Let usa start this guide by maxim that although it is technically possible, using an one-time router to extend your home Wi-Fi coverage isn't the best manner to get about it. It'south the but choice if you want to spend no money at all (though you may nevertheless need to buy a long Ethernet cable), simply it's inelegant and impractical in many cases.

That's considering a lot of routers don't support wireless bridging and, even if they do, yous may need two routers from the same manufacturer (or even ii identical routers) to make them talk to each other without connecting them together using a network cable. If you lot're lucky, your routers will both support WDS, but in a lot of cases your current and spare routers won't work nicely with each other.

Unless your domicile is already wired with Ethernet ports, trailing a long cablevision from your main router to the spare in a different room is going to be unsightly and unpopular with everyone else who lives with you. You could use a pair ofpowerline network adapters, but this will cost you a fair bit if you don't already accept some.

When we originally wrote this guide a few years back mesh Wi-Fi systems had only just begun to appear. With prices starting from around £seventy/$80, it makes a lot more sense to invest in i of these kits than to relieve that money and fiddle around with sometime routers which are likely to be slower and not support the latest Wi-Fi standards.

For example, Tenda'south MW3 kit includes three routers for under £60 at Currys. If that deal has ended by the time you read this, check the price of the MW3 on Amazon, every bit it'southward commonly competitive.

Readers in the Us tin buy the Tenda MW3 from Amazon for $99.99.

If that's not an selection for y'all and you want to have a go at using your spare router to increase Wi-Fi coverage beyond the reach of your current router, then we'll explain how to get most it.

It's usually best if your spare router supports span mode. This effectively turns information technology into a uncomplicated Wi-Fi access bespeak which allows your other router to exercise all the work (such as routing and dishing out IP addresses). If it doesn't support bridge way, you can attempt post-obit the steps below, but there are yet no guarantees that information technology will work as you want information technology to.

If it doesn't work and you still don't to shell out for a mesh system, a lower-price alternative is to buy a range extender such as Netgear'south EX3700, which costs effectually £thirty/$30.

1. Find your router'southward IP address

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First you need to find out some details about the router you're currently using, including which Wi-Fi channel it is broadcasting on and what security type it is using.

On any Windows PC connected to that router, open a command prompt (enter cmd in the search box) and type ipconfig.

This will evidence your gateway and the computer's IP address.  Note down your gateway as this is the address of your primary router unremarkably in the format; 192.168.1.one or like. Ignore the longer addresses with letters (if you meet them): these are IPv6 addresses and y'all need only the IPv4 address.

For more detailed instructions, hither'southward how to connect to your router.

two. Connect to the router

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Next open a web browser and, in the address bar, type the gateway IP address you've noted and hitting Enter.  You should meet a fix screen for your primary router.  It may inquire for a user name and password.  If you know these details, enter them.  If not, the data may exist on a label underneath the router, or the information may be available by searching the internet for the default user names and passwords for your router model.

Once you've accessed the router'due south configuration screen you will see something similar to this.

3. Check your Wi-Fi settings

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As you'll come across there are lots of settings y'all can access and change, only you lot don't want to reconfigure the primary router, simply cheque its settings. Have a look at the wireless settings and notice the details for the Wi-Fi network name, the channel and the security blazon.

This router's SSID is BT-Hub6-ZG2C, is working on channel xi (for 2.4GHz) and channel 36 for 5GHz, and uses WPA2 for security. The SSID is the name y'all find when searching for wireless networks from your laptop, tablet or smartphone.

Note: Some routers including this BT ane, change Wi-Fi channels automatically for the best functioning. That's indicated past the 'smart' here, and you may want to turn off that feature and so that both routers will always use a dissimilar channel (to avoid interference).

Make a note of the security blazon because you'll need to set the second router to the same setting. When you have finished there is usually a 'log out' selection. You accept only looked at the settings and made no changes, so there is cipher to salvage, if asked.

4. Reset the router to factory settings

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Plug in the old router and reset it to its mill settings. Notice a small-scale hole at the back of the router, ordinarily marked 'reset'.

With the router powered on, insert a paper clip or similar, and hold in for a few seconds. When you release the paper clip you should see all the lights on the router get out and come dorsum on once more.  You have reset the router to its factory settings.

If this doesn't work for your particular router, wait up the reset procedure online.

5. Configure your second router

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Connect this 2nd router now, with a network cable, to a PC or laptop which is not continued to the kickoff router. The best way to do this is to plow off your main router for a few minutes while y'all gear up upwards this slave router, to prevent the PC connecting via Wi-Fi.

Once attached to the second router, go through pace 1 again with this router until y'all get to the stage where you accept accessed the configuration page. Here, we're using a D-Link router.

6. Copy over the settings

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Ignore any setup wizards, and go to the Wi-Fi settings page. Enable wireless, alter the wireless network proper name to be the same as the main router and choose a aqueduct well abroad from channel half dozen, which is what the primary router is using.

Lucifer the security blazon exactly and type in the aforementioned countersign you use for Wi-Fi on your primary router.

7. Give it a fixed IP accost

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Finally you demand to make the slave router work aslope the chief router and non confronting it. Essentially y'all demand to turn of the NAT function so you don't end up with double NAT, and you need to give the 2d router an IP address in the same range as the starting time.

This is all-time done by putting the 2nd router in bridge mode, but if that's non available you can try the following:

Head to the LAN setup page (or like) and requite the router an IP address in the same range as the IP addresses given out past my main router, only outside of the range that is automatically assigned by DHCP.

Dynamic Host Communications Protocol is the procedure past which a device issues IP addresses to equipment on the network. You demand to cease the slave router giving out IP addresses to devices, leaving that chore in the hands of the primary router.

Disable DHCP past un-ticking it on the relevant configuration page. To assign a fixed IP address, permit'south assume the principal router has an address of 192.168.1.i and that it's setup to to event addresses - by DHCP - betwixt 192.168.1.ii and 192.168.1.49. Requite the slave router an IP address of 192.168.1.l. Remember this address equally you might need it to access this router after.

On each configuration page, confirm your choices past clicking 'save settings' at the bottom of each page as yous go. Recall, too, that one time you've change the router'southward IP address you will have to look for it to reboot, and then access it by typing the new IP address into your browser's address bar.

8. Connect it all together

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At present you lot are ready to connect it all together. If your ii routers support WDS or wireless bridging, be certain to enable that on both (meet the side by side section).

The other manner is to connect the two routers together with a long network cable or a pair of powerline networking adapters.

These work by using the mains power cables in your walls and floors to act equally network cables besides as passing electricity through them. They work simply on ring mains which are all connected back to a single consumer unit of measurement (fuse box). If you take ii separate buildings or an extension which has its ain electricity supply and meter, so powerline adapters aren't going to work.

Nosotros've explained separately how to set upward powerline networking adapters to get your adapters connected.

With both routers at present turned on, it's fourth dimension to test your network. Take a smartphone, tablet or laptop, and check to see the signal strength when shut to each of the routers. Yous volition find that you have successfully extended the reach of your wireless network and at present have a second wireless admission bespeak.

9. Or go wireless

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If y'all're lucky or you chose well when you bought your old router information technology might already have the features necessary to exist reused to improve Wi-Fi coverage. Without needing network cables, or powerline adaptors, that is.

We can't list all the routers that take some sort of bridge or repeater mode, but all the usual suspects (including Apple, Belkin, Linksys, Netgear and TRENDNet) have the functionality in most of their contempo products. One feature to await out for is WDS (Wireless Distribution Organization).

The classification vendors' apply differs, but the bones steps for setting up are quite similar. In a nutshell, the cardinal steps are finding the span or repeater style in the configuration tool, cull it, and so enter whatever network information the tool asks for. That could be a MAC address, network name (SSID), spectrum band and security fashion, for example.

It's important to notation that this functionality isn't standard, and so there is no guarantee routers from different vendors will work together.

ten. Using custom firmware

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For routers that don't have built-in WDS (or similar) you might be able to install custom firmware such as DD-WRT, OpenWRT or Lycopersicon esculentum. To use them takes some technical knowledge and the power to follow instructions very closely.

For example, installing DD-WRT on a router in most cases is near as uncomplicated every bit installing a programme onto your computer. Notwithstanding, doing information technology incorrectly can exit you with a router that you have to throw away. So follow the instructions carefully!

Your router has to be uniform with DD-WRT, OpenWRT or Tomato and you'll have to search online for your specific router model to observe out if a custom firmware tin can be installed. Once compatibility has been established, there is enough of information, including precautions, for each manufacturer and router on how to install the firmware.

Once that's done, turning on the repeater office is fairly straightforward. You will find more information on the DD-WRT website.