Eero is ending support for its original router

Image: Eero

There is a tech junkyard in the sky. The end of life notice was delivered this week to users of the app.

The Eero will no longer receive guaranteed software security updates after September 30th, 2022. Six years have passed since the product's launch. The devices won't stop working but they won't get new features or security updates after this date.

There is a question of how long you should keep your wireless device. It's easy to forget about an essential piece of infrastructure in a modern home when you're streaming a movie or playing a song.

Is a six-year-old mesh wi-fi router obsolete with all the new technologies? The first-gen just squeaked it's way into there, but the second-gen model is promised support through at least 2027. The OnHub will no longer be supported by the company later this year, but it will still be supported by the company for at least five years after it launches. Some companies have different policies. Three years of support is promised by Netgear after a product is no longer in demand.

Photo by Dan Seifert / The Verge

There isn't a hard and fast rule when it comes to replacing your routers. Unless there's a hardware failure, most routers shouldn't see significant performance degradation over time.

Harpalani says that if you are having problems but your hardware is still working, it is most likely because of the environment you are in. If you're seeing issues, it's most likely because you're buying all these new devices that will benefit from some of the newer wi-fi technologies These include products that are capable of handling faster speeds and have new features such as wi-fi 6 and wi-fi 6e.

The new 6 GHz band is added to the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands in the new wi-fi 6e Only devices that support 6E are allowed to use this band. Harpalani says to upgrade your routers at the same time you upgrade your devices. There aren't many devices with these capabilities on the market yet.

The next reason to upgrade is if you don't need wi-fi 6e. The speed of your network should be improved if you upgrade to a wi-fi 6 routers. It doesn't have its own band like wi-fi 6e, but it does have a way to handle multiple devices better.

There are many more compatible products compared to 6E, including the last two generations of the iPhone and most laptops and phones from the last two years.

Here are the main reasons why you might want to upgrade your routers.

Your Wi-Fi router has been EOL’d and isn’t getting security updates

You should get a new one if the manufacturer doesn't support your first-gen model. You are putting your network's security at risk because you will no longer get security updates for these routers. It's possible that this could lead to nasty situations, such as when pornography is injected into websites or when 200,000 routers are hijacked and put to work.

Most companies list the end of support for their products on their websites. The pages for TP-Link are here. You can see a list of the guaranteed security software update periods for the first-gen Eero here.

There are different reasons a company might decide to end the life of a routers. Harpalani says it depends on hardware and software performance constraints. He says that they are currently looking at the end of life of their routers.

Your Wi-Fi router can’t keep up

If the range of your wi-fi seems to have dropped off, or if your device is having trouble staying connected to the internet, then it might be time for an upgrade. If you find that you have to restart often, that is a good sign that you need to upgrade.

You have newer / more devices that would benefit from a better router

If you have increased the number of devices in your home over the last couple of years, then it is possible that your old routers is not performing as well as it could.

If you want to spread the internet around your home, you may want to upgrade to a mesh routers that can help.

You’re paying your ISP for more speed than your router can handle

If you signed up for a gigabit speed but are still using a 500 Gbps routers, you are wasting your money. If you're paying for fast speeds, you should upgrade to a newer routers.

There are a lot of options when it comes to buying a new routers and a wide range of prices. If you can afford it, you should consider the latest tech, such as wi-fi 6e. If you have a capable device, the Eero 6E is a good option. TP-Link has a more affordable 6E model that can be used with the Orbi system.

If you want to avoid paying the current price premium for 6E, the Eero 6 Plus is a good option. There are a lot of non-mesh options from other companies. You can get 25 percent off a new Eero if you upgrade from an original one.