Keeping my modem cool - any ideas?

Modems are not designed for the Australian summer. The custom computer I got last year is rigged with extra fans, but my Netgear DG834G modem is currently dropping out after about five minutes of operation.
I've got a small fan blowing across it, but it probably won't start working properly unless I switch it off completely for 15-20 minutes.
I'm thinking seriously about investing in a notebook cooler. Does anyone know of a reliable model about the size of my modem? That would be about 100x150cm, or 4"x6".

 

http://forums.majorgeeks.com/showthread.php?t=205469

First you could try taking the top or bottom cover off see if ambient air keeps it cool.

Take it apart and fix a fan to it,its a pretty straight forward mod as modems use a DC12v supply so you can just connect the fan straight to a 12v source,if your not a confident solderer you can connect the fan directly to the power cable,just cut the cable near the modem plug bare the wire and twist the fan wires onto the power wires.

Unfortunately I can't recommend a laptop cooler...

 

If you have a tower type computer, you might want to look into a bracket like this one:

http://www.directron.com/br123.html

Which allows you to position a fan on any PCI related component . . . or the CPU as it states. I have a fan blowing half on my GPU and the CPU in one of my computers. Works pretty well, and very adjustable.

 

Thanks for both these suggestions. I'm not the most skilful handyman however and I'd probably try less er, surgical solutions first.
I found these laptop cooling pads at Techbuy.
http://www.techbuy.com.au/p/155142/COOLING_NOTEBOOK/Monologic/MNLCL-12-WHT.asp
This is the same firm who built my computer and they are no shoddy outfit, but I'd can't find any user reviews of these pads.

 

I really doubt those pads will make any significant difference, i think either a new router or get some tools out and get dirty are the only options.

 

@ Burrell - this is a new modem, bought just six months ago.
Found a similar discussion in the Whirlpool forums: http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/1139213. Some ideas sound plain dangerous: immerse it in dielectric oil?

 

6 mths. old? Do you actually use it like a literal laptop, like in your lap or bed? Maybe some fluff got in there? Any pets? Otherwise I'd exercise my warranty rights as these folks know that Oz is hot!rolleyes:-D

Tell them to install a new modem. Dielectric oil?!:eek While the oil ain't bad in of itself, to go through those lengths... Shoddy design IMO.

 

augiedoggie - no to all of them. I had this problem with my previous modems too - it's partly a problem of the house I live in, which has a metal roof and no insulation. Once it's hot inside, it stays hot for hours.
One of the commenters on the Whirlpool forum said that modems generally are designed for the northern hemisphere anyway. More attention is given to keeping the equipment working in sub-zero winters than in Australian summers. Yesterday for example the average temp across Perth was 34, or about 93 degrees F. And that's about normal for this city from Jan through to March.

 

So is the modem owned by your DSL company and that's why you don't want to open it up?

I found a picture of your modem for reference.

http://karachi.olx.com.pk/pictures/netgear-dg834g-wireless-adsl-firewall-router-iid-144538558

So what are goals PF?Your not gonna cool it down further without modifying the case other than putting it in a fridge.

 

Yep, that's it. Except mine is white. And I use the cute little clips Netgear provided to stand it on the short side.
Which obviously isn't providing enough air circulation. So I'm planning to start with this
http://www.tomtop.com/media/catalog...451b3578a3bc0ea5e/2/0/20100525_img_087254.jpg
and add a few of these
http://australia.rs-online.com/web/search/searchBrowseAction.html?method=getProduct&R=3887030#header
and see how it works.

 

Oh, to be air-conditioned... There's a wall-mounted Panasonic (80s vintage I'd say) in the lounge and that's it.

 

I thought of something your can try,a lot of the heat generated by the modem can be due to excess voltage it can't handle,your modem used a pretty standard 12V connector,do you have a multimeter?Know how to use one? Test the voltage of the power supply to make sure it isn't too high,ideally it will be 12-13V.

Note the voltage and polarity of the power supply then look around your house to see if your can find a smaller one,you could check the voltage to see if its lower with a multimeter but it would be worth a try anyway.In general you should look for a physically smaller power supply,I have about ten 12v power supplies just in storage from old modems ect.

Another thing you could try is a universal power supply from a bargain store,catalogues and electronic stores also have them.You can manually set the voltage so select one that gives the greatest stability,there is no risk of damage using a lower voltage than recommended it just won't turn on,just make sure the polarity is the same.

EDIT it could also be your power supply that's overheating?does it get hot to the touch?If it does you may want to try a HIGHER capacity power supply as it will run much cooler under load.

 

Voltage differences could be a problem, since Australia runs on 240V power, not 12V. Don't come to this country to be electrocuted. Do it at home - it's much safer.
Seriously though the problem is just plain old weather. Tuesday hit 34C officially, and was probably a degree or two over that in reality. In the modems spec listings here its upper operating limit is 40. Tuesday was preceded by three or four hot days, and my house has a plain corrugated iron roof with no insulation. Once it heats up it takes a day or two of mid-20s to cool down again. Fortunately we're experiencing that right now, and the modem is working without a hiccup.
By Tuesday evening when I switched on the temp in this room would still have been around 30-35. Once it started generating its own heat the modem was into the red zone.
The modem is one I bought incidentally, so I'd have no hassles with the phone company if I removed the top. But Perth, as well as being hot, is also windy and dusty. It's hard enough to keep computers etc clean when the panels are all in place.

 

Hello,
This guy's netgear ran so hot he had to replace the caps. But, the main thing he did was add a heatsink to the chip.

Edit: added this link also. Heatsinks added to chips.

 

@ tgell - I'm no techie, but that solution is appealing for the simple fact that he put it all back together again at the end.
After reading about the quality of the parts in my modem I am more than a little POd with Netgear. I didn't buy a second D-Link modem because the first was rubbish IMO and Netgear had a better word-of-mouth reputation. Perhaps I should ask the folks at Techbuy if they build custom modems for SOHO users too.

 

Just to update on this: the modem ceased to function altogether, even with ventilation. I haven't done anything about that yet but I'll be contacting Netgear support over the weekend to go through the testing rigmarole and (I hope) getting an RMA number.
In the meantime I've dug out the old D-Link 502 and it is performing brilliantly. Much to my surprise because it used to be a constant pain in the a***.
But that was on the old comp, which only had the USB connection. The new comp has Ethernet, and using that I haven't had the line drop out once.