Wi-iFi pods hot to touch

[PeterMc]

Just had 4 pods installed in the home yesterday, this morning they are very hot to touch is this normal? safe?

[BellPatricia · Accepted solution]

Hey there @PeterMc,
Welcome to the Bell Community, and thanks for reaching out.
The Wi-Fi pods should not overheat, but may feel slightly warm to the touch.
Have you noticed a problem with your Internet too?
Are you using the other plug on the same socket as your Wi-Fi capsules? If so, we recommend that you don't use the other plug on the same socket. 
If the problem persists, can you try another socket to see if it makes a difference? 
Keep the community posted.

- Patricia

[Cd1970]

I am completely baffled with the pods. I have had to replace 6 pods in 4 months.  They constantly start overheating and then disappear off the network. Wasted so much time with Bell technical.  They can't figure it out either.  They just keep sending replacements. I cannot for the life of me understand how a company  so big uses such garbage. This is completely ridiculous. Even worse are the stupid solutions they try to give. The one they've used the last 30 years when they know the equipment is faulty..........Is it plugged in an extension or direct? I was with Videotron and opted to give Bell a try again. What a mistake. Substandard equipment and complete waste of money and time. Does anyone have any idea what the problem with these pods are?  Fan never turns off on 3 out of 4.  They now disappeared from the network and cannot be put back. No reset button . No way to stop them overheating. And yes. They are away from anything blocking the air and causing them to overheat.  They worked fine for about 3 months.  Then boom .....one by one they stop working and just overheat. Thxs

[dks]

You raise an interesting question. There is a Wi-Fi checkup tool in the MyBell app which can diagnose issues with the pods and the wireless network. Have you run it? It takes five to seven minutes. Are there any messages from the app? How many devices are connected in in your home through the pods? 

I have five pods. There are no fans on any of the pods. They do get warm to the touch. A reset is performed by unplugging the pods, leaving them for a minute or so and plugging them in again. The system then optimizes the pods based on location and device demand. This is all visible in the Wi-Fi app. The pods have been in place for at least two years. 

[Cd1970]

Hi. Thks for answering.  There are most definitely fans . I opened them up and there are heatsinks. The fan noise is very evident.  These are the latest models from what I've read. I have run the diagnostic tool many times. It simply says there is a problem and contact support. Like I said. I tried everything. And I do have a smart home so over 20 items hooked up at all the different points .  Some on pods and others on main.  But the system decides. Not me. I don't pick and choose what hooks up where.  Thxs

[dks]

Thank you for the clarification. When you say "east models", what does that mean? The pods I have are all Bell Canada pods by Plume. A 6E signal only appears to connect when the device itself is 6E capable. Most devices connect at about 200 Mbps or thereabouts.  20+ devices should not be an issue. The system self-balances. There is no user input into the pods. The pods are dynamic, constantly adjusting themselves based on load, signal strength and other factors. I have found it best to let the system do it's thing as opposed to forcing something which seems logical to me. 

[Cd1970]

Hi,sorry.  I meant the latest models. And they most definately have fans.  

[Vanadiel · Accepted solution]

If they overheat that would be unusual. Something to look at is your supply voltage. I highly doubt you have a supply voltage that is out of specs, but it's always possible if you live close to a main transmission point.

It should be 120 VAC, but it's not a bad idea to check.

Another possibility is incorrect wiring on the receptacle, and the neutral and hot are switched or you have split receptacles that are wired incorrectly.

I doubt it's overheating because your home is hot, or sunlight etc... I am leaning more towards supply voltage or incorrect wiring of the receptacles.

I honestly never heard anybody say theirs overheated. and since it keeps happening to you I don't think it's a manufacturing defect or a bad badge of pods.

[dks]

I agree. The pods should not fail like that. A simple circuit tester from a hardware store could tell more. 

[BellNick]

Hi there @Cd1970 
Thank you for your post and welcome to the Community.
Are you plugging the pods into the same outlets as the previous pods that were overheating or have you tested plugging them into other outlets?
Looking forward to hearing back.

[Martin S]

maybe the connection between the pods is not good, and they run hot trying to compensate?  You could do a test by placing them all (or some) in same room temporarily, to see if issue goes away.  

[DanO1954]

I’ve had the same issue. I had one pod they actually discoloured the electrical faceplate that it was plugged in to. They were replaced and now I’ve had nothing but issues with the new ones. Two more on the way. Frustrating 

[BellNick]

Hi there @DanO1954 
Thank you for your post and welcome to the Community.
We wanted to check in to see if you've received your replacement pods? If so and you're still experiencing issues, are you able to share details as to the issues you're experiencing, along with what pods you have and which modem you have?
Looking forward to hearing back.

[DanO1954]

I now have two new pods coming. The remote Bell tech said she couldn’t connect to them so she has order new ones. The two new ones from last week are warm to the touch. Also I find the connection status on these pods unnerving. One minute they say EXCELLENT and the next they are POOR. It’s like this all day. I never know what I’ll get. My modem is 3Gb but of course I never get anything close to. Another issue is the significant drop in speed once the latest firmware update has been done. 

[BellNick]

Hi there @DanO1954 
We wanted to check in to see if you've received you're replacement pods and if you're continuing to experiencing issues?