. The heat dissipated so good!

Well I did all of this to see if it could work. I know it's a bit extreme but I am not out of pocket as everything here was available already from dead video cards and switches.

 

[scotty]

In the future, you might want to check out Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive. It's specifically made for this very purpose (bonding heatsinks and other temperature-sensitive applications).

Arctic silver is the gold standard in thermal paste, so this stuff is available virtually anywhere that sells computer goodies.

 

[tipstir]

In the future, you might want to check out Arctic Silver Thermal Adhesive. It's specifically made for this very purpose (bonding heatsinks and other temperature-sensitive applications).

Arctic silver is the gold standard in thermal paste, so this stuff is available virtually anywhere that sells computer goodies.

I know of such products but frankly this is just a test rig to see how it performs. On systems I build I use the right thermal stuff.

 

[tipstir]

Testing ANTEC Aluminun Laptop USB Dual FAN with TEW-652BRP

http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/355274910.jpg

Boy I thought this device had gone out in the trash as it was completely disassembled and toss into a Wal-mart bag.. Okay it's back-up and running and it's really cool to the touch, prior the Web Admin was crashing due to the heat. I wanted to run some speed test to see how it goes.

I've just stuck in ANTEC Aluminum USB Dual Fan I have that connected directly to AC using Tomtom GPS POUSB so I get full power under the high fan. It's keeping it cool I can tell you that much as it's going to need with all my 22 ports gear running though it.

 

[tipstir]

Test Results

Well she kept her cool this time around. If they can make DD-WRT for it would be better than the stock Trendent Firmware. I had to re-flash the unit with Mod DIR-615/C1/3.01 to control the WAN port to 100mbps. Still speed wise about the same and that one rouge wireless N speed beef back to 60mbps to 120mbps not stable though. Netgear WRN834Bv2 just more stable here for that one coming in at 108mbps stronger and stable.

Speedtest was mix the upload were slightly slower than. I even did a P2P to see but I quickly connected back the DD-WRT WHR-HP-G54 Buffalo to get back to normal.

So the story is there is hope for the overheating small footprint TEW-652BRP with the help of ANTEC laptop cooler you can rest assure that the little router can work, but without the DD-WRT then it's not going to play happy camper!

 

[tipstir]

Update Changes

Adding heatsink to the WNPU Atheros Chipset
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/358837610.jpg

I use aluminum heat sink, I've added this addition a few weeks ago onto the Atheros WNPU shown above. The other one on the main NPU won't be coming off. The one I am using on the WNPU had came off old Linksys 5-port switch but so did the NPU that has to be grind down using a dremel tool and use the spin cutter I was able to reduce the size of the heatsink by 3 fens to fit onto the WPNU shown about. I now stand this unit facing downwards with the ANT pointing up. Now it handle all wireless devices.

 

[tipstir]

Applied Heatsink on the WNPU under the RF tin shield

Before
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/359281810.jpg

DIR-615 C1/3.01 modded firmware on TEW-652BRP
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/357909423.jpg

After
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/359281854.jpg

DIR-615 C2/3.10NA modded firmware on TEW-652BRP
http://pic19.picturetrail.com/VOL1099/4465559/21344768/362015184.jpg