Transcript
Beating the heat: Not without a heat sink Brian Dipert - January 16, 2015
Back in June, I wrote about a DSL modem/router combo that came packaged complete with an attached protective clear plastic sheet ... a clear plastic sheet which completely blocked the ambient air flow vents on the top of the unit. Although I (barely) noticed and removed the sheet prior to operating the device for the first time, I surmised that others might not be so lucky and might end up prematurely "cooking" their units as a result. And my suspicions were confirmed by an email I received from ZyXEL post-writeup publication, indicating that the PK5001Z DSL gateway no longer shipped with the clear plastic included. I've more recently encountered another example of networking equipment that I suspect got overcooked, although I haven't (yet) personally experienced the issue. Back in early July, DealNews' and TechBargains' RSS feeds alerted me to the $19.99-on-sale status of TRENDnet's TPL-310AP Powerline 200 AV Wireless Access Point at Newegg. The TPL-310AP combines a 200 Mbps HomePlug AV bridge and a 300 Mbps 2.4 GHz 802.11n access point in a single device, and on paper it looked pretty impressive, especially considering the price:
Powerline ● ●
1 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX Ethernet port Connect one 200Mbps Powerline AV Adapter to the Internet and then plug in up to 15 additional
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Powerline AV adapters for instant building connectivity One-touch Sync button networks adapters quickly Share data intensive files, play games, download music, and more at faster data transfer rates Advanced 128-bit AES encryption to ensure total network security Neighbor network support for up to 4 overlapping networks Tri-color LED Indicator Network signal transmits up to 300 meters (984 ft) Auto QoS support through traffic classification and multiple priority queuing Optional management utility compatible with Windows 7 (32/64-bit), Vista (32/64-bit), and XP (32/64-bit) operating systems
Wireless ● ● ● ● ● ●
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Integrated high performance wireless n access point Based on IEEE 802.11n technology and compliant with IEEE 802.11b/g standards High-speed data rates of up to 300Mbps with IEEE 802.11n One-touch Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button connects wireless clients quickly Supports Access Point or Access Point (AP) Client (wireless adapter) mode In Access Point mode: expand a wireless network using Repeater mode (listed as AP Mode Support), Wireless Distribution System (WDS), or Mesh mode (bridging) MAC filter feature for added security (AP mode only) Wireless security up to WPA/WPA2-RADIUS Create a weekly schedule to enable or disable wireless network Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) Quality of Service (QoS) support Broadcast up to 4 SSIDs with different wireless encryption Web graphical user interface provides backup, configuration, and firmware management Wireless indoor coverage up to 100 m (328 ft) 3-year limited warranty
My initial motivation to pick up the TPL-310AP was as an EDN teardown candidate. In fact, I still plan to do a dissection, so keep an eye out for the outcome. But I was also in the process of purchasing a new home, and thought that a TPL-310AP (or few) might be useful in plugging any upstairs and downstairs Wi-Fi coverage holes. So I bought three of them. And although I haven't ended up needing them at the new residence, they've still come in handy. I'd been using a Belkin F5D7130 access point, running alternative DD-WRT firmware and connected to a HomePlug AV 200 powerline adapter, to augment the wireless "footprint" of the aforementioned ZyXEL gateway at my then-girlfriend's (now-wife's) house. Although the setup initially worked fine, it became increasingly flaky as time went on, with the F5D7130 periodically locking up or otherwise dropping off the network (along with anything connected to it). And about a month ago (as I write this in mid-December) it died completely. Yes, it's now an EDN teardown candidate, too... I decided to press a TPL-310AP into service as its replacement, and so far it's worked great. Although the configuration utility is Windows-only, my MacBook Pro laptop's copy of Firefox was alternatively able to interact with the TPL-310AP's built-in Web server problem-free. Its default static IP address is 192.168.10.100, so I temporarily gave my Mac's wired Ethernet adapter a static IP address assignment in that same subnet, then tethered the two together. At that point, I was able to reconfigure the TPL-310AP for DHCP, as well as to give it the identical wireless network parameters as its predecessor. And it's run stably ever since, mated to a HomePlug AV 200 adapter back at the router.
If my personal experience has been so positive, what's my beef? My first hint of product-health trouble came when I visited the support page and saw that the TPL-310AP had been discontinued a few months earlier. I guess that explains the "fire sale" price. On that same page, I also saw separate firmware images for the TPL-310AP's wireless and powerline subsystems, which was a little strange. But even more strange was that they were "initial release" images, dated December 2010. To the best of my recollection, through innumerable pieces of networking equipment that I've used over the years, I've never seen a product remain on its initial production firmware build for four years. A visit to Amazon's product page shed some more light on the situation ... along with the information that the TPL-310AP has been replaced by a HomePlug AV 500-based TPL-410AP successor. Take a look at the TPL-310AP user reviews and you'll find multiple horror stories about units that were DOA either right out of the box or within a few hours of use. One guy even took his TPL-310AP apart and found that the heat sink had fallen off its associated IC. I suspect that others' TPL-310APs suffered a similar fate. My guess? TRENDnet stockpiled an abundance of units for the early 2011 introduction, not realizing until later the premature-mortality manufacturing defect that many of them exhibited. Pulling and reworking (or alternatively destroying) existing product stock would have been too costly, so the company instead decided to shut down the hardware production line (and associated firmware development program) and keep selling the flawed TPL-310AP until inventory ran out. That in a word, if I'm right, "sucks". It sucks for TRENDnet, whose brand image was damaged (not that its competitors in the consumer networking space are in any better straits). And more generally, it sucks for the broader wireless and powerline networking industries, whose technologies have unfairly now gotten a black eye. Also see: ● ● ● ●
My long-running affection for heat sinks Misconception revealed: Can a heat sink be too big? Beating the heat: ZyXEL and CenturyLink are in the hot seat The print server: Why isn't there more consumer fervor?
