Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[cplindem]

Like a child, I spilled my chocolate milk. Some of it dripped down onto the router. We lost our internet connection. I cleaned the router some and regained connection (my computer is directly connected to it). However, none of our wireless devices can connect (the wireless light remains off).

Any ideas? The router itself doesn't look like it's easy to open up to try to clean the inside - no screws or anything.

[smlunatick]

Any liquid will "short out" electronic components.  You will have problems to clean the spill if the chips are fried.

[Patrick533]

Liquid damage is usually fatal! Because most of the components are NOT hermetically sealed, they will absorb liquid, like a sponge in some cases, thus causing an internal short. Because the distance inside of components between plus and minus (not to mention I/O lines) is a fraction of a Micron (0.00000XX inches) and it only takes a few liquid molecules to cause a short. On rare occasions, the internals of a Microchip dry, they sometimes start working again, but with the newer smaller technologies, this happens less and less. This is a down side to packing everything into a single chip. To compound the matters, MILK?

De-ionized/distilled water is sometimes used in the cleaning process of electronics with today’s water soluble fluxes. But they are free from minerals that cause the majority of the problems, on the other hand, milk is FORTIFIED with vitamins and minerals. To compound the matters even further, the unit was turned on when it happened.

Unless you took immediate action and had the proper facilities to clean the board using an immersion process to remove the milk, the prognosis is probably TOAST!  But on the upside, if it has already had time to dry (Chips can take days even if they are dry on the outside), it is not a total loss.

[lizzi555]

Like a child, I spilled my chocolate milk. Some of it dripped down onto the router. We lost our internet connection. I cleaned the router some and regained connection (my computer is directly connected to it). However, none of our wireless devices can connect (the wireless light remains off).

Any ideas? The router itself doesn't look like it's easy to open up to try to clean the inside - no screws or anything.

There are two screws hidden under the rear rubber feet

[marmoduke]

Deionized water is good.  Personally I prefer to attempt this kind of job with electronic cleaner spray (make sure you don't use electronic tuner spray which has a lubricant) and a bottle of compressed air.

You can get electronic cleaner spray at any electronics store, ace, home depot, or on EBAY.  Remember, don't get the kind with a spray lubricant, just straight plastic safe solvent.

[Patrick533]

Deionized water is good.  Personally I prefer to attempt this kind of job with electronic cleaner spray (make sure you don't use electronic tuner spray which has a lubricant) and a bottle of compressed air.

You can get electronic cleaner spray at any electronics store, ace, home depot, or on EBAY.  Remember, don't get the kind with a spray lubricant, just straight plastic safe solvent.

I did not even know you could still get electronics cleaner, I thought the EPA banned everything! Maybe only in California

A plastic safe solvent could very well work miracles! Even with Milk

[marmoduke]

I no longer live in California, however, I have bought four cans of electronics cleaner for various projects, mostly automotive, in the last twelve months.

It is available.

[cplindem]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I was online tonight (still connected directly), when I lost all connection and couldn't get it back. Wiggling some of the cables around made some of the router's lights go on and off, including the wireless symbol. So I tried wifi on my iPhone, and sure enough, it found our usual wifi network. However, nothing would load in safari ("server not responding"), so I guess wifi still wasn't working, even though the signal was being put out. Odd. Couldn't get a direct connection to come back either. So I moved on to cleaning.

I found some electronic cleaning spray at ACE. It seemed to work alright (cleaned the dried drip marks off the router's....errr....motherboard?) with some swabbing. But I'm sure I didn't get in the nooks and crannies. I'm letting it dry, and will try it out later.

[marmoduke]

If the motherboard is room temperature, blow it dry with compressed air duster.  It will dry almost instantly, including the nooks and crannies.

Hopefully, you will be good to go.

[cplindem]

I let it dry overnight. Tried it this morning - no dice.
Grabbed a rental router from Comcast and we're back in business. I guess the old router is shot...

I appreciate all the help though.