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

  3. My router was replaced by my ISP approximately 5 years ago. I would like to upgrade my router as long as it was compatible with my system.

  7. My router is approximately four years old and was supplied by my internet service provider. I do plan to upgrade it in 2023.

  12. I have no idea how old our router is – maybe close to 10 years old. We got it from our internet provider. Based on the article above we should probably upgrade it some time soon.

  14. The router I have is about 8 years old and was not supplied by my ISP and I hadn’t planned to upgrade.

  17. I have a cisco router. I think it is a few years old, but I would like very fast speeds and I’m sure these will be awesome to try out!

  18. My router is last year’s model, works well enough, ISP supplied, no plans to upgrade now but open to a better one

  21. I have a cisco router. I think it is a few years old. It works great, but I would like very fast speeds. I would love to win this. We bought this one on our own. I don’t remember if our first router was supplied from our isp.

  23. My router is about 10 years old and was not supplied by my ISP. I don’t have plans to upgrade but probably should for better security features.

  24. I am currently using a D-link(DIR 867) router which I bought almost 4 years back from Best Buy. Since Wi-Fi 6 router is designed to handle a lot more traffic and provide better security it would be an awesome upgrade.

  28. Our router has to be 10 years old, at least. I don’t believe it’s ISP. Would love an upgrade.

  29. My router is approximately 10 years old and supplied by my ISP, I have always been putting off upgrading but now I plan to in 2023

  31. Our router is soooooo old I can’t remember how old it is or where we got it from!
    Help!
    Thanks for the opportunity!

  35. I use a Linksys WRT54G for almost 20 years now. It wasn’t from my ISP, and I’m planning to upgrade since I’m switching providers next month and need something new to handle the faster speeds.

  38. Sadly mine is far too old, but was from Best Buy long ago. Love a new one as read that a great router reduces your risk of hacking and data theft.

  39. My router is about 3 years old and it was supplied by my ISP maybe looking to upgrade soon to support my work and family gaming

  40. My router is about 2 years old, not supplied by my ISP, but looking to upgrade to support work from home and gaming needs.

  42. We have our own routers. One we actually just bought from Best Buy on Boxing Week sales. It is meshed with a much older one, about 7 years old, with the ASUS aiMesh technology. Completing the mesh with another in the basement would be fantastic.

  43. Our router is about 6 years old. I believe it’s supplied by my ISP. We’ve thought about upgrading but haven’t yet.

  46. My router is close to 4 years old and it’s supported by an isp and yes I will definitely be upgrading it

  47. Our router is about 10yrs old from our ISP & until I read this article did I think that I need to do an upgrade.

  48. my router is about 3 years old and supplied by my ISP – I have thought of upgrading but have not done so.

  50. My current router is an Archer c8 that I bought myself and is approximately 7 years old. I’m starting to think about upgrading it.

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