My ASUS RT-N66U Router Died. Well, Sort of...

[Sasqui]

Get up the other morning, no wireless from my router, at all... dead. Check it out and all the lights are off, the AC adapter has a blue light glowing (it's plugged into an APC UPS backup) and the wire is plugged into the router. No lights on the router itself, no signal. So I try this:

1. Unplug everything and plug it back in, lights on the router are still out
2. Press the reset button, the lights come on...
3. Continue to hold the reset button, and now I have wireless again
4. Put a rubber band (and a few coins) on the reset button and it's now up and working full time

Question: WTF? The router has been absolutely flawless for years now. I'd like to get an AC router so what to get, or should I bother? I can post a topology map if it's helpful.

 

[Deleted member 191766]

I think you might mean the power switch; this is a well known problem with the 66U

 

[Sasqui]

I think you might mean the power switch; this is a well known problem with the 66U

LOL, yea, it's the power button that I thought was the reset button, duh. I guess the switch mechanism just failed? Still working, so the rubber band is the weak link now... I'll shop for a new AC router come cyber Monday. Thanks.

 

[Deleted member 191766]

Found what looks like the switch

https://uk.farnell.com/c-k-components/pn12sjna03qe/pb-switch-spdt-0-2a-30vdc-tht/dp/2931690?ost=PN12SJNA03QE&ddkey=https%3Aen-GB%2FElement14_United_Kingdom%2Fsearch

 

[Sasqui]

Found what looks like the switch

https://uk.farnell.com/c-k-components/pn12sjna03qe/pb-switch-spdt-0-2a-30vdc-tht/dp/2931690?ost=PN12SJNA03QE&ddkey=https%3Aen-GB%2FElement14_United_Kingdom%2Fsearch

Eh, the rubber band works for now, and I wanted an excuse to upgrade. It's been a stellar router otherwise

 

[TheLostSwede]

Netgear R7800/X4S. Unfortunately it's sold out all over the place right now.
Best router I've ever owned, hands down. It also gets a lot of support through Voxel's excellent firmware, which means you get the latest security patches etc.
I wouldn't even look at the current generation of 802.11ax hardware, as both the hardware and the firmware isn't there. Lots of asterisks on the packaging with suggestions that the feature will come in a future firmware update. Some of these products have been out of a year by now and the promised features are apparently still missing. Some of the hardware also either support feature X or Y, not both, even though both are part of the standard...

 

[hat]

As a fellow RT-N66U owner, I would just try to fix the power button. But that's me, and my situation doesn't call for a stronger router or faster wifi. You make that call.

 

[Deleted member 191766]

I'm the same, and would replace the switch; they are even still updating the firmware for this model.

 

[Sasqui]

As a fellow RT-N66U owner, I would just try to fix the power button. But that's me, and my situation doesn't call for a stronger router or faster wifi. You make that call.

It's working fine with the rubber band. I'd probably break it trying to fix it. If the rubber band breaks,. I'll use zip ties, haha

 

[Deleted member 191766]

Good point, one has to be good with a soldering iron.

 

[Bill_Bright]

It's working fine with the rubber band. I'd probably break it trying to fix it. If the rubber band breaks,. I'll use zip ties, haha

Even though this is relatively low voltage DC, using a rubber band or tie wrap to hold a "faulty" power button down temporarily for testing is one thing. But for extended periods is a bad/risky idea. The risk of fire at those voltages may be low, but with a faulty switch, they are too high!

I strongly urge you to bite the bullet and unplug that router and run to your nearest Walmart or Best Buy and buy a new router immediately. Even if it is an el-cheapo supreme, temporary replacement router to hold you over for now, so you have time to research and get the next router you really want, I urge you to pull that broken router from your network.

Even if the risk of fire is remote (and I say it is higher than "remote"), the risk of something shorting out and dumping excessive and destructive voltages on one or more of the Ethernet ports is a distinct possibility too. Those voltages could go upstream to zap your modem, or down to one of your Ethernet connected computers - or both.

A quick search of Walmart.com shows my local Walmart has several wireless routers in stock for ~$25. Not the best, obviously, but it will get you on-line - safely and hold you over until you find the one you really want.

 

[INSTG8R]

I have a working one I would just box up and send you. I was using it as a repeater before I finally bought a proper base/satellite setup. But it’s definitely a good excuse to upgrade.

 

[Sasqui]

I have a working one I would just box up and send you. I was using it as a repeater before I finally bought a proper base/satellite setup. But it’s definitely a good excuse to upgrade.

What do you have for your setup now? I have a detached garage (carriage house), I'd like to have coverage for it eventually. I was thinking of pulling a CAT6 cable out to it as I have to lay some duct work anyways to replace the overhead power that's showing it's age.

 

[INSTG8R]

I went with Netgear Orbi. I live in a 2 bedroom basement apartment and signal is absolutely terrible for some reason. I wouldn’t recommend them despite messing with settings and even a few firmware upgrades it crashes randomly. The only reason I kept them was because they were mispriced considerably. When it works it works great and having a single AP for everything is nice too.

https://www.netgear.com/images/datasheet/orbi/RBK20.pdf

 

[dirtyferret]

I think you might mean the power switch; this is a well known problem with the 66U

+1, luckily my 66U never had the issue but this goes back several years

Broken power button

My stupid power button broke. It no longer "sticks" shut. And I wasn't even near the router when it broke, it was powered up in normal operating mode and just shut down on its own. How ridiculous is that? I've never even heard of such a thing on a moderately high quality piece of consumer...

www.snbforums.com

 

[Bill_Bright]

It is really odd these "mechanical" switches are breaking when nobody is touching them. I can see a switch wearing out under normal use after 1000s of pushes. Or even breaking after the first couple pushes. But when no one is around? That's pretty sad.

Back in my radio maintenance days, instead of "gremlins" we used to call that "FM" - not for "frequency modulation", but for a certain type of magic!

 

[Deleted member 191766]

Seems the failing switches have blue stems, so I got a non blue stem switch from Digi-Key for $7 with postage

PN12SJNA03QE C&K | Switches | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. PN12SJNA03QE – Pushbutton Switch SPDT Standard Through Hole, Right Angle from C&K. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.

www.digikey.com

it seems to work just fine

 

[Bill_Bright]

The fact the shafts are blue, green, white, purple polkadot or whatever has nothing to do with this. There are no industry standards for the shafts on these type switches. They aren't "Cherry" keyboard switches, for example. So it is entirely up to each switch manufacturer what color (if any) plastic shaft they use. What really matters is the physical size of the switch, the "throw", the tension on the return spring and the contact's voltage and current capability inside the switch housing.

The only color coding there might be would be would be in the final application - that is, once installed in the piece of electronics - for the button "cap" or "head" - the part your finger pushes to activate the switch. Red, for example, might be used for "Emergency Stop".

 

[Deleted member 191766]

The point is that each manufacturer picks their own color for the switch stem, so blue represents the switch from the manufacturer that that has problems; by changing color I am changing manufacturer. I believe the blue may be made by E-switch and the black and white by C&K

That the failing switches had blue stems was from

Broken power button

Man I joined the club about a year and a half ago on my AC66U. Now there's a nut and electrical tape holding it down Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

www.snbforums.com

Broken power button

Plugging & unplugging coaxial plugs is lame. The other end of the cord works too. It is really such a small challenge to reach it since I need it only every few months.

www.snbforums.com

Broken power button

If anyone has examined the switch wiring with the cover off, can you confirm true or false for that? It might be a multilayer PCB (more than two layers). If so, then just looking might not be enough. When I desolder the old, broken switch, I can use a multimeter in continuity testing mode...

www.snbforums.com

I wanted to avoid the manufacturer using blue as people said that even repairs from ASUS would fail after a time.

So, yes, the color has everything to do with this; I just assumed this logic was obvious and I didn't need to waste time explaining it.

 

[Bill_Bright]

So, yes, the color has everything to do with this; I just assumed this logic was obvious and I didn't need to waste time explaining it.

No the color does not. So your assumption and logic are wrong. If you believe otherwise, please show us the IEEE standard that dictates the color coding.

For starters we don't even know the manufacturer of the switch used in the OP's router. You are just guessing and saying you "believe" you do. There are 100s of pushbutton switch suppliers across the globe. .

I did not see the manufacturer or part number in any of your links. Can you show us?

We cannot even assume ASUS is using the same supplier for those switches in every one of these routers. It is common for manufacturers to change suppliers from one production run to another as another supplier may offer ASUS a better price.

These switches are not color-coded.

 

[Deleted member 191766]

PN12SJNA03QE C&K | Switches | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. PN12SJNA03QE – Pushbutton Switch SPDT Standard Through Hole, Right Angle from C&K. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.

www.digikey.com

for the C&K

LC1258EENP E-Switch | Switches | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. LC1258EENP – Pushbutton Switch SPDT Standard Through Hole, Right Angle from E-Switch. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.

www.digikey.com

for the E-switch

My task was to find a way to locate a replacement that was not the original. I gave evidence that failed switches seem to have blue stems and the manufacturer and part numbers of alternatives were in my links to Farnell and Digi-Key.

Now if you can show that C&K have this switch with a blue stem, I will stand corrected; for me blue was a color code saying 'not C&K'. I installed the C&K replacement and it works fine, so I thought to share my experience.

Is it possible that ASUS are not using E-switch, absolutely, but I needed to locate a logic that would work given that I did not know all the details.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Now if you can show that C&K have this switch with a blue stem, I will stand corrected.

There would be no purpose in that.

We have no indication C&K or E-switch manufactured that switch in the OP's router! It could have been any number of other manufacturers.

Nor is there any indication both C&K and E-switch use Blue to identify some spec. Blue is just a color. It does not indicate a particular mechanical or electrical characteristic. I don't understand why you are stuck on colors. They mean nothing here.

But I will agree with you on one thing - let's just leave it.

 

[Caring1]

Seems the failing switches have blue stems, so I got a non blue stem switch from Digi-Key for $7 with postage

PN12SJNA03QE C&K | Switches | DigiKey

Order today, ships today. PN12SJNA03QE – Pushbutton Switch SPDT Standard Through Hole, Right Angle from C&K. Pricing and Availability on millions of electronic components from Digi-Key Electronics.

www.digikey.com

it seems to work just fine

I get it, it's due to different manufacturers using different materials.
Bill appears to have confused this to mean colour represents a standard.

 

[Deleted member 191766]

Bill is a good guy and we need more of his sort around, but yes I was just trying to avoid replacing like with like.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Bill appears to have confused this to mean colour represents a standard.

Actually, I am the one trying to avoid confusion by clarifying that color does NOT represent a standard - at least not with pushbutton switches. For example, C&K makes over 55,000 products and over 8.5 million switch combinations (source)! Surely each switch they manufacture does not have its own unique color. That would make for a logistics nightmare, not to mention increased costs.

I was just trying to avoid replacing like with like.

And that would be a wise course of action - if only we knew the brand and model number of the switch used in the OPs router.

Still, I think if we look at the big picture, ASUS must use this switch in multiple routers they produce and there most likely are 100s of 1000s if not millions of ASUS routers in use around the world. If we do our homework and research the number of actual switch failures, I think we will find the percentage to be miniscule.

But as so often happens with the big names in this industry (ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, Microsoft, Dell, Intel, etc.) reports of any problems, no matter how small, get repeated, amplified, exaggerated and repeated again until it appears the world is doomed.

I don't know about others but I rarely ever hit the power switch on my wireless router. I think I have done so maybe 3 times in the last 3 years! It makes me wonder if in some of those cases, the switches mechanism isn't just getting gummed up with dust due to a lack of use. That said, I typically just pull the plug but even then, I can't remember the last time I had to do that. But then I do suffer occasionally from flareups of *GCF!




* geriatric cranial flatulence