Do Computers (and other gadgets) Get Tired? - Comments Page 2

As an electronic hobbyist and computer user since the 70th I can mention my experience. Although it's indeed true that some electronic components can wear of with time especially capacitors, the problem you resolve in communication lines by disconnecting all devices and waiting before reconnecting is something different I experienced multiple times in my life, It's called "GROUND LOOPS". That happens when two high speed grounded communication devices are connected via two different ways i.e. the grounding plug from their electricity outlet and the grounding wire from their communicating cable. When that happens as it forms a very big loop after time the high frequency currents (from your data) start to slowly induce currents within that loop that interfere with your data and change the inductive and capacitive properties of your transmission line. It even happened to me in the 80's on a "slow" 4800 baud connection. It usually happens between a modem or router and it's connected device (PC) but I also had it once between a controller PC and a PCB plotter that started to behave erratically by the end of the plotting process ruining the work. Both had a metallic frame and were grounded via their electrical plug and the (serial) data cable had it's ground connected on both ends. Disconnecting the data cable's ground connection on one end (never ever on both ends) solved the problem. Consider however that whenever one of your devices like switches and routers are powered via external power supplies supplying low voltage to your devise without ground will avoid ground loops (one of the reasons they are doing it that way) but two grounded PC's connected to the same switch with a ground cat 6 or 5e ethernet cable could start exhibiting those problems.

When traveling and remotely logging in to my home computers, after a week or two, I'd lose contact with the computers. Would have to phone home for a reboot of both computers, router, and switch.

First solution was to use mechanical timers to cut power, then restore power. Computers used software to shut down before power cut, with bios set to boot on power. Only trouble was when daylight savings time ended: windows would update the time, mechanical timers wouldn't so order would reverse.

Current solution is to use Tp-Link power strips where schedules are kept internally. Besides user defined schedules, I can control the power remotely. I have 2 ISP's. Each controls the OTHER router's power plug so when powering off a router, it's the other router that controls the power plug. Works for me.

When I get computers in for repair/tuneup, the first thing I do is take it outside and blow out the innards. Then I stop all unnecessary programs from running at startup. Necessary, in my opinion is Windows, anti-virus and VPN. Next is a defrag and a (be careful here) free space wipe.

@BobD >> I reverse all my network RJ45 cables around when I suspect network gremlins are buggering up the electrons; like sugar in a gas tank! 😮