When did wireless routers become so expensive?

When did wireless routers become so expensive?

Just anecdotally I think this has been the case every time a new WiFi standard is commercially available. WiFi 6 TP-Link AX1800 WiFi 6 right now is $80 unless one wants the 2.5Gb ethernet ports and that one is $230. I want to say that one was about $500 not that long ago. When WiFi 8 is commercially available I would expect 7 to be the same as 6 is right now.

Just me personally, I avoid anything that new. There are usually serious bug and compatibility issues in my limited experience. Unless one has a special need for 7 I think right now 6 would be a safer move in my opinion. I see several different WiFi 6 brands that range from $50 to $90.

Because Wi-Fi 7 is a plaid or extremely high throughput (EHT) version of the latest Wi-Fi that can support up to 46 Gbps for a single client using humongous 4096 or 4K QAM modulation [1].

It can also support 16 MIMO or 4 x 4 MIMO with 16 Tx & 16 Rx or a total of 32 antenna.

[1]How is Wi-Fi 7 different from Wi-Fi 6/6E:

https://www.commscope.com/insights/the-enterprise-source/wi-...

when devs turned into weak frontend wannabes

When I use wifi for streaming, whatever app buffers content so I don't notice any difference with hard wired vs WiFi. I have fiber internet. For demanding devices I have ethernet ports so I hardly pay attention to WiFi versions. My router is a $150 price point thing with 3 antennas from at least 5+ years ago. Given that streaming video and gaming are the two likely most sensitive traffic types on my network and I notice zero issues - I can't fathom paying those amounts for something where I'd probably not notice.

Do people regularly upgrade home routers? I typically just buy a new one when the old one dies.

Do you really need Wifi 7 though?

If not, a two-pack of “Eero 6+” is $154.99. That’s a very good price IMHO. And one needs a quite large home in order to need a three-pack, so I think the two-pack is sufficient for most households.