Old laptops are ideal devices for creating a NAS, creating a home server, as a download center, managing home automation in our home and much more such as, for example, turn it into a Wi-Fi repeater to extend the range of our home network to all points of the house without having to purchase repeaters or controllers.
Better yet, we can turn our old laptop into a Wi-Fi repeater without having to install any third-party applications found inside or outside the Microsoft Store, since Windows includes a function specially designed to perform this task, a task very simple to make. configure and we show you how it works below.
Use an old laptop as a Wi-Fi repeater
The process of converting an old laptop is exactly the same with Windows 10 and Windows 11, the only thing that varies is the user interface. Obviously, if it is an old laptop, it is most likely run by Windows 10 and not Windows 11, the latest version of Windows being less than 3 years old on the market.
As this is old equipment, it is very likely that it is only a compatible with 2.4 GHz networks, which will allow us to extend the range of the Wi-Fi signal, at the expense of speed. 5 GHz networks give us higher data transfer speed but lower range than 2.4 GHz networks.
If we want to extend the coverage distance of our router while maintaining high speed, we will have to purchase a USB stick compatible with 5 GHz networksa tip that you can buy for a little over 15 dollars or use a Wi-Fi card.
To convert our old PC with Windows 10, the first thing we need to do is access the configuration options Windows using the Win+i keyboard shortcut. Next, in the configuration options we access the section Red and the Internet.
Within this menu, in the left column, click on Mobile wireless coverage area. This option is only available if our device has Wi-Fi connectivity, native or via third-party USB sticks.
Now in the right section, in Share my Internet connection from: We select Wi-Fi if the device is connected to a Wi-Fi network or Ethernet if it is connected via a network cable.
At that time, the name of the network SSID that our team created will be displayed below along with the password set by default by the team.
Finally, you have to activate the switch Share my Internet connection with other devices. If we don’t really like the username and password that Windows has established by default, we just have to click Change to change it to our liking.
The only downside to this Windows feature for using a computer as a Wi-Fi repeater is that it is limited to a maximum of 8 connections simultaneous. In this same area where the network name and password are displayed, the number of devices connected at that moment is also displayed.
Other uses
If we want to use our old laptop to extend the range of our Wi-Fi network, since we are going to have it turned on we can use it as an entertainment center or as home automation center have all the management of smart devices connected to our home in one place, without having to resort to a virtual assistant or our cell phone or tablet. One of the best apps for this project is Home Assistant.
