Internet Down From Bad Cap
I noticed some websites loading way slow, and I used speedtest to find out that I was getting 2mbits instead of my usual 15. I called up support and they said everything was fine, and it looked my router was problematic. After I hung up, nothing worked and bypassing the router didn’t help. I called back and another 45 minutes of debugging later, the support guy said he had no clue.
I suspected the modem at this point, got off the phone, but couldn’t get online to order a replacement. So I cracked it open, and instantly saw a swollen cap next to a big inductor. In my experience, power supply electrolytic caps are the biggest point of failure.
I found a replacement quickly in my caps drawer and 5 minutes later..
It was a bit tall for the space so I had to mount it sideways. Plugged it back in and everything is humming along just fine. Annoying how quickly a single point of failure will make a bunch of electronics obsolete, ending up in the waste dump. But it would cost $1 more if they used parts that were less-prone to failure, and we are so driven by the cost of goods…
In my polymers class I learned that it would cost $0.03 more to make diapers biodegradable, but that’s too much for the market to bear. So rather we have to deal with giant mounds of shitty diapers.