{
  "id": 19349189,
  "title": "The oldest device on your Wi-Fi is quietly setting the rules for everything else",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/the-oldest-device-on-your-wi-fi-is-quietly-setting-the-rules-for",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-11-10T15:00:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/oldest-wi-fi-device-setting-rules-for-everything-else/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A household today often contains more than 20 devices on its Wi-Fi network, with some families having far more. These devices include smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs, and numerous home automation gadgets. It's easy to lose track of the exact number of devices connected to the Wi-Fi router. Older devices, in particular, can cause issues by limiting the network's overall reliability. These legacy hardware devices can force your router to reduce the performance of everyone else's modern devices. This isn't just about fairness of airtime; slower devices can affect network performance in other ways too. If you have a Wi-Fi 6, 6E, or 7 router, and enjoy a fast internet connection, your Wi-Fi should remain fast. However, if you're still experiencing sluggish Wi-Fi, outdated devices might be to blame. They may connect at low speeds like 1 Mbps or 11 Mbps, slowing down the network for all devices. Even older smart switches, bulbs, printers, and smart TVs could be causing this. Your router must accommodate every device's language, sending control frames at the lowest supported modulation rate, which can slow down the network. Enabling airtime fairness on your router can help by giving each device equal transmission time, preventing older devices from hogging the airtime. Adjusting the basic rate on your router can set a minimum speed for devices, preventing them from slowing down the network. However, doing so might cause older devices to lose connection if they can't handle the higher rate. Creating a separate IoT-only SSID for smart devices on the 2.4 GHz band can help maintain speed for faster devices while giving older devices the range they need. Ultimately, Wi-Fi's limitations often lead to common wireless problems, making hardwiring devices a better option when possible.",
  "summary": "Your router is forced to toe the line, but you can fix that",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}