Don't Dispose of the Old Router.. 5 Smart Ways to Turn It into a Useful Device in Your Home

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Unlike many devices in the home, you may not think much about upgrading your router. Routers can work for many years, and it's easy not to notice that one is no longer receiving firmware updates or that it doesn't support the latest Wi-Fi standards.

This can make the decision to upgrade to a new router more difficult, especially when it seems illogical or wasteful to dispose of a device that still works well.

However, it is not necessary to throw away the old router or send it for recycling. There are many ways you can repurpose it as a secondary or even tertiary device within your home network, according to a report published by "engadget" that "Al Arabiya Business" reviewed.

It is true that modern routers offer better levels of security, coverage, and performance, and therefore it is preferable to use them as the main device, but most of the fundamentals of networking have not changed drastically over the decades. This means that the old router is still capable of performing a range of useful tasks.

If the new Wi-Fi router is having difficulty reaching some corners of the house, you can use the old router as a dedicated access point, instead of buying a wireless signal booster or another device specifically for this task.

There are two ways to implement this: wired or wireless connection.

Wired connection provides a more stable connection and higher speeds, but it requires extending an Ethernet cable from the new router to the old router.

This may be impractical if the two devices are in distant rooms, unless you are willing to run cables inside the walls.

It is not recommended to broadcast two wireless signals from two very close devices, as this may lead to wireless interference and reduced performance.

However, you can disable some frequencies on one of the devices to reduce congestion.

One practical option is to set the old router to operate on the 2.4GHz band, while disabling this band on the new router.

This is because 2.4GHz signals can penetrate walls better, while most of the improvements seen in Wi-Fi technologies in recent years have focused on higher frequencies like 5GHz and 6GHz.

Many routers support Wireless Repeater or Bridge functions, so you can look for them in the control panel or user manual.

In some older "TP-Link" devices, you may find this function hidden under several submenus under the name WDS Bridging.

However, this method has a significant drawback, as the router is forced to allocate part of its limited wireless capacity to communicate with the main router, which may lead to a decrease in actual speed when connecting to the secondary router.

Some routers can also function as a node within a Mesh Wi-Fi network. For example, Asus calls this feature AiMesh, which allows different models to be combined to create a single unified network.

If you haven't purchased the new router yet, and your old device supports this technology, choosing a new device from the same family may be beneficial to take advantage of this feature.

If the new router does not have enough LAN ports to connect devices that require high bandwidth, such as smart TVs, computers, and gaming consoles, you can convert the old router into a Network Switch.

Basic switch devices typically cost between $10 and $20, so you can save on purchasing an additional device if you have an old router that still works.

The setup process is relatively simple. All you need to do is connect an Ethernet cable from the new router to the old router, using the LAN port on each device, and then connect your devices to the remaining ports on the old router.

But do not connect anything to the WAN port on the old router.

Many routers provide an Access Point (AP) or Switch Mode in the control panel settings, and you can enable it from there.

If you do not find one of these modes, you will need to manually disable the DHCP server, along with any other routing functions such as Firewall and NAT.

The warning regarding wireless interference also applies here. If you want to use only the Ethernet ports, it is better to disable all wireless functions on the old router.

Many routers have a USB port that you may not pay attention to, but it can be useful for more than one purpose.

You can connect a printer to the router and then start printing from any device connected to your network, even if the connection is wireless. If you have an old printer that does not support Wi-Fi, this could be an easy way to add wireless connectivity to it.

You can also connect a storage unit, such as an external hard drive or a USB drive, to turn the router into a simple storage server.

This way, you can read and write files from any device connected to the network.

The cost of NAS (Network Attached Storage) devices and dedicated storage units can be relatively high, so an old router can represent a low-cost way to start experiencing this type of storage.

However, there is an important point: routers typically do not provide the reliability and backup features found in true NAS devices, which are among the main strengths of specialized network storage devices.

Additionally, the USB port on the router is often not the fastest, so file transfer speeds will be limited.

After connecting the storage unit or printer, you can access the router's control panel and look for USB device sharing settings to configure it appropriately.

Many modern routers support VPN functions, but enabling this feature usually means routing all data traffic through a VPN tunnel.

Alternatively, you can install a VPN application on each device individually, but running a VPN for extended periods may drain the battery of portable devices.

Here, converting the old router into a dedicated VPN client can be a practical solution.

By using a separate router for the VPN network, you can connect to it when needed, without forcing all devices on your main network to go through a VPN connection, or burdening phones and mobile devices with the responsibility of running the service continuously.

The exact setup steps vary depending on the VPN service provider and the router manufacturer, but the process usually starts by connecting the old router to the new router and activating Access Point mode.

After that, look for the VPN settings within the router's control panel, enable the feature, and enter your VPN account credentials.

We may not view routers this way, but they are essentially low-power computers, typically combining a power-efficient processor with limited amounts of RAM and storage.

These devices operate on lightweight operating systems specifically designed for their primary task, which is managing network traffic and related functions.

However, this can become a problem when the manufacturer stops providing the latest firmware updates for the router, or when the limitations of the original system prevent you from executing the functions you need.

This is where the importance of open-source software projects developed by specialized communities comes in to work on routers.

One of the most prominent of these projects is OpenWRT, which replaces the manufacturer's software with a more flexible operating system that gives you greater control over the device, including the ability to install external applications such as torrent download programs.

These software solutions can be an effective way to extend the life of an old router, and many previous uses become easier when running custom systems like DD-WRT or FreshTomato.

The choice of the appropriate program depends on the router model, as not all routers support these systems.

Due to the huge number of models available in the market, you will need to review the documentation of each project to ensure that the software is compatible with your device specifically before installing it.

Thus, instead of the old router turning into a neglected electronic piece, it can take on a new role within your home network, whether as a Wi-Fi extender, switch, file server, VPN router, or even a more versatile device thanks to custom software.