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Voyager 210 ADSL router

Brian
Grafter
Posts: 60
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Voyager 210 ADSL router

I've been with PN for two years and still use the Voyager 210 supplied.
All has been wel until recently.
Background
I sometime sleave the router switched on all the time. Sometime it turn it off at night. Until now, there has been no problem with this, and it gets up and running within a few seconds or so.
Recently/today...it took five minutes (or more?) to work!
Steps: Turned router on at start of day, and only got two green lights, but the power light was barely visible and was flickering. The DSL light was on. The internet light was off (I think?) (or was it the ethernet light?).
And onother light was also barelt visible, but flickering.
(Sorry to be vague, but eventually, the four lights came on, even though I had done nothing to the system, and I hadn't even touched  any of  the plugs or connections etc.
Is my Voyager 'on the blink'?
Can I 'test' the Voyager? How?
Should I reset something? If so, how?
Any advice will be appreciated. If I need to do something fast, please let me know.
(My current download speed is OK, but sometimes it doesn't seem too good, but maybe its my antivirues progs doing that, so my question isn't about speed, it's about functionality, at the moment!
Thanks
Brian

22 REPLIES 22
MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,572
Thanks: 5,408
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Quote
but the power light was barely visible and was flickering

Sounds like the power supply could be on its way out...

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Brian
Grafter
Posts: 60
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Thanks 4 msg, MisterW
My power supply is mains electricity, via a four-way extension lead. No other equipment (PC, printer, etc) on this supply is suffering.
In due course, the power supply light (and the other flickering red light) came on by itself to full and constant red. Then they changed to green, and all was well.
Is there a 'power supply' chip (or something?) in the router?  Embarrassed If so, can I check it?
Last night I left my router on. And all four lights were still on when I started work. When I booted my PC, the ethernet light went off. It took six or seven minutes to show a stable green light, (but this could be a load-up problem with my PC ).
Thanks for any suggestions you can give me about the 'router problem' that I seem to have been experiencing.
Maybe I should turn it all off and start again, and report back?
Brian

MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,572
Thanks: 5,408
Fixes: 385
Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Quote
Is there a 'power supply' chip (or something?) in the router?

I'm not completely familiar with the Voyager 210 but doesnt it have a 'Plug in' power supply ?
Routers are normally powered by  typically 5v or 12v and are supplied with an external power supply which plugs into the mains and then is plugged into the back of the router.
When I said 'power supply is probably on its way out' I was referring to this external power supply unit.
These usually run quite hot and after a while can start to fail.
If the 'power light' is flickering its likely that the external power supply is not working properly.
Given that the router is 2 years old its probably worth thinking about getting a replacement.
PlusNet might give you a new Thomson TG585 ( you need to pay postage ) if you agree to a further 12 months  contract.
Hope that helps

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Brian
Grafter
Posts: 60
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Aha!
Of course, I should have mentioned the adaptor! Seems fine today!
Perhaps I'll wait and see if anything untoward happens again.
I wouldn't have thought that two years would be the expected life of an adaptor or of a router!
And I don't want to buy new ones 'just in case'!
So, having aired my concerns, and having considered what you say, maybe I'll just wait and see what happens next, if anything! Huh
Thx again for taking the trouble to reply.
Regards
Brian
Interested
Grafter
Posts: 108
Registered: ‎20-12-2008

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

I have a BT Voyager 2110.
I believe the expected life expectancy is around 10 years though I believe someone one said 5 years is possible.
Just a though we have had a lot of power surges in our area lately. In fact one broke my oven's heating element, though that's another story. Could a power surge have caused the issue?
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Most of the warranty's are for 12 months.
I wouldn't generally expect a £20-30 piece of kit to last 5-10 years.
MisterW
Superuser
Superuser
Posts: 14,572
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Registered: ‎30-07-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Quote
I believe the expected life expectancy is around 10 years though I believe someone one said 5 years is possible.

You'll be lucky...
This type of consumer electronics kit is designed down to a price. The power adaptors in particular are usually designed to just about provide the requirements of the router. As a consequence they tend to run quite hot ( Voyagers in my experience are particularly bad in that respect ) and thus tend to stress the components and shorten the life expectancy. As long as too many don't fail during the warranty period then thats all the manufacturers are interested in.

Superusers are not staff, but they do have a direct line of communication into the business in order to raise issues, concerns and feedback from the community.

Brian
Grafter
Posts: 60
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Voyager 210 ADSL router

I joined PlusNet 2 years ago, and PN supplied me with a Voyager 210 Router. All has been fine until very recently. The 'power' light failed to light. I checked the power itself and all was well. I contacted PN supporrt and they said the unit had failed and I should buy a new one, which I have.
Comment: I would have expected the unit to last more that two years! So I am dissapointed. Should PN be supplying goods that only last 2 years etc etc? Sad
(My usage is minimal, about 1 or 2 gb a month, if that, often nearer 0.5 gb)
Brian
Grafter
Posts: 60
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎02-08-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Thanks everyone!
Today was the last straw! It just wouldn't power up. I tested the power supply (adaptor) and it was delivering 10v (unit said it was a 9V supply, so I suppose that would have been alright)
Anyway, contacted PN support, descibed condition and they confirmed that the unit had failed and that I needed to buy a new one. They offered me (whatever!) but I decided to get one from a nearby store.
All fine now, easy to install and I'm up and running.
BUT ....2 years life for a Voyager 210?
Yea, maybe it was a power surge that killed it! Who knows!
Maybe I'll get an anti-power surge device (but I've already got a very sensitive trip on my mains supply, and that hasn't tripped in the recent past)
However, thanks to everyone.
(My new Router has a lifetime guarantee!!! ---Hmmm!)
Regards
Brian
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

kit fails.  it can be brand new and fail.  that's the nature of kit. 
James
Grafter
Posts: 21,036
Thanks: 5
Registered: ‎04-04-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Hi Brian,
Our equipment carries a one year warranty.
The nature of the equipment is that it can fail.  I'm afraid that there's not a lot we can do about that without supplying considerably more expensive hardware and thus having to increase prices.
scootie
Grafter
Posts: 4,799
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎03-11-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

i trashed my dg834g v4 i brought from pc world exctaly 2 days past its 1 year warrnty its just the way elcy gds are am affarid.
for 2 years that isnt to bad least u got an extra year over the warrnty out of it. 
colintivy
Rising Star
Posts: 1,375
Thanks: 33
Registered: ‎07-03-2008

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

Hi Brian,
I am another Voyager 210 (from PN) user and , so far, it has not done anything amiss. It is just out of 12 months warranty so I will expect trouble I suppose. You said that you have bought a replacement but did not say what it was. I seem to remember a raft of posts covering the attributes of routers and do not know now if the Thomson one on offer from PN is well rated. It probably will be determined on price. My problems, which were aired many months ago, centred on dodgy Ethernet connectors but not the router itself. It does however not integrate well with RouterStats.
colintivy 😕
scootie
Grafter
Posts: 4,799
Thanks: 1
Registered: ‎03-11-2007

Re: Voyager 210 ADSL router

ive still got my 210 from 2007. but its only seen a few months service. i did dust it of a month or 2 ago and it was still working fine