5 Creative Ways to Reuse an Old Router

Reading Time: 3 minutes

First published: 12 October 2022 @ 6:00 pm

Old router and wireless repeater have a bad rap. They’re old and probably slow.

But they can be used in creative ways to extend your wireless network or simply to make your network more robust.

Reusing old routers is one we haven’t really talked about before, so it’s time to give some light on this subject.

The goal here is to create an affordable, stable, and fast home router that has multiple ports for connecting computers and devices.

There are several ways you can accomplish this task. You may even find that the old one you already have can be repurposed for this purpose.

5 Creative Ways to Reuse an Old Router

1. Network Extension

Using its USB port, an old router can be used as a network extension to extend your existing wireless network.

Connect it to a wireless USB adapter and the other end of the USB cable to a wired port on your computer.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.

2. A Wireless Repeater

If it has a serial port, you can use it as a wireless repeater.

To use the repeater function, the router should be connected to a computer. If it is connected to a network hub or switch, connect it directly to that device.

Then, run a wire from the hub or switch to the router’s Ethernet port.

If it has no serial port, you can still use it as a wireless repeater by connecting it to another computer with an Ethernet cable.

Use the network utility on that computer to configure it as a wireless access point.

Then, connect your laptop to that access point with an Ethernet cable.

The laptop will act as a wireless client, and your router will act as a wireless repeater for your other connected devices.

Click on the next page to learn more!