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

April 9, 2020

A reliable connection is more important now than ever before with the majority of Americans working from home. If you’re like most people, you connect to the internet at home using a Wi-Fi connection. Many of your devices, including laptops, smartphones and tablets, are used by connecting to a Wi-Fi signal from your home. The device used to broadcast that signal and allow you online is a router. The quality and age of the router has a big impact on the quality of your home Wi-Fi.

If you’re not getting the performance you expect, 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.

All routers are NOT created equal

The fact is, all routers are not created equal. Your router may be running on outdated technology. And that means you are not getting the most out of the new wireless devices you’ve invested in, 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 really notice when you’re online.

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 or less. The new routers are capable of providing speeds of up to 1330 Megabits per second (or 1.3 Gigabits per second).

While you won’t always get the maximum speeds possible, 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 also give you better range, which means you enjoy a better internet experience even when you’re far away 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.

Contact your service provider today

The latest routers provide some big advantages and improvements over Wi-Fi routers that are using old technology. If you’re not happy with the performance of the Wi-Fi in your home, contact South Slope. If there is something other than your router causing problems, we can help you figure it out, but if you’re looking into purchasing a new router, consider adding Managed Wi-Fi to your internet package for just $9.95/mo. One of our South Slope techs would replace your old router with a new Calix Gigacenter Router that will give you the best performance possible backed by 24/7 remote support. Learn more at southslope.com/wifi.

If you have any questions, please call us at (319) 626-2211 or live chat with us at southslope.com.