Does it seem slower than usual, or just plain slow? Do you find that you don't get good coverage in all corners of your house? Do you intermittently lose your connection to your ISP?

Any of these issues may be a sign that it's time for a new router. I say "may" because there are lots of other reasons you're getting slow or inconsistent performance.

That said, let's talk about that router, which is as good a place to start as any. The big question: How old is it?

If your router is more than 4-5 years old, you should definitely think about replacing it. Three reasons why:

1. Over time, heat can damage the internal components, which may explain symptoms like intermittent outages or slow performance. You might try pointing a small fan at your router, or moving it somewhere there's good airflow, and seeing if that makes any difference.