Before I have to buy a new one. I'm a heavy downloader.
2006-10-23 12:38:49 · 9 answers · asked by Kj 3 in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Other - Hardware
AN ETERNITY UNLESS IT WASN'T MADE PERCISELY!
2006-10-25 10:22:03 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Long enough to become obsolete.
I have a Linksys wireless router that I bought in 2002 and it is still working fine. However, it is on the B standard, which was replaced by the G standard (higher speed and access), which is now being replaced by the N standard (even higher speed and access).
Electronic components are pretty stable. If you run an electrical item like a computer for a constant 2 weeks (always on) then you might get a component failure. However, if you do not have any problems then you shouldn't have any problems for years. In computer terms that is many generations. Typically this means the computer or piece of hardware will be obsolete by the time it dies.
I have a hard drive that I have been using for about 10 years and it has never given me any problems. But, I have gone through 3 computers since I bought that hard drive and I don't have enough money to keep up with the changing market to keep updating my computer (which explains why I am still using a 75 GB hard drive.
Electronics, especially computers have two killers; heat and dust. The dust could cause a short circuit. It is rare, their isn't a lot of iron and other conductive materials in your average household dust, but after several years enough of it could get into the machine to be a problem. Sealed containers like your watchcase or your cell phone case are enough to keep out the dust and prevent this problem usually.
But, you can't seal equipment that runs at a high heat. If you do then the heat will cook the components and kill them. The major problem with making fast computers is how to handle the heat. The large heat sinks on modern computers aren't enough to handle all the heat, a fan is required. Now we are even seeing heat sinks and fans on Graphics Cards. Modern Graphics Cards take a lot of load off the main processor so they are now becoming new sources of heat in the computer.
Your router doesn’t have that problem. So if you carefully take it apart and blow the dust off once a year then it should last for a long time. The same is true with your TV, your stereo receiver and any electrical equipment that isn't dust resistant.
2006-10-23 12:59:02 · answer #2 · answered by Dan S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 or 2 year
2006-10-23 12:42:05 · answer #3 · answered by babe19 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Most will last several years, but Linksys routers seem to die more frequently... Of course 5 years from now, there will probably be all-new protocols and standards for Wireless devices, so you'll want a new one anyway.
2006-10-23 12:42:57 · answer #4 · answered by Proto 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what you want. If you bought a quality product such as lynsis at the start they last longer. Also upgrades are frequent so it depends on what you want. I have found from installing and fixing peoples routers they last around 1-2 years, no matter what the load that they receive is
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2006-10-23 13:11:02 · answer #5 · answered by antmillerm 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm a downloader too, and I've had my router for two years now, it's working fine.
2006-10-23 12:40:56 · answer #6 · answered by Conspirator 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I've had mine over a year, and its fine. No electrical equipment can be expected to last more than around 3-5 years though.
2006-10-23 12:41:50 · answer #7 · answered by Goffik 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i seem to go through about 1 a year
2006-10-23 12:39:56 · answer #8 · answered by steven d 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1 to 2 years...and always have your eye open for another one!
http://www.tigerdirect.com/
2006-10-23 12:41:26 · answer #9 · answered by Rosie 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋