ISPs are infamous for dragging older equipment long after it's been declared obsolete. I've had a Wi-Fi 5 router for over five years, and despite it being mostly fine for my home network, I've wanted to upgrade it for a year. My ISP gave one excuse after another to avoid replacing it with a Wi-Fi 6 model, even though new subscribers in my apartment get the latter by default. Then last week, one of the technicians made it happen via a loophole in the ISP's app, and I finally have a Wi-Fi 6 router powering my home network. However, I've still not felt the difference that I had imagined. My internet plan didn't change, so the maximum speeds are obviously unchanged, but the Wi-Fi doesn't "feel" any different either. That said, a glaring issue I had been facing for years has disappeared, so the upgrade wasn't for nothing. Overall, though, my home network is still too modest to take advantage of the new Wi-Fi 6 router.

I have used Wi-Fi 5 for five years, but cracks were starting to show

I was adamant that a Wi-Fi 6 router would solve everything

The reason I was able to stay on Wi-Fi 5 for so long was that it was frankly enough for my needs. My 200 Mbps plan didn't need anything more advanced, and the router was able to handle the small number of devices without major issues. What made me want to switch were a handful of issues that refused to go away. The most annoying was a virtual dead spot at the furthest end of the apartment. With the door to the room closed, the balcony received speeds slower than 5 Mbps on the 2.4GHz band. The range was so bad in that area that my phone even switched to mobile data on many occasions. For a 1600 sq. ft. space, a Wi-Fi 5 router shouldn't perform like this, so I was adamant not to buy an extender or invest in a mesh network. Other than that, the overall latency of the connection often felt high, despite speed tests showing everything was fine.

Then there was the occasional weirdness, such as delays in sending WhatsApp messages and media, which could be related to unidirectional MU-MIMO. Given the network density in an apartment complex, the lack of OFDMA could also be behind the high latency. Add to it the fact that the Wi-Fi 5 router only supported WPA2, and the security of the network was far from ideal. Lastly, my PC's Ethernet connection dropped to 100 Mbps link speed now and then, halving the LAN speed on my system. I was convinced that switching to a Wi-Fi 6 router would get rid of each of these problems.

After countless complaints, my ISP finally budged

The upgrade was a mixed bag

Last month, I renewed my attempts to get my Wi-Fi 5 router replaced. After multiple calls and service requests on the app, one of the ISP's technicians showed me how to get a Wi-Fi 6 router (Wi-Fi 6E was too much to expect) by submitting a request for router relocation within the same house. So, last week, I got the new router I wanted for so long, and I felt accomplished, to say the least. Then came the moment of truth — it was time to measure the results. I knew that without upgrading the internet plan, I was still limited to the 200 Mbps maximum speed. Still, I was looking forward to the much-talked-about latency, efficiency, and stability benefits of Wi-Fi 6.

The first thing I did was confirm that the 5GHz band was using the 160MHz channel for better congestion handling and minimal latency. The Wi-Fi settings were optimal, but the Wi-Fi didn't feel any different on my phone, TV, or MacBook. It's too soon to say whether the latency issues I faced on WhatsApp remain, but I'll keep an eye out for them. The biggest issue I was hoping to solve was the dead spot inside the house, and I'm glad to report that the new router actually got rid of it. Even on the shorter-range 5GHz band, I got decent connectivity on my phone in the furthest spot from the router, with speeds of up to 36 Mbps, an 8-fold increase. Also, the issue of the LAN speed dropping on my PC hasn't resurfaced in a week, but it's too soon to say whether it's gone for good.

I'm sure the more advanced MU-MIMO and OFDMA capabilities of the Wi-Fi 6 router are helping optimize the Wi-Fi in the background, but I had hoped for more drastic differences. With time, I may change my opinion about this upgrade, but I have a feeling that the router is operating as well as it can in my specific home setup.

My home network still needs to catch up to Wi-Fi 6 capabilities

Some future-proofing never hurt anyone

Moving to Wi-Fi 6 should have been a bigger improvement, but I think my home network still has some catching up to do. Upgrading to a Gigabit plan would allow me to benefit from the new router's advanced capabilities. Besides, the number of devices in the house is still relatively low to illustrate the latency and efficiency benefits of Wi-Fi 6. I don't have a NAS, home lab, or other high-bandwidth devices that can fully use the router's theoretical speeds. Then there's the fact that Wi-Fi 5 was already good enough in most departments, which makes it difficult to achieve a striking difference just from a router upgrade.

All said and done, I'm glad I made the upgrade. Having a modern router with better range, congestion handling, and peak performance has prepared my network for future upgrades. And it did extend the Wi-Fi range to the aforementioned dead spot in the house. When I eventually need faster speeds on my PC or NAS, my router will be up to the task. As the number of devices in my house increases, the Wi-Fi 6 capabilities will allow for more seamless connectivity on each of them. My biggest flex is that I was able to get my ISP to give in and replace a router that it should have gotten rid of years ago.

Moving from Wi-Fi 5 to Wi-Fi 6 was overdue

Getting a Wi-Fi 6 router might not have been the upgrade I thought it would be, but at least it eliminated the dead spot inside my house. With time, my bandwidth needs will increase, and more devices will join the network. The new router will be ready to support them when that happens. For now, I'm glad I have a more modern router to make the most of my newer devices. The better-optimized 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, 160MHz channel support, and advanced MU-MIMO and OFDMA capabilities will certainly benefit my Wi-Fi network.