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. Our router is from about 12 years ago and it is not frOM our ISP. I would upgrade this year if I win a really good one or if our current one becomes DefeCtive.

    Thanks

  5. My router is 4 years old and provided by Rogers. I would like to replace it because it is sort of not strong. Thank you

  6. the router i am using is at least 2 years old ,supplied by the ISP , i may be switching companies soon though since they have increased the monthly charge out of the blue !

  9. I bought my router in 2019. It is not provided by our ISP. I am looking to upgrade in 2023 to increase coverage and improve signal.

  10. My router is 5 years old and I bought it myself. I plan on changing it if there’s a good Black Friday deal this year

  14. I think it must be 7 years old and is supplied by my provider. I suppose I should see about updating it in 2023.

  15. My router is probably around 12 years old – I got it from my ISP when I signed up with them. It would be great to update my router – I’m looking to add some more features like VPN and NAS to my network… so I am shopping for a new router this year!

  16. My router is 7 years old. I purchased it when I moved to my new home. It is probably time for me to upgrade.

  18. Family just switched ISP. My router is supplied by my ISP so must be very current. I do not plan to upgrade it in 2023.

  19. Just changed ISP few months ago. Router supplied by my ISP so probably very current. I do not plan to upgrade it in 2023.

  22. About 2 years old, supplied by ISP. I would like to try the ASUS wireless AX5700 Dual-band WiFi 6 Router.

  25. Our router is about a year old but is supplied by our internet provider which isn’t the greatest.and would love to upgrade.

  33. My router is a TP Link. It’s not too bad but it’s around 2-3 years old and it would be nice to have something faster. It was a gift, not supplied by my ISP. I might upgrade, but it’s hard to say right now.

  34. Honestly, I cannot complain about my current router. Its about 2 years old, handles quite a few hard wired and wifi connections across the house – and at the peak of covid managed 2 work from home vpn’d video calls plus 2 kids in ‘online” learning classes. It wasnt supplied by my ISP, of course. I’m not planning to replace it, but I wouldnt mind being able to extend it a bit – a hard wired node for mesh wifi would be nice.

  38. My current router is almost 4 years old, and I bought it myself. I’d likely upgrade soon for Wifi6 and I can use the old one as an extension!

  41. The router is probably 10 years old and supplied by the ISP…. wasn’t thinking of upgrading unless the ISP sends a new one..

  45. I have an ASUS AC1900P router which I bought from BEST BUY many years ago and it is still running fine all this time. I’ll be looking at a mesh setup to have better access at the garage level.

  47. My router is at least 7 years old and still working but would love it if it was upgraded. Cant afford a new one as I was laid off and savings are dwindling. A new one would be a blessing.
    Thanks a bunch in advance.

  48. Our router is 5 years old, Its not from our ips and we probably need an upgrade or some type of booster. I cant get wifi by the pool and thats important now.

  49. My router is approx 8 years old, probably time for a new one since I do have several wifi 6 devices.
    I have a separate router modem and I own both

  50. Our router is about 4 years old. It is not provided by our ISP. I would love to update our router, we are very rural, but we did just get fibre optic to the house. Our router is not taking advantage of the speed we now have

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