Hey there!

Recently, I switched network provider and the old one left me the old router. Before getting rid of it, I thought about what could I use it for. When we visit our parents my brother and I always have a connectivity problem. In our rooms, that we set up as remote offices to work during our stay, the wifi coverage is plain terrible. So, I thought I could use my old router to extend the wifi coverage and it turns out this is pretty simple to do even if a router doesn’t support bridge or repeater mode.

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Why Use an Old Router?

Buying a new Wi-Fi extender works, but I like the idea of recycling hardware I already own. Plus, using a wired connection between routers keeps things fast and reliable. The goal was simple: let the old router serve Wi-Fi clients while passing all traffic through the main router, without conflicts or weird network issues.

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How I Set It Up

1. Connect via Ethernet I ran a cable from a LAN port on the main router to a LAN port on the old router. WAN ports stay unused for this setup.

2. Disable DHCP This was the key step. By turning off the old router’s DHCP server, all devices now get IP addresses from the main router, which keeps the network consistent.

3. Set the Wi-Fi SSID and Password You can match the main router’s credentials for seamless roaming or choose a different SSID if you want to distinguish the networks.

4. Optional: Change the Old Router’s LAN IP I kept mine at 192.168.1.1 while the main router is 192.168.1.254. It’s a good idea to make sure IPs don’t conflict, but as long as the old router isn’t giving out DHCP addresses, it should work fine.

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Results

After disabling DHCP and waiting a few minutes, the old router started serving Wi-Fi perfectly. Devices connect, get IPs from the main router, and have full internet access. It’s like having a brand-new access point without spending a dime (and without polluting the environment with e-waste!).

That’s it! With just a cable and a small configuration tweak, an old router can become a reliable Wi-Fi access point and extend coverage wherever you need it.