

802.11ax (or Wi-Fi 6): Routers using this standard started shipping in late 2020, so your router is likely quite new.802.11ac (also marketed as Wi-Fi 5): Not the latest standard, but still widely available even in some high-performance routers.Many of these routers only support a single frequency band that’s slower and more congestion-prone, and “dual-band” variants have limited range on the faster 5 GHz frequency band. 802.11a/b/g/n (or just 802.11n): Outdated at this point and a solid candidate for replacement.802.11a/b/g: Extremely old and almost certainly the source of all your Wi-Fi problems.Here are the major Wi-Fi versions to know about: One way to do this to locate the router’s model number-it’s likely printed on the router itself-then search the web for info about which version of Wi-Fi it supports.

To figure out whether a router needs replacing, it helps to know how old it is. (More on that shortly.) Find your Wi-Fi router’s 802.11 version Consistently slow speeds throughout the house may be a sign of an outdated router, while dead zones or range issues may require a more powerful router or mesh Wi-Fi system. The goal here is to figure out where your connection troubles are occurring.

Measure speeds around the area where connectivity feels slow, then work your way back to where the router is located, running multiple tests in each area as you go. If wired connection speeds are on par with your internet provider’s advertised speeds, the next step is to start running speed tests throughout the house. Running speed tests throughout the house can help you figure out where the Wi-Fi trouble spots are.
