Your Office Router Might Be Expired. Here’s How to Tell

Most small businesses I visit have a little box on a shelf that nobody has thought about in years. It’s covered in dust, the lights are blinking, and everything “works,” so nobody touches it. That box is your router. Every computer, phone, camera, and card reader in your office goes through it to reach the internet.

I’ve been doing computer support for over 40 years and selling phone systems for more than 20. One of the most common problems I find is a router that stopped getting updates years ago. It isn’t broken. It’s just expired.

Here’s how to tell if yours is past its prime:

1. It’s more than five or six years old. Manufacturers stop releasing firmware updates for older models. Once that happens, new security holes never get patched. Look up your model number on the maker’s website. If it’s listed as “end of life” or “end of support,” it’s time.
2. You’ve never logged into it. If the admin password is still the one printed on the sticker, or worse, “admin,” anyone on your network can change your settings. Change it today, and store it in a password manager.
3. Your customers and your staff share the same Wi-Fi. Guests, vendors, and personal phones belong on a separate guest network. That way a visitor’s infected laptop can’t see your accounting PC or your file server.
4. Your phone calls get choppy. If you’ve moved to VoIP, an old router is often the reason calls break up or drop when someone starts a big download. A modern router with good quality-of-service settings can put voice traffic first so calls stay clear.
5. You have to reboot it every week. A router that needs regular restarts is telling you something. It’s usually overheating, running out of memory, or both.

Replacing a router isn’t expensive, but setting it up right matters more than the brand you pick. Update the firmware, change the admin password, turn off remote management unless you need it, set up a guest network, and set the voice priority if you use VoIP phones. Then write down what you did so the next person isn’t guessing.

If you’re not sure how old your router is or whether it’s still getting updates, COiN Services can check it for you, set up a replacement properly, and make sure your phones and internet play nicely together. Visit coinservices.net or give us a call.

When was the last time anyone logged into the router at your office?