Can I Use Wi-Fi Router as Extender? A Complete Guide for You

Is your internet connection weak in some locations of your home or, office and you would like to improve it with an outdated router? If you are thinking about “Can I use Wi-Fi router as extender?”, then read the full article to get the easiest solution.

If you’re having trouble with your Wi-Fi signal, converting an outdated router into a Wi-Fi extender is a simple and quick fix. We connect all of our Ethernet and Wi-Fi devices to the internet using network routers. Luckily, you can use an outdated router to function as a basic network switch or as an extension of your Wi-Fi.

This tutorial will show you how to use an outdated router as a Wi-Fi extender to strengthen the signal in places where your home or business isn’t as strong.

Table of Contents

What Is a Wi-Fi Router?

A router is a device that facilitates communication between your home’s internet-connected devices and the internet. A router, as its name suggests, “routes” internet traffic between linked devices and the internet.

Connecting two or more packet-switched networks or subnetworks is done with a router. It accomplishes two main goals: it routes data packets to the correct IP addresses to manage traffic between these networks, and it permits several devices to share an Internet connection. A wireless router integrates the networking features of a wireless access point and a router. It is also referred to as a Wi-Fi router.

Some of the most important features of a Wi-Fi Router are listed below.

Routers use one of these standards, known as the broadcast standard, to communicate. In Wi-Fi routers, “b” refers to the first generation, “g” to the later models, and “n” and “ac” to the newer models. The newest version is called Wi-Fi 6, or “ax.”
Wi-Fi operates in two frequency bands: 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. Single-band models are made to function at one band at a time, either one. A common way to improve network efficiency is by using dual-band models, which have two different kinds of wireless radios that can support connections on both bands when necessary. For maximum speeds across multiple devices, tri-band models are provided.
The majority of router models support both the more secure WPA and WPA2 configurations and the standard WEP security.
“B” routers have the slowest speeds, with an average maximum of about 11 Mbps. The maximum average speed of “G” routers is 54 Mbps. The maximum speed of “N” routers is approximately 300Mbps. The average speed of “AC” routers is 1 Gbps.

What is a Wi-Fi extender?

A Wi-Fi extender is a device that increases the area covered by Wi-Fi by first picking up a signal from the main router and then extending it to new locations.

In a wireless network, it essentially acts as a bridge to link a router to devices that are not within Wi-Fi range or have poor signal strength. A Wi-Fi router sends out Wi-Fi signals to the range extender, which then retransmits the router’s data to wireless endpoints that might have trouble communicating wirelessly with the router directly.

When to Use a Wi-Fi extender?

A lot of households only have one router at home, and most of the time, their Wi-Fi signals are strong enough to cover studios and small apartments. But occasionally, especially in large homes, a single router might not be powerful enough to guarantee a steady signal and satisfying Wi-Fi experiences everywhere.

This problem typically results from dead zones or interference brought on by physical objects like walls or a reduction in the strength of the Wi-Fi signal due to sheer distance, like being in a distant area of a house or office. In this case you need a Wi-Fi extender.

How to Set-up a WIFi extender?

Installing and configuring a WiFi range extender is a breeze: simply plug it in, hit the WPS button on both the extender and your router, and you’re good to go online. Place the extender where your home WiFi router’s signal range is strong, but avoid placing it too close to the router itself to prevent it from extending the signal farther than it could have managed in the first place.

Can I Use Wi-Fi Router As Extender?

Important Things You Need to Use Wi-Fi Router as Extender

Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Wi-Fi Router as an Extender?

1. Find a Compatible Old Router

Check the manual to see if your old router can be used as an extender before discarding it. In certain cases, routers are also lacking in features that make them ineffective as switches or extenders. But sometimes, router manufacturers intentionally remove features from less expensive routers in their setups.

Check if the router supports open-source firmware (DD-WRT, for example). If so, you can likely utilize your outdated router as an extender. Use extra care when using the routers from the 802.11b and g eras. Their lower maximum bandwidth will cause slowdowns in your network and prevent them from functioning properly. The only routers that will work are 802.11n or AC models.

2. Reset The Router

Use a pin to reset the factory settings of the old router. To do this, insert the pin and press and hold the “RESET” button beneath the for about 15 seconds. Wait for the stabilization of the device’s lights.

3. Connect Your Computer to Old Router

Using an Ethernet cable to connect the router to a PC. Insert one end of the ethernet cable into the network port on your computer and the other end into any LAN port on the old router.

4. Log In to Router’s Web Interface

Once the router is connected to our network via an Ethernet cable and the most recent firmware has been downloaded and installed, open a web browser. Access the router’s web-based interface configuration page by logging in.

To gain access to the router, open your web browser and type in the IP address of your device. There will be differences in the addresses or IP addresses of various routers. To learn more specifics about your router brand, look at the table below.

Brand	URL	IP Address
Linksys	http://myrouter.local	192.168.1.1
Netgear	http://www.routerlogin.net	192.168.0.1
ASUS	http://router.asus.com	192.168.1.1
TP-Link	http://tplinklogin.net or http://tplinkwifi.net	192.168.1.1

Enter your username and password to access the router.

Username: “Admin” is the username.

Password: Type in the standard password that’s written on the sticker beneath the router. The most widely used passwords are password, admin, default, and 1234. In general, you can locate the correct passwords on websites like RouterPasswords.com and Router-Reset.com or through the product support pages of the manufacturer if these default passwords don’t work.

After you log in, navigate to the main configuration page and select the Wireless section. Next, select Wireless Repeating and Advanced Setup from the bottom menu. To ensure consistently reliable roaming from router to extender, start with the 2.4GHz section at the top and make sure the network name and password match the rest of the network.

Next, select Wireless Repeater by tapping or clicking, followed by Enable Wireless Repeating Function.

5. Give Static IP Address to the Router

Next, the repeater’s static IP address must be entered. To indicate that a device is a part of the LAN infrastructure and not a client or printer, you can use an address one higher than the base router’s address.

6. Change the Network Name and Password of your Old Router

From the available Wi-Fi networks list, pick the network you want to repeat or expand. The “Wi-Fi network password” will need to be entered. Input the Wi-Fi network password for the network you are repeating or extending.

Your router’s “wireless” section, or a similar one, is usually where you can modify the Wi-Fi network name and password. We advise giving the repeater a unique name instead of the same SSID and password as the main router, as this will reduce the chance that some of your devices won’t automatically switch to the stronger signal.

Your new repeater should now be providing a strong Wi-Fi signal for you.

7. If You Have a Dual-band Router

If your router is dual-band, proceed to the 5GHz section and follow the previous instructions once more. Once finished, select Apply. After a reboot, the router should start acting like a wireless extender in a few minutes.

8. For best results place Your old router within the range of your primary router.

3 Best Routers of 2025

Model Name	Link
TP-Link Archer AX21	Best Price
TP-Link Archer AX55	Best Price
TP-Link Archer AXE75	Best Price

3 Best Modem of 2025

Model Name	Link
ARRIS Surfboard S33	Best Price
NETGEAR Nighthawk CM3000	Best Price
ARRIS SURFboard SB8200	Best Price

FAQS

Can I extend my Wi-Fi with a router?

Yes, you can use a different router to increase the range of your Wi-Fi. You can do this by either connecting the two routers via an Ethernet cable or by configuring the new router to act as a Wi-Fi range extender.

Can all routers be used as extenders?

The majority of modern routers and modem-router combos allow for Wi-Fi extension. Though many of the old routers can still be used in this manner it’s recommended that older routers support at least the 802.11n Wi-Fi standard.

Can I use the TP-Link router as a Wi-Fi extender?

Yes, it is possible to use a TP-Link Wi-Fi router as a wired Wi-Fi extender or, more accurately, as an extra Wi-Fi access point. But instead of connecting it to the WAN port, you should use an Ethernet cable to connect it back to the main router through one of its LAN ports. Set the Wi-Fi extender’s SSID to match the one on your wireless router. In addition, you can use the Tether app or the web management page to see if you are linked to the network of the extender or router.