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The short answer: the clearest sign is that your router no longer gets security updates from its maker. Other signs: it only offers old security settings, it can’t reach the speed you pay for, or your internet company has stopped supporting it.

Here are five signs to check, how to check them in about ten minutes, and what to do if yours is past its prime.

5 signs your router is too old

1. It no longer gets security updates

Router makers send updates to the router’s built-in software, called firmware, to fix security holes. Eventually each model reaches a date when those updates stop for good. Makers use different names for the stages. Linksys, for example, keeps sending security fixes for a while after “end of life” and stops only at “end of support.” So check the actual date on the maker’s list, not just the label.

Netgear usually ends support three years after it stops selling a model. Netgear, Linksys and ASUS keep lists you can search by model number. As a rule of thumb, the FBI says routers from 2010 or earlier likely no longer get updates. The date of manufacture is often on the label, or on the model’s support page.

2. It only offers WEP or WPA security

WEP, WPA, WPA2 and WPA3 are the settings that scramble your Wi-Fi so outsiders can’t read it. The FTC says to use WPA3 or WPA2, and that the older WEP and WPA are “outdated and not secure.”

If WPA2 or WPA3 still aren’t offered after you update the router, the FTC suggests getting a new one.

3. It's Wi-Fi 4 or older

Wi-Fi 4 is the oldest of the numbered Wi-Fi generations. Newer ones reach higher speeds and handle more devices at once. Wi-Fi 6, for example, was designed for homes full of connected gadgets.

A Wi-Fi 4 router isn’t automatically unsafe, but it’s old enough that signs 1 and 2 are worth checking.

4. It's slower than the plan you pay for

If you pay for fast internet but never see those speeds, the router may be holding you back. The FCC suggests searching your router’s model number to see whether it can handle your plan’s speed.

For a fair test, plug a computer into the router with a network cable and run a speed test. The FCC says a wired test gives the most accurate result.

5. Your internet company won't support it

If your router is also your modem (the box your internet line plugs into), your internet company may stop activating it once it’s too old. Xfinity, for example, says it won’t install or activate end-of-life devices.

Xfinity customers can look up their device in My Device Info. For other companies, check your provider’s current list of supported devices.

How to check yours in about 10 minutes

  1. Find the model number. It’s on the label on the bottom or back.
  2. Search the maker’s support site for that model, or check its end-of-life list (linked in the sources below). Look for the date security updates end.
  3. Check for updates. Log in to the router’s app or settings page and look for a firmware or router update. On many Netgear routers it’s under Advanced > Administration > Router Update, then Check. Menu names vary by model.
  4. Check the security setting in the Wi-Fi settings. You want WPA2 or WPA3.
  5. Run a wired speed test and compare it with your plan.

If yours is too old

  • Update it now if you can. If the maker still offers an update, install it. That may buy you time.
  • Replace it if updates have ended. An unsupported router is the one most worth replacing. The FCC notes you can buy a new router or rent an upgraded one from your internet company.
  • Did your internet company supply it? Then ask them for a newer one. Don’t wipe or recycle their box, because you’ll likely need to return it to avoid a fee.
  • Retiring one you own? Wipe it first and don’t just throw it out. Here’s what to do with an old router. If it still gets updates, it can have a second life running your smart-home gadgets.

Wi-Fi generations in plain English

In 2018 the Wi-Fi Alliance, the industry group behind Wi-Fi, gave the technical names (like “802.11n”) simple numbers:

  • Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n): the oldest numbered generation.
  • Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac): faster speeds on the 5 GHz band, the shorter-range but quicker of the two common Wi-Fi bands.
  • Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax): built for homes with many devices at once.
  • Wi-Fi 6E: Wi-Fi 6 plus a new, less crowded 6 GHz band.
  • Wi-Fi 7: the newest, certified from 2024, with higher speeds.

If the box or label doesn’t say which one you have, search the model number, or look it up in the Wi-Fi Alliance’s product finder.

Common questions

How long do routers last?

There’s no official lifespan. What matters is how long the maker keeps sending updates. Support is often tied to when a model stops being sold, not when you bought it, so a router bought late in its run can lose support sooner than you’d expect.

Could my old router already be hacked?

The FBI lists warning signs: the router overheating, connection problems, and settings that change on their own. Its advice for everyone with an older router:

  • Install any available firmware updates.
  • Turn off “remote management,” a setting that lets the router be controlled over the internet, then restart the router.
  • If you suspect it’s been hacked, change the admin password to a long, random one.
  • If the router is end of life, replace it.

Sources