Having a Wi-Fi repeater can be the solution to achieve better coverage and higher speed in certain areas. However, not all are the same. Not all have the same features and, therefore, capacity. In this article we are going to talk about what can happen if you change your Internet plan to a higher one, with higher speed. Do you need to change your wireless repeaters or can you continue with the same ones?
Although we are focusing on repeaters, which are the most common devices, you can actually apply this to PLC devices or Mesh systems as well. In all of these cases, there may be limitations if you have a higher speed Internet connection. It could cause you to have trouble achieving optimal speed.
Whether or not to change repeaters when you have a new rate
As we will explain, there are factors that can influence whether or not to change wireless repeaters when you have a new Internet plan. What we are going to look for is to make the most of that speed and be able to connect devices of all kinds. If they have limitations, then it would be interesting to buy a new one.
Maximum supported speed
The first thing you should look at is the maximum speed that the Wi-Fi repeater supports. This is essential, as it could create a bottleneck and cause problems in actually taking advantage of the rate you have contracted. This will happen if you have an old or low-end device, as the speed it will support will be lower than what you have contracted.
For example, you may have contracted 300 Mbps and your repeater also supports those 300 Mbps. But what happens if you increase the contracted speed to 600 Mbps or 1 Gbps? Indeed, you would not be able to use it through your repeater, since it will not directly support speeds higher than those 300 Mbps.
Current standards
You should also check the standards supported by the device. You may have a router with Wi-Fi 6, which increases the speed you have contracted and, in this way, you can take advantage of this standard to connect devices of all kinds and achieve a good speed. You need a device that really has this capacity.
Once again, the repeater you have could act as a bottleneck and not make good use of the wireless signal. It would not cover the maximum speed it supports and, therefore, you would have problems in your daily life. Changing the repeater, buying another one that, for example, is compatible with Wi-Fi 6, would be interesting.
Ethernet Compatibility
Something similar happens with Ethernet port support. If you subscribe to a higher Internet plan, you may want to take advantage of the wired connection and gain stability. If your repeater is Fast Ethernet, it means that the maximum speed it will support is 100 Mbps. What you want is for it to be Gigabit Ethernet.
Therefore, it would be interesting to change the repeater and have another model that is Gigabit Ethernet. You will be able to connect compatible devices, such as a computer or a television, and have the maximum speed via cable.
Ultimately, if you are going to sign up for a higher Internet plan, it can sometimes be useful to change Wi-Fi repeaters. You could take better advantage of that speed, avoid bottlenecks and typical limitations.
