UK homes should make a simple Wi-Fi check today.
If you’ve not checked or upgraded your Wi-Fi router in a while, now could be a good time to do so. Although most internet devices appear to provide a decent signal, broadband technology has advanced at a rapid rate, and that means you could be being left behind.
According to the team at Broadband Savvy, many of us now have inferior Wi-Fi 5 boxes installed in our homes, and that system simply can’t keep pace with modern needs.
For those unaware, Wi-Fi 5 is now over a decade old and has since been beaten by Wi-Fi 6, 6E and even all-new Wi-Fi 7 devices. These upgrades can all cope with much faster download speeds along with having large volumes of gadgets connected to them.
Most UK Internet Service Providers (ISPs) do now offer Wi-Fi 6 routers but many customers continue to have Wi-Fi 5 gadgets plugged into their walls.
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Explaining more, Tom Paton, founder of Broadband Savvy, said: “Compared to more modern standards, like WiFi 6, 6E, and 7, WiFi 5 has significant limitations for the end-user.
“WiFi 5 is fine for slower broadband connections, such as the 30-50 Mbps packages that were popular in 2010-2015, as long as you don’t have lots of internet-connected devices.
“But certain providers are still shipping these routers to customers buying an ultrafast broadband plan, even though they’re not designed for this.”
If your contract is up for renewal or you are about to switch providers there is another reason to be cautious. Most ISPs will want you to sign up for a lengthy contract which means what you get now, you’ll be stuck with for two years.
“Most broadband plans on the market at the moment come with a 24 month contract. In two years’ time, WiFi 5 will be essentially obsolete, which is why we’re urging broadband providers to at least offer the option of a better router on their fast fibre plans,” Paton added.
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It can be pretty hard to know what your router is capable of, but it’s worth checking with your ISP to see if an upgrade is available.
“When buying, insist on at least a WiFi 6 router – but be aware that one or two major providers still don’t offer this as an option,” Paton said.
“For example, as a cheaper, more basic provider, Plusnet is still shipping the Smart Hub 2 WiFi 5 router, even on their ultrafast 500 Mbps and 900 Mbps plans. On the other hand, EE offers the choice of a WiFi 6 or WiFi 7 router across all of their tariffs.”
If you want to future-proof your speeds, speak to your ISP.
It’s also worth noting that there are many Wi-Fi boosters on the market—such as Amazon’s Eero—that offer Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. These so-called mesh networks plug into your current router and offer an instant upgrade.