I used a q-tip to apply silicone lubricant to the fan shaft. It has only been 24 hours, but so far so good. There were several dust bunnies throughout the Extreme’s housing, so I’m going to be more diligent about regularly dusting the area around the router.

For the love of god, do not use WD-40! It’s full of stuff that will gunk up over time.

I used a toothpick to gently pry out the small connectors, starting behind the wires. For the big connector, I used a jeweller’s screwdriver the gently pry at the edges.

I was able to compete this step with a butter knife and much gentle prying. The scariest part is slipping the butter knife in.