cross-posted from: https://aussie.zone/post/19637893
Wifi networks and home automation systems are expected to last 50+ years.
I was reading up on the life expectancy of different building materials when I came across this gem.
Screenshot is of page 122 https://www.portseattle.org/sites/default/files/2025-02/SEA-SIPP%20Technical%20Report%20Appendix%20C%20Life%20Expectancy%20of%20Building%20Materials.pdf
I guess the ethernet cables could last that long, but they rate house wiring to a lower lifetime. Ethernet cables are not "wireless", however.
The only other wireless systems I can think of are garage door openers, but they are definitely not expected to last 50 years.
I've yet to have a router make it past five years or so, so I call malarkey
Edit: this is why I love lemmy. What started as an offhand comment has ended up with me getting great advice from awesome people. It really made my evening a great one, no bullshit.
Very funny, I stille have an old TPlink running now for 6 or 7 years, my parents had an old linksys that only did 2.4GHz running for 13 years or something. Before i replaced it for them.
I honestly don't know how a router breaks. It can become outdated or obsolete such that it can't interface correctly anymore or it can have a hardware failure that kills it by surges or physical damage, or it can be completely unsecure because it hasn't been updated in a decade but routing is "fairly simple" and just getting data throughput isn't rocket science software-wise.