Can You Still Use Your Router If It Doesn't Get Firmware Updates?
It won't stop working, but newly discovered security flaws may go unfixed.
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So long as the hardware is healthy, a router will continue connecting your devices to the internet long after the manufacturer stops releasing firmware updates. There's no built-in kill switch outside of eventual hardware failure that will silence your router forever. Unfortunately, once firmware updates cease to be a regular thing, your router loses its most dependable attribute for fixing newly-discovered security flaws.
Now, that's not to say that your home will be immediately targeted and all of your devices will suddenly rise up and begin wreaking havoc throughout the house. What it means is that your router could now be vulnerable and may remain so with every passing day. Attackers often target vulnerable routers in bulk, using them to relay malicious traffic or join a larger group of compromised devices controlled without their owner's knowledge.
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