A poor internet connection directly affects our productivity and entertainment. While various factors can slow down your internet, one reason is that your old router can’t keep up with modern demands, affecting the network performance in your home.
If you’re experiencing slow internet or constant disconnections, your router may be the culprit. Technology is evolving rapidly, and so are your home networking needs. Here are several signs that it’s time to upgrade your router. Check Your Modem vs Router: What’s the Difference?
1. Low speed and frequent disconnections
Slow internet speeds and frequent disconnections are clear signs that you need to upgrade your router, especially if the typical troubleshooting steps to speed it up haven’t helped. If your connection was previously fast but now struggles to load web pages, your streaming buffers frequently, your gaming sessions are choppy, or your online meetings often have distorted audio, your old router could be the problem.
As more devices are added to your network and its technology ages, an older router may lack the processing power and memory needed to handle the increased demand, resulting in slower speeds and frequent disconnections. This is especially true if your router uses an older Wi-Fi version.
Upgrading to a better router ensures your network can handle faster speeds, provide a stable connection, and support the growing number of devices in your home. Check out how to choose between Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, and Wi-Fi 6E to improve your network.
2. Limited coverage and dead zones
Older routers can degrade in range and signal strength over time, leading to weak connection areas or dead zones in your home. A wireless dead zone is a place where the Wi-Fi signal is weak or nonexistent. You’re more likely to experience frequent outages and slower speeds in these areas.
If you recently expanded your home or moved to a larger home and your old router is failing to provide coverage all around, upgrade to a router that meets your new requirements and covers a larger area. When upgrading your router, choose one based on the size of your new home and the area you want to cover.
You should also choose a router with multiple antennas to ensure wider coverage, strong and stable connection, and the ability to manage multiple devices efficiently.
3. The speed you pay for cannot be provided.
Older routers don’t support the latest Wi-Fi standards and lack the hardware to achieve higher speeds. If you’ve upgraded or are planning to upgrade to a faster internet plan but your router can’t deliver the maximum internet speeds your ISP offers, you have no choice but to upgrade your router.
Otherwise, your connection speed will be limited by the maximum speed of your router. For example, if your router can deliver speeds of up to 100 Mbps but your internet plan offers more than that, you won’t get speeds higher than 100 Mbps. Upgrading to a router that supports Wi-Fi 5, 6, 6E, or 7 will ensure that you can get the speed you’re paying for.
4. No longer receiving firmware updates
Keeping your router up to date with firmware updates is essential to maintaining a secure, efficient, and reliable home network. If your router no longer supports or receives firmware updates from the manufacturer, this is another strong reason to upgrade it.
Without regular firmware updates, your router becomes vulnerable to security risks, leaving your privacy vulnerable to exploitation. You are also likely to encounter bugs and glitches that affect the performance of your router, and you will not be able to access new features.
In short, not updating your firmware not only results in poor performance, but it also increases your exposure to online threats. So, get a router that has hardware that meets your ISP’s requirements and continues to receive new firmware updates.
5. Fever, as if inflamed
If your router feels excessively hot to the touch, as if it is on fire, you should place it in a well-ventilated area, raise it off the ground, and clean its vents. If these steps do not help, the overheating could indicate several other problems.
As the number of devices increases, your router may be working harder to manage the data traffic, internal corrosion may have deteriorated it, or the cooling mechanism may not work efficiently due to a temporary blockage or a permanent problem.
Overheating can cause sudden shutdowns, frequent restarts, and dropped connections. Overheating of your router will likely slow down its performance, leading to constant issues and unstable speeds.
Upgrading to a new router with advanced cooling systems will ensure better thermal management, providing a stable and reliable connection with fewer reboots and slowdowns.
6. Missing advanced features
If your router lacks advanced features like beamforming, MIMO (multiple input, multiple output), and mesh networking, that’s another reason to consider upgrading your router. Upgrading to the latest security protocols, like WPA3, is also helpful.
MU-MIMO technology allows multiple devices to receive data simultaneously, reducing waiting times by transmitting data efficiently. Beamforming technology improves signal strength by focusing the broadcast directly toward devices rather than in all directions. Quality of Service technology prioritizes important applications such as online gaming to ensure they get enough bandwidth over less important tasks.
Likewise, advanced security protocols provide enhanced encryption and better protection against cyber threats, and mesh networking extends Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home with multiple nodes and eliminates dead zones. So, if you’re missing these features, upgrading your router should be a priority.
7. The router is more than 10 years old.
While your old router may last for a few more years, using an older model may limit your ability to maximize the performance potential offered by your ISP.
The above issues are more common in routers that are more than ten years old, which is usually the average lifespan of a router. These devices may not support the latest standards, their internal components may be worn out, they may lack advanced features, or they may lack security protocols that ensure a secure connection.
Likewise, if your kids have grown up since you first bought your router, you may now find features like parental controls useful in a new router. If you’ve moved to a new home and are experiencing dead zones with the same router, or if you think age-related issues are affecting its performance and security, it’s definitely time to consider upgrading to a new one. Check out the benefits of upgrading your router now: Why should you take advantage of Wi-Fi 7?
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