How old is your home router? Is it older than Wi-Fi 6? If you can’t answer these two questions and know that, like many Canadians, you’ve been using the same router for several years, then it’s likely time for an upgrade. This is a year when many people will be upgrading their routers for two important reasons: newer routers offer better security and they are compatible with the new Matter smart home protocol. I’ll explain each of those reasons then tell you how to enter for a chance to win one of two Wi-Fi 6 routers that we previously reviewed on the blog and are now giving away as prizes.

New routers do a better job of protecting your data

You have no idea how much information you send to the internet from your home every day. Your smart phone, computer, smart TV, smart lights, smart cameras, and more are in constant communication with the world wide web. As we discussed in a recent article on the blog, a secure home network is one of the most important parts of a smart home (see Top 5 security solutions solutions every home should have).A great router reduces your risk of hacking and data theft. Most people don’t replace their routers unless there is a problem like a decrease in connection or download speeds causing buffering issues while watching a program or playing an online game. I suggest that you be proactive before a risky connection results in a network breach.

As you would expect, newer routers, those that are Wi-Fi 6 and newer, offer a number of advantages over older routers. One of the most important ones is the improves to the Wi-Fi encryption offered by WPA3. Wi-Fi 6 routers were the first series to include the 2018 certified protection. Before that routers used the 2004 released WPA2. Routers with the better WPA3 reduce the likelihood of data snooping or of anyone capturing data as you send it from your phone to other areas of the internet. If you bank online, then you definitely want the enhanced protections that a new router brings.

New routers protect you and enable you to use the newest technology

Technology never stands still. Often it progresses steadily with incremental improvements. However, there are some years when it take a leap forward. This year, 2023 is one of those years when we’ll see many technologies just forward. One technology that will benefit us all is Matter. Matter will enable easier communication between smart devices so you and others in your household will be able to more easily use them.

Here’s an example from my home that Matter will fix. I have at least ten apps that control the various smart lights, smart plugs, and other smart devices in my home. If my wife wants to change the schedule of the outdoor lights, or simply turn them off, she asks me to do it. She can’t be bothered to keep track of which app controls which light or switch. When Matter arrives on these devices, she can use a single app to control all of the devices in our home. Matter is analogous to the universal translator on Star Trek: smart devices will suddenly speak the same language no matter who built them. Importantly, devices talking more effortlessly with each other and with the internet increases the demands on your router to connect with more devices and to protect them all so hackers can’t hear what they are saying. A Wi-Fi 6 router is designed to handle a lot more traffic than older routers and protect that information with WPA3 security.

What if you use a router supplied by your internet service provider (ISP)? You can ask them if your router is a Wi-Fi 6 or newer product and if not request they replace it. Or you can upgrade at any time by visiting Best Buy online or in a store. You can even ask Geek Squad to recommend one for your home: they have knowledgable agents who will assess your unique situation. And you can enter this contest; if you win, use the router prize in your home instead the one supplied by the ISP. There is a

How to enter

Entering this contest is easy and you can enter in two different ways.

  1. In a comment below, tell us approximately how old is the router in your home, is it supplied by your ISP, and do you plan to upgrade it in 2023.
  2. Visit the selection of Wi-Fi 6 and newer routers at Best Buy. In an email to bestbuyblog@bestbuycanada.ca with the subject line, Router Contest, tell us the name and model number of one router on that page that you think might be great for your home and in a sentence or two say what you are looking for in a new router.

What you can win

At the end of this contest, we will randomly select two (2) winners from all eligible entries to receive one of these two routers that we had sent to reviewers to test and now are giving away as prizes: ASUS Wireless AX5700 Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 Router and Linksys Atlas Pro 6 AX5400 Whole Home Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System.

This contest runs from Jan 23rd to Feb 5th 2023.

Remember you can enter in two different ways. People say sharing is caring and that’s especially true when you are helping people learn to protect their home and their family. Sharing this article will help your friends and family learn a bit about protecting their home internet and they might actually win a great prize too.

Win a Wi-Fi 6 router Rules and Regulations

Good Luck.

Martin Renaud
Martin Renaud
Editor in Chief
Martin loves working with the talented editors and writers on the Best Buy Blog as Editor-in-Chief. During his spare time he is either working on his next novel, cooking up a masterpiece in the kitchen, or adding some smart tech to his new home on Mayne Island in British Columbia.
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536 COMMENTS

  2. My router is old and I would really like to upgrade but can’t afford to, so winning this would be wonderful.

  6. my router is about 6 years old. It is supplied by my ISP (Telus), no plans to replace it, never thought about it really, now I am.

  7. My router is about 3 years old and supplied by my ISP. Would love to upgrade – but it depends on the budget.

  8. Mine is very old but so is my computer, I don’t game and don’t yet have a smart TV, but I have been thinking of getting a new router lately as I have very bad coverage, once I leave the computer room I can’t get a signal. I really do need to update everything!

  9. My router is around 5 years old and it was supplied by my ISP. I don’t plan on upgrading it but if I were to win this contest I sure would.

  12. My router is about 4 years old, it is provided by my ISP. I don’t currently have plan to upgrade at the moment

  15. My router is about 8 years old and was supplied by my ISP. We would love to ugprade, but unsure if it’s in the budget!

  18. 1- My home router that I purchased is about 10 years old & I would love to win one in this CONTEST but, if not then, yes I do plan to upgrade mine in 2023.

  23. My router is about 4 years old and is privided by my ISP. I have no plans to to upgrade but if there is something better and the price is right than I’d like to upgrade.

  24. My router is probably 10 years old an is supplied by my ISP. I do plan on changing my ISP, so they may provider a new router, however I have been looking into upgrading.

  25. The router in our home is around 5 years old and is supplied by my ISP (Telus). I do not plan to upgrade it yet in 2023.

  26. My router is a ASUS RT-AC3200 Router from July 27, 2015 as that is the day I won it. I am on a disability fix income so the only way I upgrade stuff is to win it or save for years. Can’t afford to upgrade so winning would be the only way.

  28. My router is about five or six years old from my ISP, and while I don’t have concrete plans to replace it, it’s getting to that point where I should be investigating my best options.

  32. My router is about 8 years old and supplied by my ISP. Have been looking into upgrading it though I’m not sure if I’ll be able to this year.

  34. My router is about 4 years old, it is provided by my ISP. I don’t currently have plan to upgrade at the moment

  35. Everything I have is from Rogers and it’s less than 1 year old but I think this would be a cool prize.

  36. Our old router is about 3 years old, provided by our ISP. Currently we don’t have plan to upgrade just yet.

  37. No idea how old, but at least 4 years. It is supplied by my isp and I wish they would get an updated one!

  41. My Asus router is about 7 years old, I bought it at best buy and it works so so, and I can’t afford to upgrade again.

  43. I am using few routers from 6 years old to 2 years old. I do not use ISP provided router; only pass through. I am not sure if I am going to purchase another one, I may get rid of older wifi ones if I can find good deals.

  47. Rogers changed over the cable modem / router about a year ago. Not so sure about throwing another router behind it – double NATting can cause certain issues, especially with certain IPv4 applications.

  48. Router is about 5 years old and came from ISP. Seems okay so far, but I know I’ll eventually need an upgrade.

  50. Our router is fairly new only a couple of days old, it is supplied by Telus and we don’t plan to upgrade it yet.

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