Wi-Fi Router Replacement: 5 Proven Reasons

Is it time to replace my Wi-Fi router? I receive questions like that regularly, especially those with a Wi-Fi 5 router.

Since the introduction of Wi-Fi 7, folks have been worried about Wi-Fi router replacement, sometimes for the wrong reasons. They think that their router is “dated,” “out of life,” or “no longer relevant”, especially those who still use a Wi-Fi 5 router that “no longer has firmware updates.”

And that’s understandable. Wi-Fi 7 is two generations newer than Wi-Fi 5—two and a half if you include Wi-Fi 6E. The marketing hype and the online clickbait can create a huge FoMO, at the very least.

However, just because there’s a new standard doesn’t mean older Wi-Fi devices are automatically obsolete. Getting a new router doesn’t mean existing clients are also magically updated, and existing devices will continue to use Wi-Fi 5 (or even older standards) for the rest of their lives.

Additionally, while the latest Wi-Fi devices will work with any existing (old) router, the opposite is not necessarily true: a router of the latest Wi-Fi standard does not always work with all existing clients.

Consequently, you shouldn’t replace a Wi-Fi broadcaster—router, access point, extender, or mesh system—just because of the Wi-Fi standard they support. No standard is obsolete if you can still use it. So, the real question is when it makes sense to upgrade or replace your networking hardware, beyond just staying on the cutting edge.

This post provides a comprehensive and detailed answer. The short answer: Replace a device only when it is no longer useful to you.

Dong’s note: I first published this post on March 18, 2023, and updated it on April 30, 2025, to include up-to-date and relevant information.

Wi-Fi hardware replacement: It’s always case by case

It’s 2025, and I’m still using or managing a few Wi-Fi 5 routers at various locations, including an Asus RT-AC86U, a UniFi Dream Machine, and a Synology RT2600ac.

The reason is simple: they have worked well. (In fact, the UDM can still run the latest UniFi OS and can be relevant for a long time even with its Wi-Fi turned off.) Restarting each of them occasionally and upgrading them to the latest firmware when applicable has been all the necessary maintenance.

So, despite having a garage half-full of practically new hardware I used for the reviews, I’ll keep these old routers in their place for the foreseeable future, like a few more years. However, at the same time, I’ve replaced many routers over the past few years for one or more of the following five reasons.

1. Broken hardware

This case is the most obvious. If something is broken, then you need to replace it.

When it comes to networking hardware, stuff often breaks on the inside. A router can look fine physically, but its internal memory or circuitry is damaged for one reason or another—a botched firmware update is often enough to render it useless.

So, if your hardware is broken, you have no choice but to replace it. But this applies to everything and could happen to a brand-new piece of hardware.

2. Security risk

Security risk is probably the most important factor determining whether a router is worth keeping. But not all risks are equal. Specifically, there are two sides of a router where security applies differently: your local network (typically your home) and the Internet (the outside world).

Security on the local network (LAN) side

Within your home, the router’s security keeps connected clients in check. In most cases, you want to keep unwanted devices from your network. Consequently, here are the considerations:

• If your situation doesn’t require restrictions, such as an intentionally open Wi-Fi network (SSID) without a password, then security doesn’t apply. In this case, any Wi-Fi standard or security level is a go.
• If you need to keep your network private, keep in mind that WPA with AES encryption is the minimum requirement. WPA2 is generally the norm, and WPA3 is required for all Wi-Fi 6E and newer devices. In this case, a replacement is generally recommended if the current router does not support WPA2.

So, on the home front, security can be optional. It depends on whether or how much you want to keep your devices safe against local threats, which are generally limited by physical proximity.

Security on the Internet (WAN) side

On the other hand, the security against online threats—those from the outside world via the Internet connection—is more severe since geophysical boundaries do not limit them. It’s where you don’t want to overlook or compromise when applicable.

If a router has a known vulnerability on the WAN side and no security patch is available, you must let it go. However, note that “known” is the keyword. That’s because all devices are vulnerable to a certain degree when they connect to the Internet. It’s a matter of keeping that secret, or unknown, from interested parties.

It’s only when a vulnerability becomes known that the device, and hence the user, is at risk of being controlled by a remote, unauthorized party. So, when you hear about a vulnerability, and it’s not yet patched or will not be fixed (soon enough) via firmware updates—there are a lot of online security “experts” standing by to talk about it—it’s time to get a different router model (better yet, from another vendor).

Not all routers have (known) vulnerabilities, and those that do often have fewer, or even none, the longer they have been on the market. Plus, the older a router is, the less of a target it becomes, since fewer people have it.

In other words, newly released routers might have more vulnerabilities than older ones. That is partly why Wi-Fi broadcasters tend to update their firmware less frequently as their models become older.

Again, security is about nuance. Just because a router no longer has firmware updates doesn’t necessarily mean it needs to be replaced. But if you want to be sure, security is always a good reason to get new devices.

3. Broadband speed grades

We generally use local networking devices to access the Internet. So, if you upgrade your broadband to a significantly faster grade, such as from a sub-Gig to a full Gig or multi-Gig plan, then it’s likely time to upgrade the hardware if you want to take advantage of the new bandwidth.

Still, in most cases, upgrading is unnecessary if you just want a connection fast enough for the specific applications, and most of them don’t require more than 100Mbps. I wrote about broadband in detail in this post on Gigabit Internet.

The table below breaks down which Wi-Fi standard is applicable based solely on the broadband bandwidth you want to deliver.

Again, note that all Wi-Fi standards (and network ports) work with all Internet plans. The standards mentioned above are the minimum recommended to deliver the desired broadband speeds.

In other words, if your Internet is 500Mbps or slower, you only need a Wi-Fi 5 router. Getting a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 7 router doesn’t hurt, but that isn’t necessary. On the other hand, even if you have 10Gbps broadband, a Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 5 router will still suffice, though you won’t get the top performance on the end device.

Speaking of performance, generally, no Wi-Fi connection can deliver more than 4Gbps of real-world sustained rates, since that’s the case with 2×2 Wi-Fi 7 adapters, which are currently the fastest. But having a faster router means you can deliver top speeds to multiple devices at the same time.

4. Moving from wireless to wired networking

Wi-Fi is always wireless, but to have the best Wi-Fi around a large property, running network cables is a must. With physical wiring, your Wi-Fi network benefits from a strong backhaul link. In this case, with the help of Multi-Gig hardware, you can even get multi-Gigabit bandwidth.

So, if you’ve always used your Wi-Fi mesh system in a fully wireless setup, getting your home wired might necessitate a network hardware upgrade, where you move from Gigabit-class hardware to multi-Gigabit. That’s especially true if you want to use Wi-Fi 7 hardware, in which Multi-Gig ports are the norm.

The other way around is also applicable. If you move from a wired home where low-end dual-band Wi-Fi 6 or tri-band Wi-Fi 6E mesh hardware has worked well to a large house without wiring, better hardware might be needed for a fully wireless setup.

5. Features and privacy risks

Over the years, routers have become increasingly sophisticated. Many routers can work as mini NAS servers or have built-in practical features such as online protection, QoS, or Parental Controls.

So if yours doesn’t have the feature you’d like, maybe it’s time to consider one that has.

Note that some routers have all these features for free, while others might sell them as premium add-ons.

Another thing to note is online privacy risks.

If the router requires a login account with the hardware vendor to work, it will likely collect your information. That’s not to mention the fact that you don’t have control over the hardware you supposedly own. If you’re uncomfortable with that, avoid routers from known data miners such as Amazon’s eero or Google Nest Wifi. If you’re using one, replace it!

Other routers won’t collect anything by default, but once you’ve turned on a particular feature, your traffic will be passed to a third party. But that’s a given since, even in real life, you must be exposed to the party that protects you—your security details—if you want to be protected.

And that’s it. When you find yourself in one of the situations above, it’s time to get a new Wi-Fi machine. You’re justified in doing so. In this case, you can get the latest and greatest or the just-right one that delivers the best bang for your buck.

How about range? Isn’t a new router supposed to offer wall-to-wall coverage?

If you’ve read somewhere that a new router would offer “wall-to-wall coverage,” that’s utter nonsense. How close are those walls to each other? Range, or coverage, is the most nuanced notion of Wi-Fi, breeding all sorts of nonsensical ideas and claims. Here’s the deal:

The range of a Wi-Fi broadcaster depends on the radio frequency and the broadcasting power. The latter is generally limited due to regulation, so typically, only the former counts.

That said, the range of a band—2.4GHz, 5GHz, or 6GHz—is generally identical on broadcasters of the same hardware tier. However, a good router will deliver faster or more stable connection speeds further out. After all, the range is meaningless without usable data rates.

Open the cabinet below if you want to learn more about the Wi-Fi range, but the gist is that starting with Wi-Fi 5, a new router doesn’t necessarily improve the coverage. That depends.

Three bad excuses for Wi-Fi router replacement

And there are “bad” reasons to purchase things you don’t need. Here are a few examples when it comes to Wi-Fi routers:

1. I want to stay on the cutting edge and “future-proof” my home: There’s no such thing as future-proofing. Even if you get into Wi-Fi 7 today, by the time you can truly enjoy it—when supported clients are widely available, which is not soon—there’ll be Wi-Fi 8 or something similar on the horizon.
2. Because “I found a great deal”: It’s only great if you need a new router. If your current one works well, getting a new one, even at a deal, only means money down the drain. Plus, the act is bad for the environment.
3. I’ve used mine for a few years already: A Wi-Fi router has no expiration date.

Again, as long as your current router works for your needs, there’s no need to replace it—not until your situation changes and you require more bandwidth, features, or both.

Wi-Fi Router replacement: The takeaway

You can replace your router at any time—it’s up to you to handle your money and your time however you see fit. But it only makes sense to spend resources on stuff that works for your needs or provides tangible improvements you expect.

Getting a new Wi-Fi router just because you feel compelled or pressured to do it, for no practical reason, is a waste of precious resources. But you’ve made up your mind? Bookmark this regularly updated top-5 page for the best routers and mesh systems you can confidently bring home today.