How long do routers work

Start with the lights on your router and modem. That means your disconnection is probably a router shortcoming. Like poor connectivity, worsening Wi-Fi range and speeds are signs that your router is failing. Like most tech, routers tend to break slowly over time rather than all at once. Routers do a lot of heavy lifting for your network. Overheating can also be caused by poor ventilation.

Routers usually have vents but no active cooling mechanism. Also, people shove them in corners or places without airflow for proper cooling. A router that frequently overheats is going to break down well before one that stays at a reasonable temperature. Enter your zip below to see every internet provider in your area.

Author - Rebecca Lee Armstrong. Rebecca Lee Armstrong has more than six years of experience writing about tech and the internet, with a specialty in hands-on testing.

She started writing tech product and service reviews while finishing her BFA in creative writing at the University of Evansville and has found her niche writing about home networking, routers, and internet access at HighSpeedInternet.

That model is still supported, though the company wouldn't say for how long. You can also look yourself to see when the last time your router firmware was updated. There are a couple of ways to do this. The name of the menu or setting will vary by brand. The exact address varies by model but is often indicated directly on the router itself.

If no update has been available for months, or even years, the router is probably no longer being supported. As a rule of thumb, a Netgear representative told us, consumers should consider replacing their router after three years, and representatives from Google and Linksys said a three-to-five-year window was appropriate.

Amazon, which owns the popular Eero brand of routers, put the range at three to four years. However, CR's own survey data indicates that one-fifth of consumers wait more than four years to replace their router. Why do so many routers stop getting updates after just a few years? You also should upgrade your router if it's no longer delivering fast and reliable WiFi to your devices.

You can determine this a few ways. Large downloads, such as games from platforms like Steam and Xbox GamePass, may take forever and a day to finish. But before you buy a new router, run a speed test or two to get an idea how fast your connection is to the internet. This will tell you whether the problem is really with the router or with your internet service provider. There are several speed tests online, including SpeedTest. It could be an issue on their end.

Or if the speeds match, you may just need to pay for a faster tier of service to handle the demands you're putting on your system. But if the data speeds coming into your home seem okay, it could be that your router is no longer up to the task. That might be particularly true if you have better connectivity in one part of the house than in another. That's a clear sign that the router is falling short of your network's potential. If problems like those persist, try running some speed tests in various spots around your home using a few different devices -- both your phone and your laptop, for instance.

I like the Ookla speed test, which is fast, free, reliable and easy to use -- you can run it in your browser by clicking here , or you can download Ookla's speed-testing app to your Android or iOS device, or even to an Apple TV. Whatever devices you use, those results should give you a clearer sense of whether the problem is tied to a specific client device or location in your home, or whether it's a bigger issue affecting everything. With the numbers giving you a better understanding of the status quo, make some quick tweaks and see if things improve.

Try repositioning the router to a spot that's more open and central within your home, preferably in a location that's as high as possible. While you're at it, adjusting the angle of the antennas might help boost the signal to specific spots around the house. It's also a good idea to blast the ports in the back and the airflow vents with a can of compressed air to break through dust build-up -- gunk like that can cause your router to overheat and its performance to dip.

Router technology and security are always improving, and we've seen some significant jumps in the past few years with the arrival of Wi-Fi 6 and WPA3 , the latest generations of Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi security, respectively.

Generational advances like those leave yesterday's routers in the dust, so it's worth upgrading to a router that supports them as soon as it makes sense for you to do so -- even if the one you're using now is still getting the job done.

Outside of that, the mere fact that so many of us are spending so much more time at home these days makes the idea of upgrading your router even more compelling. Upgrading to Wi-Fi 6, a new generation of Wi-Fi that's better suited for dense, crowded environments where you have lots of devices competing for bandwidth, is definitely one way to give your network a boost -- and with lots of new Wi-Fi 6 routers and client devices available on the market right now, seems like a particularly good year to buy in.

That said, you'll want to temper your expectations for Wi-Fi 6E , a new designation for special Wi-Fi 6 devices that are equipped with an additional radio that can send signals through a super-wide mass of spectrum in the 6GHz band, which the FCC opened for unlicensed use last year. Is your connection strong in some places throughout your home, but weak or nonexistent in others?

If so, upgrading to a mesh router , which uses multiple devices to extend the range of your network and spread a steadier signal throughout your entire home, might be one of the most meaningful tech upgrades you can buy into. For my money, the best strategy for that spectrum of mesh options is to aim for the middle ground.