Many times we end up with the router provided to us by the operator and we don't even remember that it needs to be changed from time to time. But do we always have to go to Vodafone, MEO or Nos to ask for new equipment? No, nothing like that. But the truth is that there is a time to negotiate a router replacement.
Vodafone/MEO/Nos: when should you negotiate a router exchange?
Reasons to update your router
Before we talk about the best time to negotiate a router change, let's first talk about the reasons why it's worth upgrading your equipment. In the world of technology, there are often clear, easy-to-understand crucial moments when upgrading seems like the obvious thing to do.
New Wi-Fi routers receive years of security and support updates
Older routers do not receive security updates. Any security holes that still exist when the last update is released will be there until the day the router is finally retired.
And it's not just Wi-Fi security to worry about, although an upgrade to WPA3, the best Wi-Fi security you can use today, is always a good thing.
For most families, the Wi-Fi router is an all-in-one networking device that handles both the Wi-Fi access point and security and routing for the entire network. So, if your router is seriously outdated, with unpatched vulnerabilities, it's not just the neighbor's kid stealing your Wi-Fi network. It's also the Internet side of the router, which ends up being a bigger problem, as the potential attacker doesn't even need to be within range of your Wi-Fi router to cause problems.
New Wi-Fi routers can handle all your devices
It is very likely that your home has more devices than it did when the router was installed. The days when the average home had a laptop and perhaps a smartphone connected to Wi-Fi are long gone for most people.
These days, it's not uncommon for each person in a home to have multiple Wi-Fi devices, and for the home itself to have multiple devices (Wi-Fi smart thermostats, smart speakers, smart plugs, smart home devices, etc.), all online at all times. hour.
Not all devices in the modern home consume a lot of bandwidth (although many of them do), but they all need a consistent, stable connection. What good are smart Wi-Fi security cameras or smart locks if they are constantly leaving the network?
New Wi-Fi routers offer greater coverage
The limited range of older Wi-Fi routers wasn't a big problem when not using devices outside their range. If your router only had enough range to cover part of the first floor of your house, then you would most likely have to deal with that and use your laptop in the kitchen or living room instead of upstairs. , in bed.
But now people have devices scattered throughout their homes that need reliable Internet access (like smart TVs and smart speakers). And people want to use their devices throughout the house and even in the backyard.
Upgrading to a newer Wi-Fi router is the only way to do it if you have an older, underpowered Wi-Fi router.
You should update your Wi-Fi router every 3 years
It's one thing to highlight the benefits of updating your router, but how often should you do it? Updating every year would be overkill and inconvenient. Updating when you've had a router for so long that it doesn't receive security updates and is always dropping the latest devices on the network is waiting too long.
We recommend that you update your Wi-Fi router every 3 years. In the short term, three years is enough time for incremental improvements to existing Wi-Fi standards and hardware. If you have a home with demanding users and lots of devices and want to have the most up-to-date router hardware and software, then upgrading every three years is actually a good plan. You can even use the contract renewal, which occurs every two years, to do this.