Upgrading to Wi-Fi 6? Don’t shove the old box in a drawer—it still has years of useful life left. With ten minutes and a few clicks you can turn yesterday’s router into today’s switch, signal booster, cloud drive, guest hotspot, or all four at once. Pick the role that solves your biggest headache and follow the cheat-sheet below.

1. Gigabit Switch – More Ports, Zero Cost  

Problem: game console, smart-TV, desktop, NAS—your main router’s LAN ports are full.  

Fix: run one Ethernet cable from any LAN port on the new router to any LAN port on the old one, log in to the old unit, disable DHCP, save.  

Result: every remaining LAN port on the recycled box becomes a live gigabit socket. No new switch to buy, no power brick to spare.

2. Wi-Fi Repeater – Kill the Dead Zone  

Problem: bedroom or garden office gets one-bar signal.  

Fix: place the old router halfway between the main router and the weak spot, switch its mode to “Repeater” or “Bridge,” select the main network, enter the password.  

Result: the same SSID stretches further, or you give it a new name—your choice. Either way, buffering disappears.

3. Family Cloud – USB Storage for Everyone  

Problem: phone storage full, spouse can’t find the holiday videos, USB sticks litter the desk.  

Fix: if the retired router has a USB port, plug in any flash or hard drive, open “USB Sharing,” set a login if you like.  

Result: one private, internet-free Dropbox. Every phone, laptop, smart-TV on the network can stream, download, or back up wirelessly—even when the computers are off.

4. Guest Network – Friends Log In, Your LAN Stays Hidden  

Problem: visitors ask for Wi-Fi, but you’d rather not hand out the password to your security cameras.  

Fix: reset the old router, give it a new SSID (“Home-Guest”), create a strong password, leave DHCP on, but do NOT connect its LAN side to your main network.  

Result: internet for guests, complete isolation for your phones, printers, and NAS.

Before You Start  

Update the firmware: the last official update often unlocks repeater or cloud features that didn’t exist at launch.  

Write the new IP address on a sticker and slap it on the case—future you will thank present you.

Let the New Kid Lead  

Repurposing works best when a modern router handles the heavy lifting. Pair your recycled hardware with a Wi-Fi 6 main router such as the Comfast WR631AX V3 (3 Gbps, five-antenna, one-touch Mesh, full-gigabit ports) and you get rock-solid core performance plus bonus services from the veteran device—green, cheap, and brilliantly simple.