Security tip: 5 reasons you need to replace your router now
Your router is responsible for sending Wi-Fi signals to your phone, laptop, smart TV, security cameras and more. This makes you especially vulnerable if your router is hacked. Yes, that can happen.
Chinese threat actors are going after routers, telephone networks and online storage and using their combined power to target critical and military targets, steal login credentials and hijack banking information. Tap or click here to secure your home network.
Securing your router is one of the most important steps to keeping hackers out. But there’s a limit to what your old router can do, no matter how well you take care of it. Do you need a new router? Read on to find out.
1. How secure is your router?
You know the adage, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Well, this doesn’t usually apply to tech, especially when it comes to cybersecurity. Your router may be doing a fine job keeping you connected to the internet, but is it keeping you safe?
The latest security standard is WPA-3, released in 2018. If you’re still using a router that uses WPA-2 encryption, it’s time to switch.
You can run an encryption check on your router. Go to your router’s admin menu. Under the Wireless or Security menu, you’ll see the encryption status. If you have an older router, select one that starts with WPA3. If your router is not WPA3 compatible, WPA2-PSK AES is the next most secure option. Still, you should upgrade as soon as you can.
RELATED: Free check to see if your router has been hacked by criminals
2. Future-proofing your network
Wi-Fi 6 significantly improves over the Wi-Fi 5 routers most people still use. You get improvements in two critical categories: speed and range. Wi-Fi 6 routers are a considerable upgrade compared to old technology and are no longer overly expensive or hard to find.
If you have a lot of connected technology, such as your phone, computer, smart TV and smart home devices, you put a lot of strain on your network. Wi-Fi 6 can handle as many as 50 devices or more. Compare that to the 10-device limit of Wi-Fi 5.
There’s something even better than Wi-Fi 6, though not many devices can utilize it yet. Wi-Fi 6 uses the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, while Wi-Fi 6e operates on the 6 GHz band. You’ll find this tech built into many mesh networks, which we’ll get into below.
Bad Wi-Fi around the holidays? Your decorations could be to blame
Every year, Christmas decorations get bigger, brighter and more sophisticated. When it comes to front yard inflatables, that’s not necessarily a good thing.
For smart Christmas tree lights, on the other hand, that’s a welcome upgrade over the traditional options. Tap or click here for our review of Twinkly’s LED string lights.
Conspiracy theorists are putting their routers in Faraday cages - and complaining about bad Wi-Fi
Conspiracy theories have become a common presence on the web. You don’t even have to go far to find them — simply venture deep enough into the comments section of any news article and you’ll learn about secret societies, reptilian overlords and harmful radiation from cell phones.