From mid year, I have had to replace three routers because every few days and increasingly every few hours they would lock up and have to be power cycled. It seemed it was the LAN switch that was locking up but I never fully proved this. Updating to the latest software did not cure the problem.
I finally realised that the routers with problems are all V4, all about three years old. Older V3 routers continue to work reliably. On removing the cover (of two available) I find that all five electrolytic caps are manufactured by TEAPO with date codes from 05/08 to 08/08 and the same three caps in each router are "domed", one being so badly domed it has split. This is a sign of overheating and component failure. [All routers were stood on end for best heat flow for most of their operational life].
I hope/expect when I replace these caps the routers will return to their previous reliability.
Just be aware if you have any V4 Netgear DG834G or buy any on a well known auction site, they may exhibit this unreliability when two to three years old.
Jim Evans
Cheshire
Cheshire
Edited by jtevans (Sun 11-Dec-11 16:58:41)