upgrade your router approximately every three to four years. In addition to its inherent electronic decline, your router may fail unexpectedly, so you should be vigilant for obvious signs indicating it is approaching the end of its lifespan.
Your router may be failing, but not entirely nonfunctional — and that’s the time to start considering a replacement. Hardware stress is one warning sign. If you observe it overheating in a relatively cool environment, the components might be overstressed to keep the router operational. Another sign relates to the connection itself. If you encounter difficulties connecting new devices to its network, or you experience considerable slowdowns during their use, the gateway might be signaling that it is not operating properly when it should be. Ultimately, you’ll want to ascertain whether your router is nearing its final days, allowing you to prepare and upgrade to a model that accommodates Wi-Fi 7.