Illustrative imagery. Equipment and configuration vary by home.
A router can keep providing internet access after its manufacturer stops issuing security updates. To check yours, identify the exact model and hardware version, then look up its support status on the manufacturer’s official website. For equipment supplied by your internet provider, ask the provider who handles updates and whether the model is still supported.
Find the exact device before looking for updates
Look at the equipment label or the manufacturer’s management app. Record the brand, model and hardware revision if one is listed. Do this for the router and any separate mesh units or access points. Keep passwords and serial numbers private when sharing a photo for help.
The hardware revision matters. TP-Link’s update guidance, for example, requires the correct hardware version and regional firmware. A file intended for a similar-looking model is not a substitute.
Check both software and support status
Use the official manufacturer support page for your exact model. Look for its firmware downloads, security notices and any end-of-support or end-of-service announcement. Firmware is the software that runs the equipment.
An update screen saying there is nothing to install answers a different question from whether future security fixes will be available. NETGEAR’s End of Service policy, for example, states that products reaching that stage no longer receive firmware updates, including security updates. Other manufacturers have their own policies.
An older update date alone does not establish that a router is unsupported or compromised. If the website does not answer the question, ask the manufacturer or internet provider directly. Save the answer and the date you checked.
Know who installs updates
The FTC recommends checking with your internet provider about automatic updates when the provider supplies the router. For a router you own, follow the manufacturer’s current instructions for that model.
Plan for a brief interruption if the update requires a restart. Avoid starting during a work call or another activity that depends on the connection. NETGEAR’s manual update instructions specifically warn against switching off or otherwise interrupting the router while it updates. Do not improvise a manual update if you are unsure which file or process applies.
If support has ended, plan the replacement
Unsupported does not mean an intrusion has happened. It does mean you need a plan for equipment that will no longer receive the manufacturer’s fixes. Ask about a supported replacement and how to transfer the configuration, reconnect devices and retire the old equipment.
This is a useful time to review what else is connected. Our smart-home guide helps you consider cameras, entertainment equipment and other devices alongside the router.
Make maintenance someone’s responsibility
Home Network Shield’s ongoing service includes monthly checks for applicable manufacturer updates on supported managed equipment, compatibility review, an agreed maintenance window and checks afterward. Important security updates receive priority review and may be scheduled sooner. Read the full ongoing-management description.
Make the next step specific to your home.
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Continue learning
- Do I Need a Home Firewall If My Router Already Has One?
- Smart Home Network Security
- How Home Network Shield Works
- Use the Home Network Checkup Checklist