Got a Wi-Fi dead spot? I fixed my old router
Key things
- Modern routers often have a built-in repeater function to extend Wi-Fi range.
- Configuring an old router as a repeater is usually simple; just enter SSID and password.
- Be aware of band compatibility and placement, and consider using an Ethernet cable for better speeds.
Wi-Fi is getting faster every day, but in most cases you won’t be able to enjoy the full speed of your Wi-Fi connection if you don’t have a good signal. If you live in a larger space than your Wi-Fi router can handle, this can quickly become a problem.
Mesh Wi-Fi kits can save the day, but they cost up to $150 for a small home. But guess what: you don’t have to spend extra to get a new mesh Wi-Fi kit. Your old Wi-Fi router has a few tricks up its sleeve that you can use to extend your Wi-Fi range.
Use your old router to extend your Wi-Fi range
Most, if not all, routers have a repeater feature built into them. This means that in addition to receiving your internet through your ISP’s WAN port and relaying it over Wi-Fi, they can also just receive Wi-Fi signals from another router and “repeat” those signals forward, effectively improving your Wi-Fi. range.
The exact name and location of the feature will vary in different router configuration interfaces, which will vary by specific router brand and model. However, it shouldn’t take you too long to find the settings.
Now, there are a few downsides to using an old router. In this case, the router I’m using is the D-Link DIR650IN – an almost ten-year-old N300 series router that was last updated in 2019, according to D-Link’s datasheet. [PDF]. So even though it’s not the most secure network device, you’ll have no problem using it at home. That said, it’s a cheap way to fix Wi-Fi range issues with duct tape you might have around, and it works best in certain situations.
For example, my primary Wi-Fi router is in the middle of the apartment and my office is at the other end. Although I do get Wi-Fi signals from the main router, they are quite weak and speed drops/disconnections are common. Using my old router as a repeater allows me to connect all my IoT devices like smart bulbs and plugs to the internet reliably, while still having enough signal strength (and speed) to use it for normal web browsing on my phone when needed and laptop. I’m not at my desk where I’ve already run an ethernet cable for the best possible speed and stability.
You can get really creative with the use case here. In addition to extending coverage to remote corners and Wi-Fi dead zones in your home, you can use an old router as a separate guest access point to have a layer of separation between your usual network and the one used by someone who doesn’t live with you.
Other IoT objects, such as smart doorbells or motion sensors in your parking lot or driveway, can also be reliably connected to the Internet using a repeater. In such cases, you don’t really need a Wi-Fi network because these devices won’t move around the house and therefore won’t need to switch access points.
Another thing to note is that a Wi-Fi repeater is not the same as a Wi-Fi network. The primary difference between the two is that while Wi-Fi networks automatically switch to the nearest access point, when using a repeater you’ll need to switch them manually.
Setting up my old router as a repeater
Before you begin, I recommend a hard reset of the router. This is easily done by pressing and holding the physical reset button, which is usually located on the back of the router where all the ports are. Once done, connect to the router wirelessly or with an ethernet cable and login to the web interface, which is usually located at 192.168.0.1. The exact address may vary depending on which IP pool your router uses. Most routers usually have default login credentials and IP addresses for the configuration interface printed on a label on the bottom.
Once you’re in the router’s configuration interface, look for the option that turns your router into a repeater. If you do not find a similar setting on your router, a look at the manual or a quick internet search will help. Finally, you also have the option to use something like OpenWrt, which is usually used to turn Wi-Fi routers into wireless bridges, but with a bit of modification can also turn them into repeaters.
On my D-Link DIR650IN it shows on the settings page Repeater option immediately that you can select and start configuring. Just enter the username and password of the Wi-Fi network you want the router to repeat and you’re good to go. The Site survey This option will also scan for Wi-Fi networks in your area to help you quickly identify your network and current signal strength for better location determination.
The exact steps to configure your router as a repeater will vary depending on the make, model, and firmware version of your router. Generally speaking, the setup process is as simple as entering the SSID or name of your main Wi-Fi network and entering the password.
Once your router connects to your home’s main Wi-Fi router, you’re in business. Your router may give you additional settings to configure if you want to fine-tune any specifics, but when it comes to setting up your old router as a repeater, all you have to do is enter your credentials.
Tips for setting up a Wi-Fi repeater
Setting up an old router as a Wi-Fi repeater can be very easy, but it won’t fix everything wrong with your Wi-Fi. Here are some issues to keep in mind.
1. What Wi-Fi bands does your router support?
One of the most common problems when incorporating old Wi-Fi routers is Wi-Fi band incompatibility. If your old router doesn’t support 5GHz Wi-Fi bands, you can only repeat the 2.4GHz band (which has significantly better range than 5GHz).
To get the most out of your Wi-Fi, both the host and repeater routers must support the 5GHz and 2.4GHz bands. Note that if you’re extending your Wi-Fi so that devices like smart bulbs, plugs, or other IoT devices can see your network, 2.4GHz will work just fine. However, if you’re using Wi-Fi within its extended range or providing Internet access to someone else, you’ll probably want 5GHz so you or they can get the best possible speeds.
It’s not all bad news. 2.4GHz Wi-Fi can still support speeds of up to 400Mbps, so depending on the speed of your internet connection, you can still use the full 2.4GHz bandwidth.
2. Pay attention to the location
Location is another important factor when it comes to creating mesh Wi-Fi networks. Wi-Fi signals travel in a circle around your router, and the goal with mesh Wi-Fi is to cover as much area as possible, which means you’ll need to get creative with placement depending on how many routers you’re using. in the network configuration.
For example, if you live in a house with three rooms and want the same Wi-Fi coverage in each room, place a router in each room and the main router in a central area where it is equally accessible to all three repeater routers. If you have fewer routers, the best way to space them out is to place them as far apart as possible without losing signal strength.
Even in this case, the usual Wi-Fi router considerations apply. Try to place routers as high as possible to ensure that the signal is not weakened by furniture or other types of interference such as microwave ovens and RF emitting devices.
3. Ethernet vs. WiFi
You can achieve higher speeds if you don’t mind running a cable between the main Wi-Fi router and the repeater router. By running an Ethernet cable between two (or more) routers, you can place them much further apart than normal Wi-Fi signals would allow without losing any signal strength or bandwidth.
Running an Ethernet cable will not only ensure you get the best possible speeds, but your Wi-Fi connection will be more stable than at the end of a router with a repeater. This means fewer spikes and stutters in online gaming, no buffering when streaming content, and an overall better web browsing time.
Using an old router as a repeater won’t hold up against the best mesh Wi-Fi solutions out there, but it will save you a lot of money while still being just as good for most people. If you don’t have any specific requirements, you can always recycle an old router to get better Wi-Fi coverage throughout your home or office.