Whirlpool

Hi,

I am interested in those that have changed the standard power supply. I know some users have 12V SLA batteries and chargers.

If you have changed the power supply could you post the details please as I am looking at options. Also whether it made any difference.

Thanks!

I changed to 2 SLA and a regulated 13.8V 2.2A power supply . The main difference this made is the my up time is lots longer than my UPS.

I use a spare power supply from an old PC sometimes with the OEM one gets hot or fails.

Ken Richards. writes...

I changed to 2 SLA and a regulated 13.8V 2.2A power supply

Hi Ken,

What is the make and model of the power supply & where did you buy it please?

Thanks!

I Picked up a 12 Volt 1 Amp Switchmode PSU Plug pack from Dick Smiths, some time ago to run my Linksys modem and found that it's the same power requirements for the Dynalink RTA1025W and my Billion 7300A.

As mentioned by a previous poster, it has improved stability and connect times for me as well. Cost $30.

I had issues where a power glitch / spike killed ordinary 12V plugpacks or items with transformers in them like my Logitech Surround system for the computer. Ever since changing the plug packs over. I've had NO problems and Stability has increased 10 fold.

Astro

MyTime writes...

What is the make and model of the power supply & where did you buy it please?


Jacar Power TechPlus

Cat No .MP-3535.

Approval N17330

I have found that the standard power supply for the 7404VGP-M is about 15V.

This setup also works with other routers.

The total SLA current is about 28A [Not allowing for losses]

Why use a 3rd-party power supply? Is there something wrong with the Billion one?

Ken Richards. writes...

I have found that the standard power supply for the 7404VGP-M is about 15V.
This is probably the open circuit voltage.

Cat No .MP-3535
Doesn't look like they do this model anymore.

I decided not to go for a SLA and charger option as the router input voltage specification is 12V 1200mA (min). A charger would mean the input voltage could be as high as 14.4V or 13.8V in the case of a regulated power supply.

I ended up getting a 12V 1250mA switch mode power supply, $29-95.

Let's see what happens with the uptime.

Cheers

mrsa writes...

Is there something wrong with the Billion

Hi mrsa

No, nothing at all, just make sure that you use the correctly rated PSU with your unit, some models use 1A & some 1.2A, don't mix these up, especially if you have more than 1 model.

Cheers

mrsa writes...

Why use a 3rd-party power supply? Is there something wrong with the Billion one?

I prefer a little more current if necessary and I don't like plugpacks that get hot.

I think hot is quite subjective. :P

I have a 7500G (absolutely useless wireless with WEP or WAP enabled) and a 7300G; both power supplies only get luke warm to touch.

I bought a 12V 1.5A Switchmode from Altronics for mine.

www.altronics.com.au/ind...ea=item&id=M8934.

The DC jack it comes with was 2.1mm so I had to buy a 2.5mm jack as well. The jack needs to be connected up centre positive from memory.

It didn't make any difference to performance, I just value my Billion too much and didn't like the idea of using an unregulated supply. The switchmode gives out a steady 12V no matter what the mains voltage is doing (within reason).

Cubes. writes...

I have a 7500G (absolutely useless wireless with WEP or WAP enabled) and a 7300G; both power supplies only get luke warm to touch.

Hi Cubes

Please whim me with full details of your issues & i'll look into it.

Cheers

Hi MyTime!

I've been using the following setup for about 6 months with great success. My 7404 used to lock up with the slightest power flicker (PC unaffected) requiring a power cycle. I rely on my VoIP and this setup gives me rock solid stability and ~3hrs backup for a total cost of $47.

This is a secondhand 13.8v 2A regulated power supply I bought off Ebay for $15 ($12 postage)

img181.imageshack.us/img...169/regpsfh8.jpg

These SLAs can could be had from Jaycar for $19.95 (yikes $29.95 now)

img221.imageshack.us/img...082007014pj9.jpg

www.jaycar.com.au/produc...ceMax=&SUBCATID=

insomniac-jc writes...

My 7404 used to lock up with the slightest power flicker (PC unaffected) requiring a power cycle.

Since changing to a switchmode power supply my 7402VGO hasn't missed a beat. Best $30- I have spent!

Cheers

MyTime writes...

Best $30- I have spent!

Hi, where did you buy it please.

I am going to order one.

oldsalt writes...

Hi, where did you buy it please.

I am going to order one.

Hi,

www.jaycar.com.au
I found the input voltage and current requirements for my router on a sticker on the underside of the router. Best to check what is required for your particular model.
Also ensure the polarity of the DC plug is correct.

Cheers

rif writes...

It didn't make any difference to performance, I just value my Billion too much and didn't like the idea of using an unregulated supply. The switchmode gives out a steady 12V no matter what the mains voltage is doing (within reason).

All modems / routers / switches have an internal voltage regulator.
That's why the plugpacks (or 'wallwarts' as someone once described it) are very basic in design.
Using a regulated or standard plugpack really makes no difference as the device you connect it to will do its own regulation and filtering.

AR8200 writes...

Using a regulated or standard plugpack really makes no difference as the device you connect it to will do its own regulation and filtering.

Except that the switch mode plugpack can maintain the voltage of output over a very large range of input. And it is calculated cycle by cycle so it can adjust very quickly to a power sag. The transformer on the other hand simply lowers its output voltage by the same percentage. If it drops below the rated output it can leave the router internal supply voltage drop to a point where it hangs. This does happen.

But I would prefer to use a 12v SLA to a smps since it is then able to survive complete blackouts.

AR8200 writes...

Using a regulated or standard plugpack really makes no difference as the device you connect it to will do its own regulation and filtering.

Hi AR8200,

Even if the hardware has its own voltage regulation and filtering which I doubt all hardware does, I also doubt the circuitry (if it exists) is going to be complex enough to cater for input voltages below specification.

Typically the older style (heavier) plugpacks are a wire wound transformer with a bridge rectifier. The turns ratio of the transformer is what determines the secondary or output voltage of the transformer. Of course consideration also needs to be given to losses and the voltage drop across the diodes in the bridge rectifier. I would expect only "expense" plugpacks that utilise wire wound transformers to have any voltage regulation beyond what I have described above.
Given the turns ratio of the transformer is fixed, the output voltage in this style of plugpack is at the mercy of the input voltage. Therefore, fluctuations in the input voltage will be reflected in the output voltage. ie: A drop in voltage on the 240VAC side will mean a drop in voltage on the 12VDC side.

On the other hand switchmode power supplies are capable of maintaining a steady output voltage with fluctuations in the input voltage (within reason of course).

Cheers

Revs Per Min writes...

But I would prefer to use a 12v SLA to a smps since it is then able to survive complete blackouts.

Same here Revs,

My modem has never been more stable since I did that. I even had TXU turn the power off for 3 hours to fix a power pole a couple of weeks ago and the Billion never missed a beat, impressive.

This is using a couple of SLA's for the Billion as another test, I expect well over 4 hours with the SLA's.

www.qcgo.com.au/sc/produ...53f11122870a216b
This will run the Billion and laptop for 10 hrs. I am not sure of the SLA inside but I think it is a 12 Amp HR

harryhongo writes...

This will run the Billion and laptop for 10 hrs.

Far from it.
The rating according the specs here, www.wescomponents.com/powerware/UPS5110.pdf
for 80va is 53min.

The billion needs 12va so by itself it would run the power down in 5.8 hours.
That is assuming the plugpack is 100% efficient which of course it isn't. Lucky to be 80%.
Now add the laptop into the mix. Say the laptop can run by itself on internal batteries for 4hours. After that it would draw around 50-70va so it would be flat in less than an hour. If the laptop was already flat then total time would be around an hour.

Also you are being very inefficient. Converting power to 12v, then to 240v then back to 12v. Running it directly from 12v sla is so much more efficient.

I don't know how you did the maths on that. Just checked it with a Billion 7404vgp a SPA3000 an alarm clock and my laptop with a cactus battery.

The lansafe monitor read 604 minutes till shut down.

harryhongo writes...

I don't know how you did the maths on that.

From the spec sheet. Run it off line for 604min and tell me if it is still running.

(I am assuming you gave the correct url which was for the 700va model. )

Revs Per Min writes...

I am assuming you gave the correct url which was for the 700va model

yes that's the one I am using.

I sort of worked out that I should be using around 200 VA with the 4 together. That chart shows I should drop out in around 20+ minutes. I will try it out and see how it goes.

OK the powers off. 5:39pm

Died 6:28 PM.

The software last I looked had 580 minutes left and then it just died.

True VAC I was using was 240 which lasted twice as long as the stats page.

Edit what I did find is with the laptop plugged in the load would fluctuate from 12 to 20 % . Taking that off gave me a constant 4% load and then taking of the old 5 watt alarm clock and the Linksys dropped down to 2% load.

Just resurrecting this thread on Billion alternate power supplies.

Many people agree that Billion reliability can be improved with a switch mode power pack, and my experience has confirmed it can prevent many drop outs and anomalies. All new Billions come with them standard now.

The filtering inside the old transformer type plug packs is quite minimal and allows spikes through readily. They also had no regulation to cope with surges or brown outs.

Billion 7402/4series need 12V 1.2A. Newer Billion models use a higher voltage.

Two suggestions – some also mentioned in earlier threads.
Jaycar:
http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP3486&keywords=switchmode&form=KEYWORD

Altronics – note, you will need to purchase an additional 2.5mm connector for 7404's.
http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=M8934A

OldTech writes...

Many people agree that Billion reliability can be improved with a switch mode power pack, and my experience has confirmed it can prevent many drop outs and anomalies. All new Billions come with them standard now.

The filtering inside the old transformer type plug packs is quite minimal and allows spikes through readily. They also had no regulation to cope with surges or brown outs.

This was a really interesting read. Buying a few of these Jaycar PSU's today to see if it solves the relaibility issues I've had with my Billions.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Don't forget, with the Altronics plug pack you need an additional 2.5mm power adaptor. I think this it...
http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=M9191

Reading my device, 7404VNPX requires a 15VDC 1.6A Minimum, correct?

DoGGpound writes...

Reading my device, 7404VNPX requires a 15VDC 1.6A Minimum, correct?

If it is correct and doesn't have a switchmode psu this is one from jaycar that will suit, http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP3492&keywords=15v&form=KEYWORD

Thanks malicious... been waiting for a replacement from Billion which hasn't arrived; getting my GF to pick me one up from Jaycar on the way home.

From viewing some of the recent threads here, it seems the PSU's with these 7404's are quite flakey. From the theme of this thread, looks like this will be a necessary purchase to avoid future frustration.

It's a shame I've had to spend an additional $30 on top of what I'd already forked out for the device though.

I don't know if the word flakey is correct. The older transformer type could be described as reliable, relatively inefficient and very basic.

The newer switch mode supplies which come supplied as standard with almost everything electronic these days are quite reliable, efficient, give excellent noise immunity and regulation, but can have a slightly higher failure rate unfortunately because they have more components. Luck of the draw as they say...

I always keep a spare 12V power pack handy. As an inveterate scrounger, I never throw old power packs out, they always get used somewhere eventually.

It is understandable that Billion are trying to keep the device pack down to a price to be competitive so I would think that the best all-round solution would be to sell the unit without a power supply and the option of either;

1) The standard power supply for an extra amount equivalent to the all inclusive price.

or

2) A better quality transformer with higher reliability & perhaps higher Amp for a little extra $.

It would make more sense not to buy the cheaper transformer in the first place and put the extra $5-10 saved towards a better quality power source. All my issues with this device have been soothed with a replacement power source.

Count this as 1 Vote for optional power source!

DoGGpound writes...

Reading my device, 7404VNPX requires a 15VDC 1.6A Minimum, correct?

You will be wasting your money getting another PSU form Jaycar as the 7402VNX Series comes with newer PSU's. If you think you have a faulty PSU, WHIM Quentin or contact PC Range for a replacement.

DoGGpound writes...

Thanks malicious... been waiting for a replacement from Billion which hasn't arrived

Your replacement PSU was shipped on Wednesday, the Easter break has most likely delayed delivery.

Cheers

Quentin. writes...

Your replacement PSU was shipped on Wednesday, the Easter break has most likely delayed delivery.

Can the new style PSU be bought from Billion for my 7402g ?

Rodeb writes...

Can the new style PSU be bought from Billion for my 7402g ?
Hi

Yes, please whim me you full name, address, phone number & I'll arrange.

Cheers

I have an old 7404VGO. I have big brick shaped heavy power supply, I assume thats the old one?

I get dropouts from time to time, I think it is sometimes triggered when certain electrical items in the house are switched on and off.

How much do Billion charge for a new power supply? depending on price would the ones from Jaycar or Altronics other people have mentioned in this thread be just as good?

hayythere writes...

How much do Billion charge for a new power supply?
Hi

$25 (inc shipping)

Cheers

hayythere writes...

How much do Billion charge for a new power supply? depending on price would the ones from Jaycar or Altronics other people have mentioned in this thread be just as good?

Given the choice between an oem supply you are currently having issues with for $25 vs a quality one from Jaycar for $30......the choice is obvious.

pulonium writes...

Given the choice between an oem supply you are currently having issues with for $25 vs a quality one from Jaycar for $30......
The new PSU's are entirely different,they're switchmode units.

Cheers

Quentin. writes...

The new PSU's are entirely different,they're switchmode units.

This makes them significantly better value than the Jaycar items, considering that postage is included as well.

Quentin – is there a shop front or website for people to buy them through, or must they WHIM you individually?

OldTech writes...

is there a shop front or website for people to buy them through, or must they WHIM you individually?
No, will need to whim me.

Cheers

I just brought the one mentioned in this thread from Altronics (http://www.altronics.com.au/index.asp?area=item&id=M8934A). The list price was $28.20 but they gave it to me at trade price which was $22.45. I don't know why but I'm not complaining. It is a switchmode PSU too, so that's good.

Only had it on for a few mins so I don't know how much better it is yet. I should know in a few days though.

That's a good price, let us know how it goes, i'll try anything to try and get my billion to stop droppping out every evening

I have a Billion 7402VGP, powered via an Eaton Powerware UPS.

Given this configuration, when I first looked over this thread I had doubts about whether there would be any benefit in upgrading to a switch mode power supply.

I almost casually inspected the labelling on my Billion and its power supply. I was surprised to discover that on the Billion, a label says:

"Power Input: 12V DC 1.2A (Minimum)"

However, the OEM power supply that accompanied the modem in the purchase box is labelled:

"Output: 12V DC 1A"

Amazing. My Billion has apparently been running for about 3 years with an off-spec power supply.

Anyway, I swung by Jaycar this afternoon and picked up this for $21.95:

OldTech writes...

http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=MP3486&keywords=switchmode&form=KEYWORD

The replacement switch mode power supply, rated at 1.5 A, is now powering the Billion.

I will see whether this improves stability over coming weeks and report back here in due course.

cable99 writes...

Amazing. My Billion has apparently been running for about 3 years with an off-spec power supply.

Pathetic, but it explains a lot though. I've ordered one from Jaycar as well.

I only just found this thread – disturbing that apparently we were provided under- specc'd PSU's with our Billion's. So the Jaycar model is not switchmode? Either way seems a better option to order through Billion by this thread? Have people noticed much of a difference?

demosthenes writes...

disturbing that apparently we were provided under- specc'd PSU's with our Billion's. So the Jaycar model is not switchmode?

The Jaycar and currently supplied Billion power supplies are both switch mode. Generally the older (Square shaped, heavy) power supplies were not under specced, they were simpler and less sophisticated, that is all. The switch mode supplies have better regulation and noise immunity.

OldTech writes...

Generally the older (Square shaped, heavy) power supplies were not under specced

Are you sure? Billion shipped a stack of 7402VGPs, including at least 50 of them to people I know. I have done some checking with these people leading me to contend that all these units, which require a power supply delivering 12V / 1.2A (minimum), were supplied with 12V / 1.0A power supplies.

That suggests a systematic under-speccing of one of Billion's biggest-selling models to me.

demosthenes writes...

Either way seems a better option to order through Billion by this thread?

Definitely a better option from Billion's perspective $$$ :-)

I just hope Billion don't start charging for firmware updates as well :-)

citizen_smith writes...

Definitely a better option from Billion's perspective $$$ :-)

exactly, let's send out 1.0amp adapters for all our 1.2amp routers then charge customers $30 when they want a working adapter!

cable99 writes...

That suggests a systematic under-speccing of one of Billion's biggest-selling models to me.

I'd agree with that, wow. I meant that 1.2A power packs were ok for 1.2A routers, but 1.0A would likely be very flaky indeed. The capacitor and transformer inside would probably be inadequate, but that is speculation on my part. Did any actually fail by going open circuit or cooking up?

I got one of the new Billion power supplies from Quentin for my 7404VGP-M.

I was getting drop outs roughly every day. Since replacing the existing power supply with one of the new switching power supplies, my router has been up for three days without a drop out.

Here's hoping!!

cable99 writes...

Power Input: 12V DC 1.2A (Minimum)"

However, the OEM power supply that accompanied the modem in the purchase box is labelled:

"Output: 12V DC 1A"

Ive come across this thread due to many random reboots with my 7401vgpm and i think this is my issue. Ive been supplied with a 1.0a wirewound transformer and i need more juice.....tsk tsk billion!

McLovin writes...

I was getting drop outs roughly every day. Since replacing the existing power supply with one of the new switching power supplies, my router has been up for three days without a drop out.

Sounds to me that:

If a consumer makes it known to a seller the purpose for which they want to buy goods, there is an implied term that the goods must be fit for that purpose.

That the goods must be of “merchantable quality”. This means that they have to be fit for the purpose for which such goods are usually bought.

If Billion are now aware they were selling products with an underspec power supply why is it now up to the consumer to rectify this mistake?

If there is an answer to this question or a legitimate reason why Billion should not fix the problem at their cost then I'm all ears :-)

ob1 writes...

Ive come across this thread due to many random reboots with my 7401vgpm and i think this is my issue. Ive been supplied with a 1.0a wirewound transformer and i need more juice.....tsk tsk billion
Hi

You have the correct PSU for the 7401VGPM, this has 12V 1A, the 7404 series have 12V 1.2A.

Cheers

citizen_smith writes...

Billion are now aware they were selling products with an underspec power supply why is it now up to the consumer to rectify this mistake?
Hi

If the pwer supply is not performing correctly then it's faulty & needs to be replaced, units have correct specs for particular models.

Cheers

Quentin. writes...

units have correct specs for particular models.

Quentin, I don't think I quite understand.

cable99 writes...

Billion shipped a stack of 7402VGPs, including at least 50 of them to people I know. I have done some checking with these people leading me to contend that all these units, which require a power supply delivering 12V / 1.2A (minimum), were supplied with 12V / 1.0A power supplies.

Is a 1.0A power supply for a product which states a requirement of 1.2A (minimum) the correctly specced power supply?

citizen_smith writes...

Is a 1.0A power supply for a product which states a requirement of 1.2A (minimum) the correctly specced power supply?
Hi

If anyone has received the incorrect PSU then it needs to be replaced, whim me with the serial number and I'll rectify immediately, however we've seen no direct evidence that there has been any widespread cases of this.

As stated the 7401 models have 12V 1A & the 7404 12V 1.2A.

Cheers

Quentin. writes...

If anyone has received the incorrect PSU then it needs to be replaced, whim me with the serial number and I'll rectify immediately

That's great to hear Quentin, I'm sure it will be at Billion's cost?

citizen_smith writes...

I'm sure it will be at Billion's cost?

Usually shipment to the company is customer's cost and shipment back from company paid by the company. And as long as covered by the warranty, the faulty unit is covered by the company.

But of course Quentin can confirm this or otherwise.

I don't understand what all the fuss about under spec. Most manufacturers over spec their power requirements for safety headroom. 1A or 1.2A does not make real difference.

When I built my SLA battery/charger package, I did measure the current requirement of the 7404. The followings are what I found:

1) At rated input voltage, the current draw is only 500-600MA, way below the rated 1.2A.

2) Current draw is dependant on input voltage. The higher the voltage, the lower the current draw. I used a variable voltage power supply to measure working voltage range. From 8V to 15V all working fine. There are no drop outs.

This is the evidence that the 7404 should have an internal switch mode power regulator. With a linear regulator (eg 78xx series), current draw will remain constant regardless on input voltage.

3) Contrary to your belief, most switch mode power supply usually generate more noise than old style transformer. This is due to high frequency switching circuit. No matter how much filtering at the output stage, there will still be some noise on the output stage. This is why most Hi-Fi gear and Ham radio gears still use old style transformer and linear regulator. Yes, you can have low noise smps for hi-end audio applications, but the price would be prohibitive.

4) My own test evidence is to use the smps from an old Fuji notebook and readjusted the voltage to 13.8V to charge the SLA. This power supply has good workmanship, some shielding and quality components. I'm quite sure it is better than most Jaycar power supplies.

Out of curiosity, I tested it on my Panasonic cordless phone (the phone uses unregulated transformer power supply). I even added a 7805 linear regulator plus an LC low pass filter. Guess what, the phone still have too much noise to the point of almost unusable. (The old power supply has much less noise).

My conclusion is swtich mode power supply may not always be the preferred choice. From the manufacturer's point of view, smps is more efficient, saves cost (you will be surprised how cheap they are on a large order) and shipping weight. A good quality smps works well for the router, but not so good for audio applications.

eurong writes...

I don't understand what all the fuss about under spec

Some on this thread have reported drop-outs which have been rectified when the power supply was replaced with one of the correct specifications.

If something as simply as this fixes the problem then I say 'all the fuss' is completely warranted :-)

eurong writes...

I don't understand what all the fuss about under spec.

Excellent post eurong and I agree totally!

Most manufacturers over spec their power requirements for safety headroom. 1A or 1.2A does not make real difference.

A case in point is that I have a Billion 7402VGP and a 6404VGP. Whilst clearly the 7402 draws significantly more power than the 6404, given the 6404 doesn’t have the ADSL modem component and is evidenced by the 6404 runs about half the temperature of the 7402. Yet according to the user manual both are spec’ed at 1.2A and both were supplied with 1.2A power supplies (PSU). It seems that manufactures tend not to put much importance on making their user manuals accurate.

1) At rated input voltage, the current draw is only 500-600MA, way below the rated 1.2A.

I wonder how much the current draw increases when the VoIP ports are in use or when it rings the phone on an incoming VoIP call.

From 8V to 15V all working fine.

You are brave! Why did you stop at 15V ? :)

This is the evidence that the 7404 should have an internal switch mode power regulator.

You intended to say that “The 7404 does have an internal switch mode power regulator.”

To expand on your post, another advantage iron core PSU is their reliability and their ability to handle short term overloads. Due to the simplicity of iron core PSUs, they are generally exceptionally reliable. Iron core PSU are also safer with practically no failure modes that could cause 240V to be passed to its output. Having said that, I still prefer SMPS with routers because of their better conversion efficiency. I’m a bit of a greenly at heart and efficiency is important to me, particularly with items that runs 24/7.

I must say that I also am sceptical of posters who claim their lockups are due to the power supply. There are many-many possible causes of lockups and an under-rated PSU is only one of those. The principle cause of lockups is firmware bugs and the first thing they should do is ensure they are running latest firmware.

Citizen Smith: I hear what you say, but sceptical all the same. Its just my opinion. Edit: Also I think if the lockups or dropouts were due to the PSU being underrated, then they would correlate to times of highest current draw, such as when on a VoIP call or ringing the phone.

gwa writes...

I wonder how much the current draw increases when the VoIP ports are in use or when it rings the phone on an incoming VoIP call.

VOIP does add more current draw, but not much, probably in the 100ma range. I did these measurements a year ago and did not keep the record.

You are brave! Why did you stop at 15V ? :)

Because my power supply only goes to 15V :)

Well, Quentin will never agree on this practice and may threaten me of the warranty. But I guess I'm out of warranty so why not have a try? You can call me brave but I'm not reckless. I initially only went to 13.8V, and discovered the voltage-current pattern. It seems total power consumption remain constant regardless of input voltage. Since smps are quite tolerable of input voltage, I don't seem much risk. In fact, I think 16V is definitely doable as the capacitor would be 16V minimum.

I must say that I also am sceptical of posters who claim their lockups are due to the power supply.
I can't speak for others, but in my line condition, it appears power supply has no relevance to drop outs. My drop outs range from couple of days to couple of weeks. I used the stock transformer power supply, my converted Fuji power supply, or SLA on float charge. Can't find a drop out pattern among these three power supplies.

hayythere writes...

I get dropouts from time to time, I think it is sometimes triggered when certain electrical items in the house are switched on and off.

Wish I found this thread earlier, just purchased a UPS to try and solve my problems – all I had to do was buy a different power supply.

I too have dropouts whenever I turn off / on lights, fans, ect..

Hi folks & Quentin,

I'm getting spontaneous restarts and some dropouts.

I have a 7404VNPX running 5.53.s5.b1 which has been reset to factory defaults. This seemed to fix it for 2-3 days then I started getting the same issues (sudden slowdowns; spontaneous restarts; difficulty re-syncing upstream).

I've been testing the line with Internode (it's an Optus DSLAM) for months and months as we did have line issues – this was the reason I upgraded from my previous Billion 7404VGP (which I still use as backup and as a wireless repeater) as well as going "gigabit".

Now I'm beginning to think that some of these "line issues" might be my router or it's power supply.

1. The router gets very hot (I've just tonight lifted it up to get more air underneath) – it was brand new in April 2009 and I'm in SE Qld, so it probably hasn't seen hot weather until now!
2. The power supply does not get hot – but the router DOES restart all by it's good ole self – maybe once per day. The power supply is a China made OEM model that is a "ADS027A" model – is this one of the ones that causes an issue?
3. Nothing else has changed – all VOIPS same as they used to be, all equipment same as it was, no hardware changes, I'm on naked adsl2 with the router about 1m into the house and on a 10cm cable to the phone socket. Nothing else is on that line (it's naked ...)

Do I need a new power supply do you think?
Do modems get "worn down" by long-term bad line issues? (Optus had to re-provision the service at least 3 times as far as I know).

Looking for some guidance from you experts (since I'm not – just a humble SOHO admin), thank you in advance (or point me to another thread if this is not a power supply issue).

Cheers,

Robert

Robert writes...

I have a 7404VNPX

HMM.. bugger I was thinking of getting that.. might get a Netcomm instead.

Individual issues occur with all brands from time to time, there are currently no general issues with the 7404VNPX, as above this is most likely just a faulty power supply, in any case Netcomm has nothing that even comes close to the 7404VNPX which just received 2 excellent magazine reviews

http://au.billion.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=2743
http://au.billion.com/forums/index.php?act=attach&type=post&id=2743

Cheers

Quentin. writes...

as above this is most likely just a faulty power supply

The issue is, I currently have a 7404vgm – and it loses Sync whenever I turn a light or fan on/off. I even bought a UPS with Automatic Voltage Regulator to try and fix the issue but it doesnt. I then borrowed a mates DLink modem and it works fine – do its something to do with the power supply of that modem.

I really do want to get the 7404vnpx – but if I get the same issue with the power supply it will be a waste of $400 – which is what is scarying me off it especially after reading the post above.

Bevcom writes...

I even bought a UPS with Automatic Voltage Regulator to try and fix the issue but it doesnt.

AVR and standby UPS are too slow to react on spikes and transients. If you want to experiment, you need to use a continous sin wave UPS or just a SLA battery.

They're 2 completely different models with different chipset, operating system & power supply.

If issues occur when turning on/off lights/fans then you almost certainly have a household wiring issue which needs investigating, regardless of whether some devices are/aren't affected.

Cheers

Quentin. writes...

They're 2 completely different models with different chipset, operating system & power supply.

Thats the sort of info that I needed to know – will buy one today. Thanks Quentin.

pointblank writes...

or just a SLA battery.

Link?

Bevcom writes...

Link?

Sorry. Sealed Lead Acid battery.

pointblank writes...

Sorry. Sealed Lead Acid battery.

... what do you do with the battery? Is there a rechargable battery in which has an input from the house, and a clean output?

Bevcom writes...

... what do you do with the battery?

All SLA batteries are rechargeable .