Water-Cooled Router Mod Tutorial

Introduction

The purpose of this tutorial is to show how to water-cool an over-the-counter router (i.e.: D-Link, Linksys, Netgear, etc). Unfortunately, many routers have heat shields or other internal components that will prohibit the installation of a water block (WxHxD: 1.7 cm x 1.4 cm x 5.8 cm). Before purchasing a D-Link DIR-615 rev C1, I encountered two different Linksys router models where heat shields and metal frames prevented the attachment of a water block to the CPU and/or switch chip. Please look inside your router or search the internet for pictures to verify possibilities before continuing with the tutorial.

Step 1: Preparation

There is a large materials checklist. The checklist is split in two parts:
1) Materials you will need (or equivalent components).
2) Additional materials that were used to water-cool a D-Link DIR-615 rev C1 router.

Materials you must have:

Additional materials:

Step 2: Modify the Mini-ITX Case.

Remove the acrylic shelf for the 3.5″ drive bay. Also, remove the two leg panels that support the shelf. Use wire to tie the acrylic shelf to the bottom of the ITX case so that it is sticking out on the side. The plastic bin that houses the cooling system reservoir and pump will sit upon this piece. The purpose of this is not to support the cooling system while carrying it, but it is something for it to rest on.

Next, place your router inside of the ITX case and attach the top of the ITX case. Trace a square hole on a piece of cardboard. Cut out your tracing and attach it to the top of the case where you want it to be cut. I took the case to a True Value hardware store where they cut it for $5. Also ask to have a piece of acrylic cut in the size of 14″ by 15″. This will be used as a platform to carry your water cooled router.

Step 3: Make the wall jack face plate.

Cut cardboard to fit the opening on the back of the ITX case. This will be placed underneath where the power supply sits. Next, cut 5 squares into the cardboard to mount the Cat6 keystone jacks. Trace the keystone jacks for appropriate size. Remember to cut a hole for your router power cable. I forgot to do this and had to wire the power cable out of the top of the case and around the tubing.

• Paint your cardboard so that it looks beautiful. Use epoxy glue to attach your cardboard to the ITX case (Elmer’s glue even worked for me when I let it dry over night).

Step 4: Jump start the power supply with a paper clip.

Use a paper clip to connect the green wire and any black wire coming out of the largest cable from the PSU. Secure the paper clip using electrical tape. This will allow your PSU to turn on immediately after plugging in the power cord without the use of a motherboard.

Step 5: Build the water cooling system.

On the D-Link DIR-615, I am water cooling the processor chip and the switch chip. The switch chip was 2 to 3 millimeters higher than the processor chip. Therefore, I cut a very thin piece of a metal. This metal will be placed on the processor chip to level out the water block evenly. The metal I used was from the face plate that ordinarily would have been used on the back of the ITX case, right where we glued the cardboard for the Cat6 keystones.

• Remove the top of the router’s plastic case. Place your router inside of the ITX case and attach the top of the ITX case. Use the PVC tubing to mark the lengths that you will need to cut.

• Assemble the water cooling system, but do not put it into the case when filling it with liquid coolant. Follow the construction guide that comes with the Aqua-Bay M5. Use two hose clamps at the ends of the thermometer and 1 hose clamp at the reservoir.

• Fill your cooling system with liquid coolant. It is easiest to fill the system at the reservoir, where the cap twists off.

• After filling the reservoir, plug the water cooling system into the PSU and plug the PSU into a wall outlet. The water cooling system should start operating. Unplug the power cable when the reservoir is half full and add more coolant to the system until the coolant level has reached the ‘high’ mark. Repeat this step until the rest of the system is completely filled.

• Lay paper towel on a table. Place your cooling system on top of the paper towel and run the system for about 15 minutes. If the paper towel gets wet you have leaks and must make fixes accordingly.

Step 6: Connect the router and Cat6 cables.

• Apply approximately 6″ of industrial strength Velcro strip on the back of the router. Peel off the Velcro that will stick to the ITX case surface and attach it to the Velcro on the router so that when you put the router in the case it will stick where you place it. After securing the router, it is time to attach the Cat6 patch cables to the Cat6 keystone jacks.

• Cut off a crimped connector on one end of each Cat6 cable. Strip the outer plastic off and expose 1 inch of the wires. Use the diagrams on the keystone jacks to put the wires in the correct positions. Shorten the length of the cables as necessary. The Cat6 cable was crimped to its connector in either form A or form B. Make sure you select the correct form by looking at the wire order inside of the connector. I used form B which happens to be the most common form for Cat6 cable (pictured below).

• Attach the Cat6 keystone jacks with cables to your cardboard panel and the router. Insert the router’s power cable through the cardboard and to the router.

Step 7: Attaching the cooling system base.

• Place the ITX case (with the side-attached 3.5″ bay) on top of your 14″ by 15″ piece of acrylic so that it will be easier to move later.
• Cut off the walls of the plastic bin along the ridge closest to the bottom. Use epoxy to glue it on top of the attached 3.5″ bay.

Step 8: Connect the PSU and water cooling system.

Assuming your water cooling system has no leaks; insert the PSU and LCD panel into the ITX case. Attach all of the wires for the front mount fans and LCD panel. Tidy-up any internal wires as this will be your last chance.

• Next we will attach the power cable for the fan. Cut off the fan connector and expose 1 inch of each wire. You will need to splice into back, red, and yellow cables to power it. I was able to cut 1 inch of plastic off of the LCD panel power cables without cutting or damaging the wires. Use electrical tape to secure the wires.

Step 8.5 (Optional): Attach the toggle switch for fan on/off control.

I had a hard time falling asleep at night because the blue LEDs on the fans are very bright. Solution: Add a switch!

• Wire the fan power cables to join up with the cooling system power cable. If you cut the short yellow wire in half, the power to the fans can be controlled without affecting other components. I recommend only doing this if you are familiar with electrical wiring.
• Remove the ITX case on/off switch board and insert the switch through one of the holes.

Step 9: Connect the PSU and water cooling system (continued).

• Attach the top of the case and remove the front of the case. We are removing the front of the case so that we have room to put our hands inside.

• Position the water cooling system in place and plug in its power cable to the PSU.

• Plug in the cooling system thermometer cables.

Next you will need to apply your thermal adhesive to the chips you are cooling. My local computer store did not have any so I made my own using 1 part epoxy and 1 part thermal grease. The epoxy I used supports up to 2500 lbs/sq inch and resists up to 200ºF. After testing, I discovered it conducts heat very efficiently because the coolant temperature increases dramatically after I turn on the router. Remember to attach your thin piece of metal if needed (described in step 5 to keep the water block level).

• Connect the water block to the chip(s). Use your hands to apply force between the water block and the chip(s). Hold it in place for about 10 minutes to be sure it dries and does not move. Put the front of the case back on when you are done.

Step 10: Finishing touches.

It is a good idea to cover the hole on the top of the case to protect it from physical objects. I used a wire mesh that I found at a hardware store (True Value). Use silicone glue to attach the wire mesh to the top of the case. I chose silicone because it is not permanent when compared to other adhesives.

I was afraid to use plastic ties or wire for cable management. The tube system is very fragile. Cut rubber bands and use them to tie the additional wires around the tubes coming out of the top of the case. Congratulations, you have completed the construction of your water cooled router!

Recommendations and Conclusion

This is a very difficult project and I only recommend it to people who are willing to risk failure. I broke a Linksys router while trying to remove the heat shields. Many Linksys routers have metal frames supporting heat shields and are impossible to remove without damaging the router. Ultimately, I purchased a used D-Link router on Craig’s List.

If you have installed Linux (ie: DD-WRT, Tomato) and water cooling, you can now overclock the router’s processor worry free. Overclocking your router’s processor will increase the speed at which your router makes connections. This is beneficial for applications like BitTorrent. These router modifications proved to be a great learning experience and I wish everyone great luck with their router modifying endeavors.

– Chris Robb (djcjrobb)

Works Cited

idiq . “How To: Jump Start A Power Supply (PSU) / Test A Power Supply And Components.” Overclock.net. N.p., 18 June 2006. Web. 14 Jun 2010. <http://www.overclock.net/faqs/96712-how-jump-start-power-supply-psu.html>.