Wi-Fi Extender Overheating- How to fix
Considering the fact that Wi-Fi extenders are network devices and electrical appliances, they inevitably produce heat and sometimes may be a subject to overheating. The real question however, is, what to do when your Wi-Fi extender overheats. Let’s take a look at how you can reduce overheating and fix your Wi-Fi extender when it overheats.
Perhaps you are moving your extender from one wall socket to another or you are going to switch it off and you notice that its surface is hot to the touch. Sometimes, this can be a cause of concern but most times it is a preventable issue. Wi-Fi extenders inevitably produce heat during their lifetime of use and at times, especially during the summer they become more vulnerable to light and heat which causes higher heat emission from the device than usual.
You can fix Wi-Fi extender overheating by placing it on a hard surface, preventing its exposure to direct sunlight, making use of a cooling mat, switching it off when it is not in use, ensuring that its firmware is updated or replacing it with a new one.
Table of Contents
To begin with, what causes Wi-Fi extender overheating and what are its effects?
Wi-Fi extenders have been designed to be handled and used in a certain manner that is often specified in their user guides. Anything contrary to this, is a potential threat to the overall efficiency of your Wi-Fi extender and may subject it to overheating.
Activities such as storing your Wi-Fi extender in an area that exposes it to direct sunlight, placing it on soft surfaces such as your couch or the carpet on your floor, ignoring the accumulation of dust on your extender and overuse of your extender may cause it to overheat.
Too much heat from your Wi-Fi extender can tamper with its overall performance as it can cause your internet connection to be very slow or weak. If this problem persists, it can even damage the internal parts of your device and cause it to permanently stop functioning.
How to fix your Wi-Fi extender when it overheats
Fixing your Wi-Fi extender when it overheats is all about bringing back your device to its normal temperatures and ensuring that the same problem does not happen again. In this section, we will look into the methods that you should use to fix an overheating problem on your Wi-Fi extender.
Allowing proper ventilation of your Wi-Fi extender
Sometimes, dust and dirt can accumulate on the vents of your Wi-Fi extender which may tamper with the circulation of air that is intended to cool your extender. Also, when you place your extender on soft surfaces such as the carpet on your floor, you block its ventilation surface and enough air is unable to reach it.
To allow for proper ventilation you can place your Wi-Fi extender on a hard surface that is flat where heat can escape and air can circulate freely around it. Also, you can ensure proper ventilation by storing it in a vertical position for better heat dissipation and cleaning it frequently with a slightly damp cloth to remove dust particles and dirt that has accumulated on the extender. Doing this prevents overheating and inevitably extends the durability of your Wi-Fi extender and maintains is efficiency.
Avoiding the exposure of your Wi-Fi extender to direct sunlight
Majority of the time, you will notice that your Wi-Fi extender overheats a lot during the summer season. Storing it on a surface that is exposed to direct sunlight causes a higher heat emission that leads to overheating therefore, where you place it determines how it will be able to manage its heat emission.
You can avoid the exposure of your Wi-Fi extender to direct sunlight by changing the position in which you had previously placed it and storing it in a cooler place or you can make use of floating shelves that will offer some shade from direct sunlight.
Controlling the use of your Wi-Fi extender
There are times when you would leave your Wi-Fi extender to run overnight without acknowledging the fact that this can cause it to overheat. At the same time, overheating can be caused by heavy traffic from loading large applications, heavy gaming or streaming 4K videos. The best way to fix overheating of your Wi-Fi extender from these activities would be to switch off your Wi-Fi extender when it is not in use and to manage your connection log.
Monitoring the temperature of your Wi-Fi extender and making use of cooling pads
A long term solution to Wi-Fi extender overheating would need you to constantly monitor the temperatures of your extender using a smart thermometer or to use a cooling pad to manage heat emission from your extender.
One of the most recommended smart thermometers for this is the Govee Wi-Fi Temperature Humidity Monitor. Alternatively, if you choose to use a cooler, the most recommended one is the Evercool Dr. Cool Multi-Functional Router, Modem, or Switch Cooler RC-01.
- WiFi Thermometer Hygrometer: Connecting with 2.4GHz WiFi(No 5G support) or Bluetooth, you can remotely...
- Accuracy: Govee Smart hygrometer thermometer accesses temperature accurately within ±0.54℉/±0.3℃...
Replacing your Wi-Fi extender with a new one
Sometimes, even after you switch your extender from one wall socket to another power outlet, it may continue overheating.If overheating persists in your Wi-Fi extender and you are unable to keep it under control, then you should consider contacting your retailer to change it to a new device and they can also test its performance to help you understand what exactly the problem could be.
Other times, the firmware of your Wi-Fiextender may be outdated or the device may be old which makes it predisposed to overheating and this can only be determined by your retailer. Replacing your Wi-Fi extender with a new one helps you deal with overheating from older devices and those that have issues with their firmware.
How hot should your Wi-Fi extender get?
Overheating simply means that your Wi-Fi extender has been exposed to abnormally high temperatures and inadequate cooling. Generally, the optimum temperatures for your Wi-Fi extender to perform efficiently is between zero and forty degrees Celsius. Anything beyond that, is too much for your extender to bare and will cause it to crash.
Standard temperature and humidity ranges of all Wi-Fi extenders
Environmental factor |
Condition |
Temperature |
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Humidity |
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Conclusion
Understanding the fact that Wi-Fi extender overheating is a common and normal problem, should be the basis as to why you need to know how to fix it on your own in the event that it overheats.
FAQs
Do newer routers handle heat better?
As network devices, routers are vulnerable to overheating as they grow older over time. However, there are times where replacing your old router with a newer would significantly reduce overheating.
What problems can I face when my router overheats?
When your router overheats you may encounter connectivity issues such as no internet connections on your connected devices or frequently dropping Wi-Fi signals around your household. Prolonged overheating may cause a hardware failure on your router.
