Hey! When was the last time you thought about the firmware version of your router? I mean, really thought about it. Never? You’re probably not alone, as anyone using an ISP router probably expects that the ISP will send updates when necessary, and most consumer routers either rarely get updates or are automatically handled. Oh, and did you also know that the average lifespan of a consumer router is five years, and after that, you should consider upgrading?
That’s not great, honestly, on any count. Think of how often you update your computer or your phone. These are essential upgrades of the firmware, drivers or software to fix bugs or security issues, and your router is no different. Expecting the ISP to handle security updates means you’re going to get things slowly, as their primary focus is the stability of the entire network. And consumer routers are often hard to find the firmware updates for, or need manual handling, or you might be worrying about bricking the device.
Without those security updates, your router is insecure. It could be turned into a botnet, or an attacker could bypass your router and get to your personal devices and the data contained on them. Think of the router as the digital version of your front door and its locks, and you can see why thinking about firmware updates (or upgrading your hardware when they stop coming) is an essential part of digital security.
How to update your router firmware
Your router acts as your first line of antivirus defense
Why most routers rarely get updates
It’s not through malice or lack of caring
Consumer routers have an end-of-life date roughly 5 years after launch. Some might be better served, depending on the type of router (mesh kits often get constant updates), and the manufacturer, but don’t expect too much longer than that. ISPs, on the other hand, will happily keep you on an aging router until you complain the Wi-Fi is slow, because they want the network to be stable, and as long as your router is kinda working, they’re happy.
Compounding the issue is that the UI of most older routers is universally terrible, either hard to log in or impossible to change any settings on as with some older ISP routers. Then, even if you find the firmware update page, you’ll need to go search on a website to find a file to download to your computer, upload to the router, and press a button that clearly says “Do not lose power when updating or bad stuff will happen” while crossing your other fingers and toes in hope.
It’s not a fun experience, but at least the update routine on newer routers is significantly improved, at least on the dozen or so I’ve personally used.
Your router is the most neglected computer in your house
But you can change that.
And it’s not always the manufacturer’s fault
I wish I could blame the manufacturers and ISPs for everything, but most people treat their router as any other appliance. If it works, and Wi-Fi (mostly) gives a signal, it never gets thought about. When was the last time you thought twice about your microwave? The router gets lumped into that bucket and the user either assumes the ISP handles “that sort of thing” or doesn’t even know updates can happen.
Plus, if it’s working, you’re less likely to want to mess with it, worried you’ll break something. I can understand that viewpoint, especially if you’ve ever had a firmware update go wrong, but these updates are essential to keep your home network secure.
Stop upgrading routers: enable SQM and fix your home’s real bottleneck
Sometimes the bottleneck is right outside your home, but there’s something you can do about it
Why are outdated routers a bad thing?
It’s not only your home network at risk
Routers are like any other computer, and yes they are a computer, and that means they often have bugs or security issues that can be exploited. That’s even more so on the lower end of the scale, because you can have two (at most) of fast, secure, or cheap when it comes to networking equipment. Guess which one gets left behind when costs are an issue.
As for what happens when those routers reach end-of-life status and stop receiving updates, well, that depends. But you can bet that someone will try to turn them into a botnet, like when tens of thousands of Asus routers were compromised last year. No updates means attackers have all the time in the world to exploit issues, and if bugs are public, one day they will get exploited.
Even if it’s not security, you could have broken IPv6 connectivity, or Wi-Fi that’s sluggish, or old protocols for encryption that are trivially decoded.
What realistically can be done
The issue is a thorny one, because it requires manufacturers, ISPs, and users to work together to some extent. Clear end-of-life policies should mean ISP routers are rotated out when they get too old, while consumer router manufacturers need to do a better job of informing consumers. It’s no good posting on the support pages or having a banner on the router’s management page if the owner never logs in.
Decoupling security fixes from overall firmware updates is a good start, and I’d like to see more ISPs offer standalone router and wireless access point options, so they can be upgraded individually.
8 signs it’s time to replace your aging networking hardware
You wouldn’t expect your PC to work forever, so why are you letting your network hardware run into the ground?
Routers without ongoing security support are essentially worthless
If you’re running a home lab or have Wi-Fi 7 already, I’m probably preaching to the choir here. If that isn’t you, think about when you got your router, or how long since the ISP installed it. If it’s five years or so, it’s time to plan for replacement, or at least complaining at your ISP that you’re not using the latest hardware when you pay a rental fee every month for it.
