Is this a normal function of the Spark HG659B??

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Is this a normal function of the Spark HG659B??

Batman

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#185614 29-Nov-2015 16:42

Had Fibre for exactly 6 days.

I'm still waiting for my tools to arrive so I can crimp a Cat6 to bring my router closer to use 5GHz wifi.

When the above router set on 2.4GHz is reboot, at exactly 1m-8m from the router I get 50Mbps/50Mbps.

But after 2 days the internet will get very slow. SPeedtest: 1Mbps/20Mbps.

Reboot router: 50/50.

After 1-2 days, rinse, repeat.

Have I got a faulty router or is this normal (ie shut up and just reboot it every 2 days).

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#1437271 29-Nov-2015 16:42

Hello... Our robot found some keywords in your post, so here is an automated reply with some important things to note regarding broadband speeds.

If you are posting regarding DSL speeds please check that

- you have reset your modem and router

- your PC (or other PCs in your LAN) is not downloading large files when you are testing

- you are not being throttled by your ISP due to going over the monthly cap

- your tests are always done on an ethernet connection to the router - do not use wireless for testing

- you read this topic and follow the instructions there.

Make sure you provide information for other users to help you. If you have not already done it, please EDIT your post and add this now:

- Your ISP and plan

- Type of connection (ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL)

- Your modem DSL stats (do not worry about posting Speedtest, we need sync rate, attenuation and noise margin)

- Your general location (or street)

- If you are rural or urban

- If you know your connection is to an exchange, cabinet or conklin

- If your connection is to a ULL or wholesale service

- If you have done an isolation test as per the link above

Most of the problems with speed are likely to be related to internal wiring issues. Read this discussion to find out more about this. Your ISP is not intentionally slowing you down today (unless you are on a managed plan). Also if this is the school holidays it's likely you will notice slower than usual speed due to more users online.

A master splitter is required for VDSL2 and in most cases will improve speeds on DSL connections. Regular disconnections can be a monitored alarm or a set top box trying to connect. If there's an alarm connected to your line even if you don't have an alarm contract it may still try to connect so it's worth checking.

I recommend you read these two blog posts:

- Is your premises phone wiring impacting your broadband performance? (very technical)

- Are you receiving a substandard ULL ADSL2+ connection from your ISP?

I am the Geekzone Robot and I am here to help. I am from the Internet. I do not interact. Do not expect other replies from me.

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Jase2985

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#1437316 29-Nov-2015 17:39

have you installed the latest firmware?

Batman

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#1437326 29-Nov-2015 18:00

Umm ... it's brand new out of the box. Will try that ...

Jase2985

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#1437327 29-Nov-2015 18:05

it really doesn't matter if its new out of the box, it could have been sitting on the shelf since before they released their new firmware.

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#1437333 29-Nov-2015 18:12

It has the latest firmware. *sigh

I think based on the complains on GZ could be normal.

I have a VF HG659 (not b) ... it only does that every 1-2 weeks ... this is 1-2 days!!!

Jase2985

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#1437336 29-Nov-2015 18:15

something is either wrong with the device then or with your devices

swap in the vodafone one and see if it still continues, if not then i would suggest contacting spark and informing them you have a defective device.

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Naithin

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#1437761 30-Nov-2015 12:18

I use the HG659b at home and have this issue, but farrr less frequently than every couple of days (or even the 1-2 weeks mentioned by yourself on the VF variant) - it only happens for me once every month or two.

If you're having it happen every couple of days and across multiple devices, then definitely put in for a replacement imo.

Take care,

-Naithin,.

Wheelbarrow01

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Chorus

#1438219 30-Nov-2015 23:29

At a guess I'd say your connection request order is not yet completed in the Spark system (there's a bit of a backlog signing them off at present). This is possibly the cause of your issue. Can you please send me a PM with your account number and address and I will check it out for you tomorrow.

The views expressed by me are not necessarily those of my employer Chorus NZ Ltd

Dairyxox

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#1438278 1-Dec-2015 08:29

No its not normal.
Its normal for all routers to wear out and eventually do something like this, Just like its normal for humans to one-day die.

Talkiet

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#1438326 1-Dec-2015 09:33

Dairyxox: No its not normal.
Its normal for all routers to wear out and eventually do something like this, Just like its normal for humans to one-day die.

WTF!?!?!?!

No. It's normal for an old mini engine to need rebuilding after 60k, it's normal for computer fans to get noisy over time and perhaps stop.

It's NOT normal for a router to "wear out"

I'm not saying there isn't a fault here (and I'm not saying there is - there hasn't been much detail) but an electronic device with no moving parts wearing out?

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Jase2985

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#1438332 1-Dec-2015 09:39

what is there to wear out on a router?

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Dairyxox

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#1438336 1-Dec-2015 09:41

Really? I've seen lots of routers 'wear out'.

They're cheap devices and don't seem to reliably (90% of the time) live more than 4 years in a normal environment with uncontrolled humidity and temperature variations.

Electrolytic capacitors don't last forever. They are used in the power regulation part of the circuit and usually are the components that die first. But still, they should not fail in only a couple of years. There was a scandal a few years ago where a capacitor supplier produced faulty capacitors for a few years. I had a motherboard that died because of this, and maybe you had some routers that had these faulty capacitors.

There could be other reasons. In my personal experience, I had a router go out on me one summer because the AC/DC adapter died. It was a particularly hot summer, and some components in the adapter (maybe some capacitors) slowly went bad. With no load, it was able to reach its target of 5.2V, but as soon as any current was drawn from it, the voltage would drop and the router would behave unreliably. It was not obvious to me that this was the problem until it completely died and I bought a universal power supply and set it to 5V, and voila, it worked like new.

It could also be heat. Electronic components work more reliably when they are cooler. You should make sure that the router is not in a place where heat gathers.

and...
http://www.howtogeek.com/125747/is-it-possible-for-my-router-to-wear-out-2/

lxsw20

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#1438339 1-Dec-2015 09:47

OK so that's the power supply that might fail. Open up a router and tell me how many electrolytic capacitors you find.

Dairyxox

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#1438340 1-Dec-2015 09:51

lxsw20: OK so that's the power supply that might fail. Open up a router and tell me how many electrolytic capacitors you find.

In general, routers can and do fail. The primary cause of failure for consumer grade equipment is heat stress. Most consumer grade hardware runs far too hot and have respectively poor air circulation compared to their ventilation needs.

Long-term exposure to heat causes various components to degrade/fail and manifests itself as “intermittent” problems. In general, consumer grade hardware is not as robustly made as commercial or enterprise hardware. But all physical devices are subject to physical effects.

It’s not uncommon for consumer grade devices to fail within a few years due to heat or vibration issues. Routers stuck near windows (argh! the sun!), placed on the floor (dust!), or jammed into a bookcase (no air flow) are especially prone to failures. Contrast that with commercial grade devices which are often still working for 10 or more years after their first deployment.

christherider

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#1438353 1-Dec-2015 10:06

Talkiet:
Dairyxox: No its not normal.
Its normal for all routers to wear out and eventually do something like this, Just like its normal for humans to one-day die.

WTF!?!?!?!

No. It's normal for an old mini engine to need rebuilding after 60k, it's normal for computer fans to get noisy over time and perhaps stop.

It's NOT normal for a router to "wear out"

I'm not saying there isn't a fault here (and I'm not saying there is - there hasn't been much detail) but an electronic device with no moving parts wearing out?

Cheers - N

It's your contention that the router I'm using today should still be working in 200 years of daily use? If it generates heat and does work, it can wear out.

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