What To Do With Old Router? – 11 Best And Creative Ways

Are you seeking a solution to your outdated router? There are a lot of things to think about. To begin with, routers have become indispensable in today’s houses. This is because most homeowners see the need of installing contemporary internet-connected gadgets and appliances in their homes. These gadgets can assist network devices that link two distinct networks together. So what to do with an old router?

For example, you may link your connection to the internet to a private local network using your router. Many devices in your house, from new smart TVs to security systems, require an internet connection to function properly. All of this has been made possible by the widespread availability of contemporary technological equipment. However, there are times when your router may become defective or outdated with time. You might be tempted to toss this router in the trash.

What To Do With Old Router

Even if your router has been upgraded, you should keep the old one. At the moment, the new router may provide excellent performance and speed. Your old routers, on the other hand, can aid in a variety of ways. There’s a lot you can accomplish with your old routers, from enhancing the new network to providing network authentication. Here are some of the ways you may put your old router to good use.

1. Make wireless repeaters out of them.

Wi-Fi reception may not be excellent in all areas of your home at times. If you have a large house, this is typically the case. If this occurs, do not be alarmed; your old router can assist you in resolving the issue. You’ll use this guide to convert your outdated router into a wireless repeater.

To clarify, a wireless repeater is a device that uses an existing signal to establish a second network. As a result, your home’s network will be strengthened. This way, everyone in your house may use the Wi-Fi network to access the internet.

2. It may be used as a wireless bridge.

You may use your old router as a wireless bridge in addition to a wireless repeater. If you have network devices or laptops that are required to be linked to the network, but your new router lacks an Ethernet connection, this is typically the case.

Your existing router may act as a wireless bridge instead of running a cable from one area to another. This wireless bridge will assist you in creating an Ethernet that allows you to tap into a wireless network’s signal by connecting it to Ethernet ports on your laptop or network device. This can make things easier for you, especially if you’ve set up a new desktop pc in a location that’s far away from the new router. You will be able to go online without interruption since the old router will bridge the Wi-Fi gap.

3. It may be turned into a hotspot.

If you run a company that requires an internet connection but is not located in your house, you may connect your PCs to the internet using your old router. You may also use this router to connect your devices to the internet if you have an office where you normally provide freelancing services. All you have to do now is turn it into a hotspot gateway and you’re ready to go. Many folks have found this to be effective.

4. Online, you may sell your old router.

If any of these suggestions prove too difficult to execute, try selling your old routers. Fortunately, there are people out there who will acquire these gadgets for a reasonable price and then update or utilize them for a new purpose later.

In fact, by doing so, you will be able to save money to purchase a new device that will satisfy your daily online requirements. eBay and Amazon are just a few of the places where you may sell this gadget.

5. Construct a VPN router

You set it up with VPN software if your outdated routers allow custom firmware. If you have a VPN account with Express VPN or Nord VPN, for example, you may set it up on your old router.

What’s remarkable about this is that your old routers will now function as VPN routers. Any device that connects to this network will be secured by a virtual private network (VPN). As a result, you won’t need to download a separate program to connect to this network. In fact, for secure browsing, you may utilize your existing router. No one will be able to determine your true IP address here.

6. Transform it into an online radio player.

Did you know that you can listen to the internet radio on your old routers? Some older routers may really be set up for radio streaming, which may surprise you. You must, however, install the Open Wrt or DD-WRT customized router firmware for this to work. Other software may be required in addition to this. Finally, to set your audio in output mode, you’ll need a USB sound card.

Although this project may not be simple for novices, it might provide you with a chance to discover numerous aspects about your router that you were unaware of. When you’re through with this project, you’ll be able to listen to a variety of online radio stations.

7. Use your old router as a new access point to expand your network’s reach.

Wireless routers are designed to connect and spread internet connections, but they may also be used for Wi-Fi. As a result, rather than using them as a standard wireless router, you may still use them as an access point, or AP. This point aids in extending an existing network’s signal coverage radius as well as increasing the number of users on the network.

When you only have a single wireless router and a tiny network, this is quite useful. Your outdated routers can quadruple your wifi coverage in this situation. This will, fortunately, be free of cost.

8. Repurposing your old router by modding it.

If you’re feeling brave, you can repurpose your old router in this manner. In terms of electronics, your old router is an embedded system that can be configured to do many tasks. These routers often have GPIO pins, WiFi and Ethernet port connection, and even a USB host port.

The good news is that any of these interfaces can be used to fulfill some home automation requirements. After you’ve finished modifying the router, you may use it for a variety of purposes.

There’s a lot you could do with your router, from blinking an LED to turning on and off the water valve. Using a relay and other devices, you can sometimes turn on and off different electrical equipment remotely. All you have to do is think beyond the box.

9. NAS (Network Attached Storage)

Some routers are equipped with cutting-edge technology and, as a result, can support USB ports. You may easily convert your existing router into a NAS if it has these characteristics. In other terms, NAS stands for Network-attached storage. You will be able to use the network to save data for backup.

To link the router USB cable to your computer or smartphone, all you need is a USB hard drive or a pen drive. Data may be transferred from your pc to the router’s storage memory card and vice versa.

10. It may be used as a network switch.

The majority of routers feature six Ethernet ports. Others, on the other hand, have fewer ports. This number may be as low as three or two, depending on how many gadgets and devices you have that require an internet connection. This is why you should be aware of the devices that should be linked through Ethernet in order to avoid running out of ports.

You could run out of ports if you have a TV decoder with smart TV capabilities, several home appliance monitoring devices, and other gaming devices, for example. This is due to the lack of wireless networking on these devices. As a result, they’ll require an Ethernet connection to connect to your network.

If you run out of ports, you may use a network switch to add more. You may utilize your old router as a network switch if it has four or more ports. You will have additional ports to use if you connect it. Make sure your old router is turned on while you’re doing this. Aside from that, you should turn off wireless networking on the old router, since it may interfere with your internet connection.

11. Wireless Internet Access for Guests

You could have some visitors coming to your house from time to time. If this is the case, you should set up a separate network for them. This may look similar to the wireless repeater project, but it’s not the same.

Here, your router will link to your password-protected network. It will, however, provide a password-free wifi connection to your visitors’ new gadgets. They won’t be able to access other devices on your network this way.

Conclusion

Your outdated router isn’t nearly as worthless as you may believe. These routers can be just as helpful as new routers in some cases. The methods listed above can help you repurpose your old router instead of throwing it away. These suggestions will also enable you to save a significant amount of money. You will not be disappointed if you consider them now.