[Review] Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U – AliExpress

The Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U were purchased from AliExpress, shop Iron SuperMan, for use with my router ASUS RT-AC86U, which I have already spoken here in Skooter Blog. The announcement is actually for ASUS RT-AC68U, who also showed here, but both have the same format. The fans probably also serve on other routers from ASUS.

Motivation

I always felt silly when I saw someone installing accessories in equipment to improve cooling, bases as those for video games and laptops. Whenever I assumed that the manufacturer tried to install sinks and cooling solutions necessary so that the internal components work in a temperature that does not cause damage. But ASUS RT-AC86U It made me change my mind. ASUS clearly stepped on the ball with this router.

Last summer temperatures rose enough in my region, the set point temperature reach 36 C in the house a few days of January and February, and perhaps even more in the mobile niche where the router is. Watching log my ASUS RT-AC86U found some lines like these that selected below:

Feb  3 17:00:17 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb  3 17:00:17 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb  3 17:00:17 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb  3 19:52:03 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb  3 19:52:03 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor
Feb  3 20:59:34 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb  3 20:59:34 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb  3 20:59:34 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb  3 21:05:12 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb  3 21:05:12 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor
Feb  8 20:13:40 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb  8 20:13:40 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb  8 20:13:40 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb  8 20:26:55 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb  8 20:26:55 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor
Feb  8 20:43:03 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb  8 20:43:03 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb  8 20:43:03 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb  8 21:08:40 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb  8 21:08:40 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor
Feb  9 18:00:17 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb  9 18:00:17 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb  9 18:00:17 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb  9 21:47:49 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb  9 21:47:49 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor
Feb 10 15:55:30 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb 10 15:55:30 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb 10 15:55:30 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb 11 09:57:12 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb 11 09:57:12 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor
Feb 11 12:29:58 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn off CPU#1
Feb 11 12:29:58 kernel: IRQ6 no longer affine to CPU1
Feb 11 12:29:58 kernel: CPU1: shutdown
Feb 13 01:54:17 kernel: thermal cooling_device1: turn on CPU#1
Feb 13 01:54:17 kernel: CPU1: Booted secondary processor

What these lines log indicate is that one of the CPU cores (which has two cores) I was being shut down due to the excessive heat. And the router remained so for hours, or even days, baixassem until the core temperature was then religated.

Noting the temperatures measured by the router CPU, I noticed that they were hitting 99 C, and that was what was making the thermal protection be turned on and off one of the cores to avoid damaging the processor.

It should be noted that if I did not look the log probably not have knowledge of what was going on, because a single core gives account traffic on my network.

But of course I could not continue with the router in this situation. I immediately thought to adapt some sort of fan it. But before I looked for some ready solution and ended up finding the Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U.

This seemed like a pretty cool solution, relatively low and simple installation, using only double-sided adhesive tape. No need to open the router and power is made from one of the USB ports on the back it has. Great! And so I made the request.

Unboxing

The Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U They arrived in a bubble envelope. Inside it a cardboard box where fans were involved in more bubble wrap, therefore well protected.

In the kit of the fans it has rails that prevent accidental contact with the propeller, screws to secure the bars and adhesives to hold the fans in the router. Four stickers, so two left over after installation.

The two fans have its wires connected to a single USB connector. The cables are long enough to work loose. I tested them in a POWERBANK and they turned perfectly.

Check out the photos unboxing and Video unboxing and installation:

Installation and testing

It's time to install the Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U on my router ASUS RT-AC86U.

First measured at room temperature with the aid of my weather station and the router temperature. The ambient temperature was 30,0º C and the router temperatures were 96 ° C and to the CPU 60 C and 63 C for radio 2,4 E GHz 5 GHz, respectively. Not a day warmer, so the two router's CPU cores are active.

Then, I turned off the router and checked the back to find the best position to place the fans. As there is a button reset in the rear, The ideal seems to be install them as the ad design, picking the top of each side, where are the ventilation frestras.

The next step was to install the railings on the fans. There is no thread in fans, but the screws are atarrachante type and make are tightened while the screw.

then proceeded with the installation of fans on the router, using double-sided adhesive 3M accompanying the product. Note that I installed fans blowing air into the router, as in photo ad. But a better solution is perhaps install them to pull air from the inside, preventing him to play a lot of dust inside and eventually loses efficiency over time.

And it's time to put the ASUS RT-AC86U to work with Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U installed. Aferi room temperature again and she had fallen only 0.2 ° C, then we discard almost no difference under the ambient temperature.

But the difference was large router, with fans connected to CPU temperature dropped from 96 C to 63 C, and the radio 2,4 GHz and 5 GHz, They fell from 60 C to 63 C to 47 C and 53 C, respectively. It is a striking difference of 33 C in the CPU temperature!

I thought the noise of the fans would be loud and annoying, but the truth is that I can barely notices them running. As next to the router already have NAS Diskstation DS918 + operation, NAS noise just covering up the fans.

Tracing

These are the package tracking information obtained from the AliExpress website:

2019.02.25 16:32 (GMT-7): Delivery successful
2019.02.19 14:54 (GMT-7): Cleared customs
2019.02.19 13:24 (GMT-7): Started customs clearance process
2019.02.19 13:24 (GMT-7): Held by customs
2019.02.19 13:23 (GMT-7): Accepted by Last Mile Carrier
2019.02.19 13:23 (GMT-7): Shipment at local distribution center
2019.02.17 11:57 (GMT-7): Arrived at destination country
2019.02.11 23:30 (GMT-7): Departed country of origin
2019.02.10 00:09 (GMT-7): Shipment accepted by airline
2019.02.10 00:09 (GMT-7): Shipment left country of origin warehouse
2019.02.09 19:21 (GMT-7): Shipment at country of origin warehouse
2019.02.09 18:51 (GMT-7): Shipment dispatched
2019.02.08 10:19 (GMT-7): Shipment dispatched from warehouse
2019.02.08 10:16 (GMT-7): Shipment packaging completed
2019.02.04 10:27 (GMT-7): Order received by warehouse

And these are the package tracking information obtained on the site of the station:

Table-Summary

It, Finally, We got the table-summary of purchase:

Final Considerations

I was quite satisfied with the Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U. 33 C Download the router CPU temperature ASUS RT-AC86U really impressed me.

I have no doubt that there is a design flaw in the thermal part of the ASUS RT-AC86U. Ele pode funcionar bem para quem o utiliza em regiões mais frias ou em ambientes com ar condicionado. Mas para uso residencial em clima tropical, sem ar condicionado, ele certamente precisa dessa ventilação adicional para que a proteção termal não seja ativada nos dias mais quentes.

And I'm ending here the article about Fans (Fans) for ASUS Router RT-AC86U and RT-AC68U, with a positive recommendation for the product and for the store Iron SuperMan. Share this article with your friends if you liked . If you also want to shop in AliExpress, directly from Hong Kong, click here and good shopping.