How Often Should You Replace Your Router? Seven Signs It’s Time

A router does not wear out like a car tire; it can keep blinking for a decade. What ages is everything around it: the manufacturer stops sending security fixes, new phones and laptops speak newer Wi-Fi standards, internet plans get faster and homes fill with more devices. That is why the honest answer to “how often” is not a number of years but a short list of signs.

How Long Routers Last

As a rough guide, many home routers stay useful for about four to six years. Some last longer, particularly higher-end models that keep receiving firmware updates; cheap routers can feel outdated sooner. The hardware rarely fails outright. More often, a router quietly falls behind: it still works, but it limits a faster plan, struggles with a houseful of devices or stops getting security updates.

Seven Signs It’s Time

1. No more firmware updates. This is the most important sign. Check the support page for your model on the manufacturer’s site; if the last firmware is years old or the model is listed as end-of-life, security holes found from now on will never be fixed. A router faces the internet around the clock, so an unpatched one is a real risk. Our guide on how to update router firmware shows where to look.

2. It is older than Wi-Fi 5. A Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) router limits every device to its old standard and often delivers well under 100 Mbps over Wi-Fi. See Wi-Fi 6 vs 6E vs 7 for what newer generations bring.

3. Your plan is faster than your router. If a speed test on a cable next to the router shows far less than your plan, check the router’s ports: older routers with 100 Mbps Ethernet ports cap any faster plan, and plans above 1 Gbps need a router with 2.5 Gbps ports. Why is my Wi-Fi so slow shows how to test.

4. It cannot handle your devices. Phones, laptops, TVs, consoles, speakers, cameras and smart plugs add up quickly. If Wi-Fi slows down or devices drop when everyone is home, an older router may simply be overwhelmed.

5. No WPA3, or only WPA/WEP. A router that cannot offer WPA3 or at least WPA2 with AES is behind on security; see WPA2 vs WPA3.

6. It needs frequent restarts. Restarting every few days to keep things working, random reboots or a router that is hot to the touch point to failing hardware or firmware that will not be fixed. See Wi-Fi keeps disconnecting for the checks.

7. It cannot cover your home. If part of the home has no usable Wi-Fi even after moving the router, the fix may be a mesh system rather than a single new router.

Check These Before You Buy

Some problems that look like an old router have cheaper fixes:

• Update the firmware, if updates still exist.
• Move the router to a central, open spot; see how to boost your Wi-Fi signal.
• Change the Wi-Fi channel in crowded buildings; see the best Wi-Fi channel.
• Test on a cable. If the internet is slow even on a cable, the problem is the plan or the provider, and a new router will not help.

If the router is several years old and fails one of the first three signs — no updates, older than Wi-Fi 5, slower than your plan — replacing it is usually the right call.

Rented From Your Provider?

If your router or gateway is rented from your internet provider, you usually do not have to buy anything: ask for a current model, especially if yours is several years old, is slower than your plan or no longer gets updates. Providers update their equipment remotely and many will swap an outdated unit on request. If you prefer your own router, keep the provider’s box as the modem and put it in bridge mode; modem vs router vs gateway explains how.

What to Look For in a New Router

• Wi-Fi 6 at least, Wi-Fi 6E or 7 if you have recent devices, a crowded building or a multi-gigabit plan.
• Ports that match your plan: gigabit for plans up to 1 Gbps, 2.5 Gbps or faster above that.
• A mesh system for large or multi-floor homes instead of a single powerful router.
• A track record of updates. Look at how long the manufacturer kept updating the previous model; automatic firmware updates are a plus.
• WPA3 support, which all current Wi-Fi 6 and later routers have.

When it arrives, our guide on how to set up a new router helps your devices move over without reconnecting each one by hand.