Re: Leave router switched on 24/7 ?

["Mortimer" <me@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

"Conor" <conor_turton@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message 
news:6er266F8eo4uU2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> In article <84Xhk.1522$PL3.250@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Eddy says...
>> I understand from reading lots of reviews and reports that the problem
>> some people have found with many routers is that they have overheated .
>>  . and died.  So while I have positioned mine upright and with plenty
>> of air around it, I am wondering if its not silly to leave it constantly
>> plugged in - with all its lights on and other parts receiving current
>> too.   It's so much easier to leave it on all the time though.
>>
>> I was wondering what most of you do.
>>
> Netgear DG834GT has currently been on 24/7 for just short of 3 years
> save powercuts.

Likewise for my DG834GT.

I have had occasional problems with the modem part of the router: the DSL 
light flickers continuously without corresponding Ethernet or wireless light 
(so it's apparently not PC-internet traffic) and the noise margin drops by 
about 1 dB, when normally it is stable to within +/- 0.1 dB. This seems to 
go in phases and is cured by unplugging the DSL lead for a few seconds 
before plugging it back in. Rebooting also helps.

I've had that symptom  for a few hours maybe five or six times over the past 
four years, with flawless service in between.

I notice that the white case of the router has a very pale brown patch on 
it, as if somethng inside has overheated in the past, so I now stand it on a 
disused hard disk cage from an old PC, to allow air to circulate underneath.