While Wi-Fi hasn’t been around for all that long, the pace of wireless device upgrades is nothing short of breakneck. An old wireless router can be converted into an access point (AP), helping to extend your Wi-Fi coverage area and potentially boosting the performance of 802.11n clients connected to your network.
The following is a detailed guide on giving old products a new lease on life, including repurposing wireless routers and other wireless devices.
1. Wireless Routers and Access Points Are Different
In most networks, only one router is necessary; then, to expand wireless coverage, APs can be plugged into the router or a switch. These APs essentially just provide Wi-Fi access. Routers, on the other hand, also handle network management.
A wireless router includes an AP. Both wireless routers and APs provide connectivity between clients and the internet, allowing multiple computers to access the larger internet simultaneously. A router has a DHCP server, which provides an IP address to each client鈥攁 requirement for network connectivity. A router without DHCP functionality is essentially just an AP. Of course, if a wireless router doesn’t have a built-in AP, it can be considered a wired router.
2. Gaining More Coverage for Individual 802.11g Clients
Having examined some key differences, the next step is to plug the old wireless router into the new one, serving as an additional AP. If the old router is placed in a suitable location and connected via Ethernet cable, it can nearly double the coverage area of the new router. Naturally, 802.11n clients connected to an 802.11g router will not operate at 11n speeds and performance levels, but the old router device is still providing “free coverage” in this scenario.
3. Performance Conversion
Beyond changing routine settings, you’ll need to configure the wireless router to function as an AP, which means disabling its DHCP server. First, perform some basic setup, then connect to the old router and log into its web-based configuration utility by entering its IP address in a web browser. Configure the following:
(1) Security: It is essential to set up security encryption, preferably WPA or WPA2, and this applies consistently across all wireless routers and APs.
(2) SSID: Generally, all network access points should share the same SSID so clients can roam seamlessly when switching APs. However, you might consider connecting the old 802.11g router to a network with a different name, which helps users easily distinguish between G and N access points.
(3) Channel: Change the channel to one of the three non-overlapping channels: 1, 6, or 11. Also, ensure that any coexisting or overlapping routers or access points are not set to the same channel.
(4) IP Address: Change the new router’s IP address. For example, if the new router’s IP is 192.168.