TORONTO -- With so many people working from home, students learning online and people streaming to various devices, your Wi-Fi signal may not always work as well as it should.
There is a new generation of wireless routers called Wi-Fi 6 that promises it could fix your Wi-Fi woes once and for all.
“We've never leaned on our wireless networks as much as we have now," said Carmi Levy with Info-Tech Research of London, Ont.
Levy said Wi-Fi 6 transfers information faster and handles more data and devices at the same time.
“It's building a stronger foundation so that dozens of devices can connect at the same time and nobody has to suffer those drop outs where you have to reboot your router," Levy said.
That means faster, more stable connectivity and Wi-Fi 6 routers are the first to have built-in support for WPA3, the latest wireless encryption standard.
That makes it harder to for hackers to access your private data. Wi-Fi 6 is also compatible with older devices and could help them have better performance.
“Wi-Fi 6 will do a better job and cover all those places in your house that in the past you may have had trouble reaching," Levy said.
If you're not happy with your signal, you can also try Wi-Fi mesh networks and Wi-Fi boosters. Levy believes if your router is four or five years old it may be time for an upgrade.
Levy said call your internet provider to see if they can update your router or you can buy Wi-Fi equipment from an electronics store.
“When it is time to upgrade it, if you want to save some money, call your internet company first because they may be able to swap one in at no additional cost because it's part of your service plan,” Levy said.
“If that isn't the case you may want to go to a big box store or an electronics store and see what's out there and compare your options,” Levy added.
Since a lot of upcoming tech is expected to be Wi-Fi 6 certified, upgrading your router now is like future-proofing your home network and the new routers are also more energy efficient.
