Is your router overheating? Here's how to keep it cool and working safely

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Home routers, like any other electronic device, heat up under normal operation. A router running for a few hours will feel warm to the touch, but if the heat is uncomfortable, it's worth investigating the cause behind the router overheating. Home Wi-Fi routers contain several electronic components, including processors, memory, wireless radios and power management modules. And modern routers are increasingly using a system on a chip (SoC) architecture, running something like Broadcom's BCM6765 SoC which integrates core networking components onto a single semiconductor chip.

No matter your router's configuration, it is bound to generate some heat when plugged into the wall. Since modern routers are capable of transmitting thousands of megabits of data per second, they place higher demand on the CPU, and contribute to additional heat generation. If the router overheats beyond its recommended operating temperature threshold, you may experience connectivity issues or device shutdowns. Continuing to use an overheating router can damage crucial internal components, rendering the device unusable. As to how to keep a router from overheating, the remedy often begins by ensuring proper ventilation, but it can also involve systematic troubleshooting steps to help identify the actual contributing factor.

Signs of an overheating router

While dropped connection and degraded network performance often accompany an overheating router, they aren't necessarily telltale signs of a bad router. The most obvious symptom of a router getting hot is a tactile one — it feels uncomfortably hot to touch. If the device also experiences frequent connection issues, including variability in network speed, random freezes or shutdowns (in addition to elevated temperatures), it's likely that the device's CPU is throttling itself down to regulate internal temperature and prevent component degradation.

As the router overheats, you may also notice the Wi-Fi bands switching and losing effective range. Allowing the device to cool down before turning it back on could temporarily restore performance, but it'll only last until the device overheats again.

Several reasons can contribute to your home router overheating, including a faulty power adapter, poor ventilation, or the failing router itself. Regardless, identifying the cause for an overheating router and remedying the problem go hand-in-hand.

How to prevent router from overheating

If the router overheating is a result of poor ventilation, simply moving the device to a well-ventilated area can remediate the problem. Avoid stuffing the device into closed spaces or surround it by objects, as it can restrict air flow. Consider moving the router away windows where it could be subject to direct sunlight. Also, keep the device away from computers and consoles as they emit high amounts of heat under load.

Home routers often have vents to facilitate air flow, but these vents can get clogged up by dust and debris. Consider cleaning router vents regularly to maximize air flow and minimize temperatures. You should also prioritize updating your router's firmware. Router updates often address stability and performance issues, which can sometimes help with bugs and overheating anomalies.

If cleaning and firmware update don't help bring down the temperatures, the power adapter becomes the next suspect. A faulty adapter or one not rated for your router could drive more current than the components of the router can handle, resulting in excessive heat dissipation and potential component damage. Replacing the power adapter with one rated for your router should streamline power delivery and keep temperatures down.

If neither ventilation, firmware update nor replacing the power adapter helps stabilize an overheating router, then the fault most likely lies in the router itself. It could simply mean that the router is on its last legs and ready for replacement.