Replace Router Without Disconnecting Devices

Upgrading to a new Wi-Fi router doesn’t have to be hard. Here’s how to easily switch all your smart home gadgets and other connected devices in your home to a new router in under a minute.

When it’s finally time to get a new Wi-Fi router, there’s no need to panic. Whether you’ve switched internet service providers or you’ve decided to get something snappier, snazzier, and more reliable than whatever piece of plastic your ISP handed you, upgrading your router doesn’t have to be a headache.

If you have a smart home, you may be dreading the thought of having to manually update every light bulb, light switch, and security camera in your home to the new network. While typing a new password into a laptop or iPad is pretty easy, when it comes to smart home devices, you have to open each app for every smart device and go through the process of updating its Wi-Fi access. This is a real challenge for devices like smart floodlight cameras, which may be on the side of your house, 15 feet up.

But there is an easier way! Here’s how to change out your Wi-Fi router without having to manually update each device.

• Make a note of your current Wi-Fi network name (wireless SSID) and password. This may be printed on your modem or router, or you can access it by going to your router settings page. This page can be found in the companion app or by typing http://192.168.1.1/ into a web browser. (If that IP address doesn’t work, you can find the right one for your router in the network settings of a computer connected to the network.)
• Set up your new router by following the manufacturer instructions.
• When you get to the stage where you have to create a network name and password, use the exact same name and password as your old network.
• Unplug your old router. (If your old router is combined with your modem, you will need to go into its settings to disable the Wi-Fi network there.)
• All your devices should now automatically connect to your new router using the same network name and password. Verify your devices are working properly.
• You’re done!

Credit: theverge.com

Do You Need A New Router?

Tech News and Views

Many computer users are unaware of what computer hardware does and when it needs replacement. Here is an article from Consumer Reports that tell why you may need a new router.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-time-buy-wifi-6-110007607.html

Why You Should Upgrade Your Router

(Even If You Have Older Gadgets)

Many people have the attitude that it doesn’t matter if their router is older because their phone, laptop, or other wireless gear isn’t cutting edge anyways. Even if you don’t have brand new tech toys you still benefit from upgrading a dated router.

Routers are the oft-ignored work horses of the home network. Most people hardly pay any attention to them unless there is a big malfunction, and people may not consider upgrading them any more than they consider upgrading their washing machine.

Unfortunately, this leads to a situation where the important-but-ignored router ends up being a source of degraded internet connection quality and a diminished user experience for everyone on your network. Upgrading to a current generation router is a cheap and effective way to improve your home network in every way:

• better Wi-Fi range
• stronger signal
• better handling of modern network demands

Are you experiencing frequent symptoms of an aging router? If you can’t get a Wi-Fi signal everywhere in your home (and have considered getting a Wi-Fi extender or a second router), that’s a good indicator you’re a good candidate for an upgrade. If you frequently have network-related congestion issues, like slow web page loading or stuttering video playback, that can’t be chalked up to a slow broadband connection then it’s a good sign that your router isn’t up to the task of serving everyone in your household.

Even if you aren’t noticing problems, you should also consider the age of your router, both in terms of the actual age of your physical device and the age of the particular model. You might have bought the router two years ago, but if the model itself is from 5 or more years ago, there’s a good chance that you’re playing with outdated router tech. If you’re still using a single band Wireless-G router from 2010 or before, for example, you’re essentially using a bicycle when you could be using a spaceship.

And, if you aren’t rapidly (or at all) adopting devices that can support the newest Wi-Fi standards like 802.11ac, you can still benefit by an upgrade as newer routers are optimized in ways that benefit older equipment too. Any router that supports newer standards will be, by default, at least a dual-band router. Older standards like 802.11b and 802.11g use the 2.4GHz band. Newer standards like 802.11ac use the 5GHz band (and some premium routers include two 5GHz bands).

At the bare minimum you’ll benefit from having one band for your older gear and one band for your newer gear that can support 5GHz communication (even if you don’t have any 5GHz stuff yet you’ll still have a nice wide open space for it when you upgrade).

If your router is long in the tooth, there’s no better time than the present to upgrade and take advantage of the new developments in router tech.

Credit: howtogeek.com