Wi-Fi 6 is coming to a home near you
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Remote learning and working from home are still a thing in 2021, and your Wi-Fi router may be struggling to keep you connected.
These days, your Wi-Fi might be your family's connection to the world. But you know the problem: It doesn't always work as well as it should.
Consumer Reports says the latest generation of wireless routers could fix your Wi-Fi woes once and for all.
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"About a year ago, Wi-Fi 6 routers were kind of hard to find, but nowadays they're pretty much everywhere," said Consumer Reports tech editor Nicholas De Leon.
Wi-Fi 6 is the latest version of the Wi-Fi networking standard. That's just some tech jargon, but here's what you should really care about.
"It transfers data faster, and it handles more data, more devices at the same time, better than older Wi-Fi standards," said De Leon.
That means faster, more stable connectivity.
Wi-Fi 6 routers are the first to have built-in support for WPA3, the latest wireless encryption standard, which makes it harder for hackers to access your private data.
You don't have to worry about compatibility issues with older devices because different generations of Wi-Fi are designed to communicate with each other.
Ready to upgrade? Consider the Netgear Nighthawk mesh network. It's considered to be Consumer Reports' best buy. It has automatic firmware updating, and CR says it's easy to set up and does an excellent job of sending out the Wi-Fi signal.
Since a lot of upcoming tech is expected to be Wi-Fi 6 certified, upgrading your router now is kind of like future-proofing your home network. It just might stop your kids from complaining.
If you rent your router, check with your internet service provider to see if it offers a Wi-Fi 6 upgrade, but be sure to ask about the total cost since it might increase your monthly bill.
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