WiFi connectivity offers us the possibility of being able to connect to the internet easily from anywhere we are inside the house, as long as, of course, we have enough signal so that the transmission of data is as clean as possible, without loss of speed.
However, it is quite likely that at different times you have faced one of the biggest drawbacks of this type of connection: the existence of a weak signal , which could be due to our home wireless network lacking the strength or range. adequate, either by obstacles that cause a reduction in signal strength, interference from other devices that also send radio waves, or even technical problems related to the receiving device.
In recent years, different solutions have been launched on the market that can be more or less useful, ending in many cases with the majority of problems related to the loss of signal from the WiFi connection. An example is found in signal amplifiers , which are basically responsible for expanding the coverage space of the WiFi network by amplifying or boosting existing signals .
In short, they offer the possibility of allowing all wireless devices within that extended coverage space to connect to the internet, or to a similar wireless network (if it has been configured for this purpose). Thus, whether our house has a single floor, but is quite spacious, or if we have several floors, it is an excellent option for connectivity to reach practically all sides.
But they can have a problem: we most likely need more than one device, so sometimes it requires an economic investment. Luckily, did you know that if you have a long-forgotten wireless router at home that you don’t use, you can configure it to amplify the WiFi signal? In this case, it is true, it would not be an amplification of the signal as such, but when connecting it through Ethernet connectivity to the main router, this second router will work as a signal extender, as it also has its own wireless connectivity.
Using a second router as an access point
First of all, it is necessary to determine the IP address and the subnet mask of our main router, which is the one that is connected to the modem, or directly to the fiber network. To find out, a simple option in Windows is to open the command prompt application and type the command ‘ipconfig / all’. We will have to write down the IP address that appears as the value for “Default Gateway”. In case of using Mac, we only have to open the Terminal window, write the command ‘route -n get default’, and note the value of the gateway.
Let’s take an example: let’s imagine that the IP address of our main router is 192.168.30.1, and the subnet mask is 255.255.255.0. Now we must open our web browser and type the IP address of the router, to access the router control panel. Once inside, we must access the Wireless Configuration section, and take note of the wireless mode, the channel and the SSID. As well as writing down the password if we have decided to protect our Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as the security mode used (WPA, WEB or WPA2).
Now it is your turn to configure our second router as a repeater . To do this, we must reset this second router to factory defaults. How to get it? Very simple: press the reset button that you will find on the back, with the help of a pin, for about 10 seconds.
Now we connect this second router to our computer with the help of an Ethernet cable , and we put the end of the cable in any of the LAN ports of the router. Obviously, the router must be turned on.
We open the web browser again and enter the IP address 192.168.1.1 (since it is the most likely). Of course, in case it is a router from the manufacturer Linksys, you can try to access it through the address 192.168.0.1.
Once inside the router configuration, we must change the values established for wireless connectivity, the channel, the security mode and the password. Remember that these data must match what we have found in the configuration panel of our main router . Although it is advisable to use a different SSID name, in order to better identify and differentiate both devices.
Then we must change the current mode set for the Gateway, to Router. In some routers it may appear as NAT. If so, we must disable it. Next, it is essential to also disable the DHCP server to avoid unnecessary incidents.
Finally, we change the IP address of our second router to any free IP address , but within the same range. For example, if the IP address of the primary router is 192.168.30.1, we can safely assign a fixed IP address such as 192.168.30.2 to the secondary router that will serve as the extender. We save and close.
Now that we have configured both routers, we must connect them to each other with an Ethernet cable . We just have to choose any of the LAN ports that are free, on both devices. Clever! We already have our perfectly amplified WiFi signal.
