Having Wi‑Fi problems? Make sure your router is up to date!

If you’re like many people, you connect to the Internet at home using a Wi-Fi connection. Since most of your devices — whether they’re smart phones, tablets, or laptops — are designed to be used wirelessly, the only way to get online using them is by connecting to the device that provides the Wi-Fi signal in your home.

This device is usually called a router, but you might also hear it called a gateway, a modem or an access point. The name doesn’t really matter, but the device itself has a big impact on the quality of your home Wi-Fi.

If your device does not seem to be performing at a level you expected, the first thing to check is whether your router is based on old technology. If files take forever to download, streaming videos don’t display smoothly, and you have trouble connecting to Wi-Fi in some areas of your home, then there’s a good chance an old router is the culprit.

If you are using GigabitNow fiber Internet for your Internet connection you can learn more about speed expectations from our blog on Internet Speed and Testing.

Older = Slower

If your router is even just a few years old, it’s out of date. This means you are not getting the most out of your wireless devices, which are designed to work best when they’re using the latest Wi-Fi technology.

It also means you’re not getting your money’s worth from your Internet service, because your old router is preventing you from getting the speed and performance you’re paying for.

New Technology = Better Performance

So why are the new Wi-Fi routers so much better? They’re based on new technology (the 802.11ac standard) that offers major performance improvements you’ll notice when you’re online. Learn more about current Wi-Fi standards.

First of all, these new routers are faster. The maximum speed provided by routers based on the old standards (802.11b/g/n) is 450 Megabits per second (Mbps) or less. The new routers are capable of providing speeds of up to 1330 Megabits per second, or 1.3 Gigabits per second (Gbps).

While you won’t always get the maximum speeds possible due to reasons beyond our control, an up-to-date router is two or three times faster than routers using old technology. This makes a noticeable difference, especially when you’re downloading large files from the Internet, gaming online, or watching a movie from a streaming service like Netflix. This even applies when two, three or four people are connected to your home Wi-Fi at the same time.

The latest routers give you better range, which means you enjoy a better Internet experience even when you’re further from your router. They do this using a new technology that detects where a device is and then sending a stronger signal in the direction of that device.

They also provide some big advantages and improvements over Wi-Fi routers that are using old technology. If you are not happy with the performance of your home Wi-Fi, it may be time to consider upgrading the router that you’re using. If you are ready to ditch your current Internet service provider because they’re giving you bad service that is slow, unreliable or you’re being hit with fee after fee, upgrade to GigabitNow fiber Internet for faster, more reliable connections today! GigabitNow provides you with awesomely fast fiber Internet speeds and the fastest Wi-Fi available today with our Wi-Fi 6 router.