When we buy new for our home, we have the expectation that cover the entire areaand that we can enjoy fast browsing. But, sometimes we can find that the internet is not so good at certain points.
We even find areas where there is no connection at all, this can make us feel dissatisfied with the purchase and we may think that having bought a more powerful equipmentthat would not be happening.
But the truth is that we can save a little money if we properly use old routersinstead of saving or selling them, and for this reason this article is dedicated to explaining How can we solve these problems?
Why use an “old” router as a wireless repeater to increase the Wifi signal? Advantage
To enjoy a quality Internet service in our home or business, it is essential that we have the latest equipment, since over the years improvements are always being added that speed up browsing speed. This causes older equipment to lose its function almost completely, or at least that’s what most people think.
This equipment can be very useful to solve some signal problems that we will mention below.. For example, whether in your home or in your office there may be dead spots, what we know as a point without signal.
there are usually “dead ends” in rooms and offices that are far from the main routeror that are isolated or hindered by a large number of walls. Therefore, we present the advantages of recycling a router at home and using it as a repeater:
- You will completely save any expense which you would normally have to do by buying an original repeater.
- You will expand the range signal range.
- It will increase the speed of browsing, uploading and downloadingthanks to the strength of the signal.
Although it is true that one of the best ways to use an old router as a signal repeater, in a better way “access point”it is through an Ethernet cabling. This method would require incurring expenses, in case of not having a wiring for this task.
And also, from an aesthetic point of view, a cable that runs through the entire house from the main router site, even the router with access point function, it does not look very good for decoration.
Considerations to take into account before using your router as a signal amplifier
There are some considerations that we must take into account when wanting to convert our old router into a signal repeater. These considerations are linked to the fact that not all routers can be used for this task, below we will explain why.
It is well known that not all routers are the same and that is why at least those that work with a WIFI N will be able to function as a repeater. Also It is possible to configure routers that work with WiFI AC as repeaters since these are multi-band.
These features are important in the router since without them it would not be compatible with the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands, which are essential for quality navigation. Another consideration before carrying out this procedure in your home, is that even if the range and navigation speed were improved, the result obtained would not be as effective as what can be achieved with a true signal repeater.
In general, when a router can be configured as a repeater, this functionality can be easily seen in the user manual, or the official support page of the equipment. On the other hand, when this option is not visible anywhere, it may be necessary to resort to a custom.
The next thing we must do is know exactly what the IP address of our router is, to access it from the browser.
Find IP address in Windows
- To from a Windows computer you just have to right click on the connection button in the lower right corner and then on “Open network settings and Internet”.
- Then on the screen displayed in the lower area we will click where it says “Change adapter options.”
- And then in the wireless network connection we will press the right click and select the option “Condition”. To finish we will click on “Details”.
- In the connection details we can find all the data of our connection and there will be the IP address of the router in question.
Find IP address on Mac
The procedure on a Mac device is a bit simpler, we just have to enter the “Settings”, then in “Net” Then in “Advanced” and finally in “TCP-IP”.
And this will be where we will find the IP address of the router, although in this case it is 192.168.0.1. In general, most routers have the IP address 192.168.1.1 and this can serve as a reference. It should be noted that this procedure must be carried out both with the router “old” as with the main router since we will need this data later.
Other considerations to take into account
The next thing we should consider before turning the router into a repeater, is to reset the equipment to the factory state. To do this, we must introduce a pointed and thin object into a hole that is behind the equipment.
A sewing needle or a pin can be used for this task, and we must insert it and leave it pressed for more than 5 seconds or until all the headlights come on simultaneously and then blink. This is the indication that the reboot was successful and Now we can start to make the configuration to increase the signal of the house.
But do not worry if your equipment does not have the characteristics to function as a repeater. Since instead that means it can be configured as an access point, only this will require a small investment in Ethernet cable. This option in the long run turns out to be the best, but that is not the topic of today.
Steps to configure a router as “Wifi mirror” to increase the signal of your connection
Next we start with the simplest protocol to configure the router and turn it into a repeater. Despite the fact that all routers are different and each one has a different Firmware. andWe will explain the steps so that they are understandable for any router.
Log in to the router
The router must be turned on and the computer from which we are going to make the change must be connected to it and not to the main router. Now in the browser of our preference we are going to write the IP address that we already extracted in the previous steps, in this example it is “”.
With this we are going to access the router from the browser and since it has just been reset it will not have a password and it is enough to click on “log in”. In case you have a password after the reset, this will be the one that comes by default in the equipment manual or on a label just below the device.
Change IP address
Once logged into the router “old” We must find the configuration section in which we are allowed to change the IP address of the router. This option can usually be found in the section “Networking” and then in the section “LAN”.
What we will do is put an address exactly the same as that of the main router but in the last number we will change it to a higher one. Example: Main Router 192.168.0.1 “old router” 192.168.0.2. Then we must save the changes, close and log in to the router again.
Bridge between main router and repeater router
To carry out this step we must first disable DHCP, then go to the Wireless section of your router. Then you must access the section “Wireless” and then in “Wireless Settings”.
Here we will find several parameters to configure:
- The first will be “Wireless Network Name” either “SSID”, depending on your team. In this we must put the name of our network, and it must be the same as the main router.
- The second parameter will be the channel or “Channel” in numbers, which must be different from the main router, to avoid interference.
- The last parameter will be to activate the option “Enable WDS Bridging” either “Enable WDS” depending on your team.
And with this we will have activated the bridge between our routers.
Connect to the main router
Now what we must do is access the option “Search Survey” either “Survey” depending on your team. Here we will scan the different access points of the different networks available. To then select from the list the one that matches our main router and we will give you Connect.
When doing this we will be asked to fill in the security parameters that must be totally equal to the main one. If we do not know this data, we can access it by logging into the main router.
security parameters
Now we turn to the section “Wireless” and then to “Wireless Security”. Here we are going to establish the data, the type of security and the password of the WIFI Internet connection. They must be the same as the main router to be able to access with a single password in all the areas to which the connection reaches.
reboot the router
This is the final step of the process in which all the parameters that we have just established will be saved. To carry it out we must go to the section “System Tools” and then to “Reboot”. With this we get the router to restart but save the previously changed parameters.
On some computers it may happen that after this, step 3 is deleted, so it is good to check and re-establish it. More than everything in the section “Wireless Network Name” either “SSID”. To finish we must connect with any device, computer or mobile to verify that the Internet connection is working.
In case you need to install a Firmware in your router that allows you to carry out the process that we already explained. You can check on the website of DD-WRT to see if there is a firmware version that is compatible with your equipment. And look for the instructions to carry out the installation of the software.
List of brands and models of routers that can be used as amplifiers
Something important to know is that not all routers can be used as a mirror. This requires a certain special function, so you should investigate if the model you have can be. For our part, we leave you A list of the most recommended routers on the market to become signal repeaters:
TP Link Archer C1200
It is a dual band router that perfectly meets the characteristics to serve as an internet signal repeater, thanks to its WIFI AC operation. It is not surprising that its manufacturer is one of the best positioned worldwide.
FRITZ!Box 4040
A connection equipment that works with the WIFI AC standard and that is capable of browsing above 866 mbps and that is compatible with Wifi N, therefore it is capable of becoming a repeater, and at an access point if required.
Sinology RT1900ac
It is a powerful router that has 3 antennas and which boasts of browsing with a maximum of 1900 mbpsso it is also excellent to turn it into a signal repeater, since this extra power will also be seen…
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