WiFi Got You Down? The Answer May Be Closer Than You Think
You have probably noticed that your WiFi isn’t holding up quite like it did when you first got it. Chances are there have been multiple devices added to your network and it may be causing the delay when trying to stream a movie or listen to a music app. Don’t let it get you down though, WiFi 6 could be the solution you have been waiting for.
How does your WiFi work though? WiFi works on the principle of radio frequencies. Generally, they run off of the 2.4Ghz and the 5Ghz (usually just called “G”) and you often see this when you are connecting to an available network. The communication between the device and your WiFi router is facilitated by waves that are similar to those of a microwave.
If you have an old microwave, the efficiency of it is poor and it doesn’t quite do the job like it did when it was a brand new model. WiFi routers are often the same way. If you look at the current router in your home and find the numbers 802.11. Got it? Now, look at the letter that comes after it.
- If your magic letter is an “n”, this means that your WiFi router was released 10 years ago.
- If the magic letter is a “g”, trade it in. You are operating with a router that was released 17 years ago. We are talking older than some of our cars!
- If the letters are “ac”, congratulations, you have what will now be dubbed in the technology world as WiFi 5. This model was released 6 years ago, but it is still 3 times slower than the newcomer.
Thinking back to the microwave, the more you try to heat up all at once, the longer it takes for it to get hot. The same philosophy applies to your router. If you have 5 or more devices connected to your WiFi and it is constantly buffering, maybe it is time to trade it in for a newer model.
