Longterm operational durability of Speedtouch 546v5

I'm a user of the Speedtouch 546v5 (firmware 6.1.4.7) and am wanting to hear from current and past users of this router as to its longterm durability.

I've had this router for over two years now and it's performed extremely well but, starting a few months ago, I've been getting prolonged ADSL line disconnections most days (but not EVERY single day). I've been wondering if the 546 is slowly dying on me.

The pattern is that, after the PC's been on for about 30 mins, the disconnections start. The line connectivity then see-saws for around 30 mins, after which a firm connection results and everything's then fine. It'll then stay fine until later in the day, when I get the same symptoms for another 30 mins or so. It's definitely not the normal ADSL Max adaptation, it's due to a fault of some sort - either a strange break in the line back to the exchange or an internal malfunction of the router.

I've eliminated the router's power connection, the filters, the wired Ethernet connection, and the slave ADSL wiring in the house (an extremely straightforward arrangement) as the source of the problem, but it remains that the 546 itself could be malfunctioning. During the disconnections, telephone dialtone remains and there's no crackling or other disturbances audible on the line.

I don't think it's especially a heating-up problem, as the router is left powered on permanently. The network card in the PC is unlikely to be the culprit, either, as the basic functionality of the ADSL line is normally not dependent on the status of the Ethernet connection. Watching the LEDs on the 546, the line loss starts with the disappearance of the ADSL connection, then propagates down the LEDs to the Power LED. The PC, BTW, is always powered off when not used.

About a week ago, I tried swapping the 546 for my previous Billion router. But unfortunately certain configuration and firewall difficulties prevented me from completing the experiment. If necessary, I'll repeat the trial with the Billion, though.

So, has anyone had their Speedtouch 546 (or similar model) temporarily die on them in this sort of way? It's extremely annoying because, once it starts, the Internet connection remains completely unusable until the condition clears.

As regards normal stats, I'm on a long line (3.5km) and, for years now, have stably run at around 3700K bps sync rate, at a target SNR of 15dB. When the line now disconnects and then finally and stably reconnects again, I find that the sync rate has either stayed unchanged or has moved up by a miniscule amount. I use DMT to force the SNR high, to keep the line stable. It's worked fine for the last two years like that.

My old-style BT master socket (non-NTE5) has been under suspicion, as also has a small initial stretch of line cable outside, on BT's side of the master socket, which is exposed and systematically prone to thermal cycling/UV action. But I won't be keen to call in BT until I've absolutely eliminated everything else as the cause. My ISP has tested the line remotely and reckons it's fine.

Edited by deleted (Wed 07-Oct-09 15:30:07)

Try switching on only one PC at a time. It could well be an issue with a noisy PSU in one of them.

There's only one PC and the power supply in it is arguably the best you can get (of German manufacture and costing well beyond the norm). I performed detailed electrical analysis of it, with oscilloscope, etc., when I first got it and I can assure you that it's definitely not malfunctioning.

My speedreading is on the decline!
I saw "PC's" and immediately thought there was more than one. Sorry about that.
Is there any audible line noise when the fault is present (147017070 option 2)?

Edited by Deadbeat (Wed 07-Oct-09 17:14:48)

"the PC's" is accepted shorthand, in this context, for "the PC has". So, only one PC.

[Compare with "the PCs" (a number of PCs), "the PCs'" (apostrophe after the s, pertaining to a number of PCs), and the "PC's" (pertaining to a single PC, but a different context to mine)].

As already stated, there's absolutely no audible line noise during the fault. I've explored that very carefully.

From all the experimentation and explorative work I've done over the last 2 - 3 weeks, I'm convinced that the fault lies either in the Ethernet card in the PC, or in the 546. But if the fault is in the PC's Ethernet card, why does it go away after about 30 mins? Suspecting the Ethernet card is paramount to saying that it's a heating-up problem - a plausible possibility, as devices can develop bad solder-joints in time. However, as I've stated, the status of the ADSL line in a normally functioning system does not depend on the status of the Ethernet connection to the PC (at least, in a wired system that's the case). So, this is why I'm wondering if the router is the culprit.

Can't see how a failing Ethernet card will cause the router problems.

Yes your PC might lose connection but if you look at your router logs this should show if you have actually lost sync or not.

Best to try swapping out the router...

Thank you for the tutorial but I already have a fair understanding of the English language.

Not a 546 but the 510 my parents started to slowly die after a few years.

I had a fault problem on my line which was eventually sorted by changing a line card. However after it was supposedly fixed I still had unexplained losses of sync. Replaced the 546v5 firmware 6.1.4.7 with a Netgear DG834G - problem solved

Rockh, OldJim,

Ah, very interesting. But I wonder what "dying", in this instance, really involved? One wonders whether these routers die because of gradually degraded connections on their internal circuit-boards, whether there's something inherently flawed in the chip fabrication process that shortens their lives, or whether their power supplies eventually become defective. It's never a good sign that all these routers - and I include other brands - run extremely warm.

OldJim, is that popular Netgear model one in which it's possible to manually tailor the target SNR, as my line's a long one and simply can't operate at anything lower than about 12dB? It's one of the prime reasons why I have a Speedtouch 5x6, as I can use the DMT utility with it. Occasionally, I've wondered whether I ought to get a Netgear, as I've heard they're good.

Incidentally, who's to say that, in a couple of years, that Netgear of yours won't start dying? Increasingly, it seems that a lot of routers work well at the start but then seem to degrade in performance with time.

Edited by deleted (Thu 08-Oct-09 09:57:18)