Planned Obsolescence in WiFi Routers and Its Consequences
Network equipment manufacturing companies implement planned obsolescence strategies by discontinuing firmware updates after arbitrary periods, transforming perfectly functional devices into vulnerable and technologically obsolete equipment. 🔌
Security Vulnerabilities Due to Abandoned Support
When a router stops receiving security patches, it becomes an open door for cyber attacks, allowing known threats to remain uncorrected for years. Cybercriminals can infiltrate home networks, steal confidential data, or even recruit devices into botnet networks to carry out coordinated attacks.
Main Identified Risks:- Exploitation of known vulnerabilities without possibility of mitigation
- Unauthorized access to private networks and sensitive information
- Forced incorporation of devices into distributed attack networks
Routers become pieces of technological museum just when their official support expires, as if security had a pre-established expiration date set by the manufacturer.
Technical Limitations and Outdated Standards
The interruption of continuous support prevents routers from implementing improvements from new protocols like Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E, resulting in reduced speeds, insufficient coverage, and incompatibilities with modern devices. Users are forced to acquire new equipment to maintain adequate performance, even though their existing hardware could function correctly with updated software.
Documented Technical Consequences:- Significantly slower transfer speeds
- Connectivity issues with modern smart devices
- Inability to take advantage of energy efficiency improvements
Environmental and Economic Impact
This practice generates an unnecessary replacement cycle that harms both the consumer, who must bear additional expenses, and the environment through the generation of avoidable electronic waste. Planned obsolescence in routers represents a clear example of unsustainable design in the current technology industry. 🌍