Making Tech Headlines · Page 7
The Router Delivers the Internet From the Worst Seat in the House
· New York time
A router needs good ventilation to perform at its best, according to Engadget's guidance on overheating. The box that connects a household can struggle when it is placed somewhere heat cannot readily escape. The advice makes placement part of network maintenance. A router may be tucked out of sight because cables, furniture and available outlets dictate where it can go. Yet the neatest hiding place is not necessarily the best environment for equipment that runs throughout the day. Giving the device room and keeping its ventilation clear is a modest step compared with shopping for a replacement. It also directs attention to a piece of hardware that tends to be noticed only when a connection slows or disappears. The invisible service depends on a very physical object, and that object needs an appropriate spot. There is an irony in demanding effortless internet while treating the equipment like an embarrassing ornament. The router is expected to support work, entertainment and every connected gadget in the home, preferably without being seen. A little space is a modest request from the box carrying everyone else's requests.
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