{"video_id":"fp_fn4SgTMByM","title":"TQ: DON'T Throw Away Your Old Router!","channel":"Techquickie","show":"Techquickie","published_at":"2021-02-23T22:29:00.080Z","duration_s":252,"segments":[{"start_s":0.0,"end_s":4.96,"text":"Have you ever been in a situation where your Wi-Fi doesn't reach far enough and you can't","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":4.96,"end_s":12.24,"text":"run a cable? You could buy a repeater or another mesh node, but those things cost money.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":13.6,"end_s":19.12,"text":"Fortunately, you actually might be in luck if you or a friend has an old router lying around,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":19.12,"end_s":24.8,"text":"like this one. This is actually a new router, but many modern wireless routers, even cheaper ones,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":24.8,"end_s":30.96,"text":"have a feature called Wireless Distribution System or WDS. This essentially allows you to disable","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":30.96,"end_s":35.84,"text":"the features you're not using and deploy the router as a repeater, with the added advantage","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":35.84,"end_s":41.6,"text":"of giving you access to the wired Ethernet ports on the back of those babies. You can think of it","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":41.6,"end_s":45.92,"text":"kind of like running an Ethernet cable, but wirelessly. So how do you set it up? Although","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":45.92,"end_s":51.28,"text":"there's usually a simple on-off option for WDS in your router settings, it's wise to do a little","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":51.28,"end_s":56.72,"text":"bit of configuration work as well in order to ensure it works properly. Start by manually setting","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":56.72,"end_s":62.4,"text":"both your main wireless network and the secondary router to the same channel so they can communicate.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":62.4,"end_s":67.12,"text":"To keep the connection stable, you'll want to give your secondary router a static internal IP","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":67.12,"end_s":73.28,"text":"address. But how do you do that? Well, on a home network, every connected device is assigned a","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":73.28,"end_s":80.48,"text":"private IP address that typically starts with 192.168. This system ensures any incoming data","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":80.48,"end_s":85.28,"text":"is sent to the correct device. Usually, your router assigns these addresses automatically","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":85.28,"end_s":91.04,"text":"through a system called DHCP. But for WDS, you'll want to give your secondary router","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":91.04,"end_s":95.84,"text":"one IP address it hangs on to permanently, instead of having your main router automatically","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":95.84,"end_s":101.44,"text":"give it a new one periodically, which can cause connection problems. Log into your main router","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":101.44,"end_s":105.6,"text":"and find the place in the settings that will show you a list of all the connected clients.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":105.6,"end_s":110.08,"text":"Then go back to your secondary router and give it an IP address in the LAN settings","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":110.08,"end_s":116.8,"text":"that isn't currently being used by any of those devices. Make sure you start it with 192.168.0","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":116.8,"end_s":123.04,"text":"or 1 depending on which one your network uses and using a fourth number that's between 1 and 255.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":123.04,"end_s":128.56,"text":"You can also set the second router's static IP within the first router's DHCP settings by","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":128.56,"end_s":133.36,"text":"finding the second router's Mac Address and putting it in there. After you do this, go ahead and turn","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":133.36,"end_s":138.16,"text":"on WDS. You'll get a prompt asking which wireless network you want to connect to. So pick the right","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":138.16,"end_s":143.92,"text":"one and punch in the password. Make sure, by the way, that you turn off the DHCP feature on the","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":143.92,"end_s":148.96,"text":"secondary router. Your primary router will handle assigning internal IP addresses and having two","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":148.96,"end_s":154.4,"text":"devices on the same network handling DHCP functions, oh that can cause some pretty bizarre","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":154.4,"end_s":159.44,"text":"problems. Get flashbacks. From here, you're all set to use your secondary router. If you're trying","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":159.44,"end_s":164.88,"text":"to connect a wired device, just plug in the Ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports. Not the WAN port,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":164.96,"end_s":169.84,"text":"the LAN ports. If you're trying to connect wirelessly instead, punch in the credentials that","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":169.84,"end_s":174.56,"text":"your secondary router is using to connect directly to it. Although you can also give your secondary","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":174.56,"end_s":179.6,"text":"router the same login information as the primary one to have your Wi-Fi devices switch automatically","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":179.6,"end_s":187.36,"text":"between them. But wait, there's a big caveat with using WDS. Because Wi-Fi is a half-duplex protocol","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":187.36,"end_s":193.36,"text":"that can't send and receive at the same time, WDS tends to be slower than using a single router.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":193.84,"end_s":198.8,"text":"In fact, if you're connected to the secondary router wirelessly, your speeds will be roughly cut","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":198.8,"end_s":205.36,"text":"in half. Also, keep in mind that you may not want to assign both routers the same login information,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":205.36,"end_s":210.96,"text":"as client devices tend to hang on to the first access point they can connect to for dear life.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":210.96,"end_s":215.28,"text":"So your phone, for example, may not switch back to the primary router the way you would like to","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":215.28,"end_s":220.88,"text":"once it's in range. But while WDS isn't perfect, it's a great way to repurpose an old router if","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":220.88,"end_s":226.32,"text":"you don't need the highest possible speeds and can be a lifesaver if you have a wired-only device","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":226.32,"end_s":230.64,"text":"you really need to use. Unless you don't mind tripping over the 100-foot Ethernet cable you've","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":230.64,"end_s":236.56,"text":"snaked all through your house. It's an aesthetic. Dystopian cyberpunk. Cables everywhere. Wow,","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":236.56,"end_s":241.36,"text":"you watched the whole video. Thanks for that, guys. Hey, you know what else you can do?","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":241.36,"end_s":246.24,"text":"Like the video. But if you didn't like it, I dislike it. This is so dumb. Check out our other","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0},{"start_s":246.24,"end_s":252.32,"text":"videos. Comment below with video suggestions, and don't forget to subscribe and follow. I'll be watching.","speaker":null,"is_sponsor":0}],"full_text":"Have you ever been in a situation where your Wi-Fi doesn't reach far enough and you can't run a cable? You could buy a repeater or another mesh node, but those things cost money. Fortunately, you actually might be in luck if you or a friend has an old router lying around, like this one. This is actually a new router, but many modern wireless routers, even cheaper ones, have a feature called Wireless Distribution System or WDS. This essentially allows you to disable the features you're not using and deploy the router as a repeater, with the added advantage of giving you access to the wired Ethernet ports on the back of those babies. You can think of it kind of like running an Ethernet cable, but wirelessly. So how do you set it up? Although there's usually a simple on-off option for WDS in your router settings, it's wise to do a little bit of configuration work as well in order to ensure it works properly. Start by manually setting both your main wireless network and the secondary router to the same channel so they can communicate. To keep the connection stable, you'll want to give your secondary router a static internal IP address. But how do you do that? Well, on a home network, every connected device is assigned a private IP address that typically starts with 192.168. This system ensures any incoming data is sent to the correct device. Usually, your router assigns these addresses automatically through a system called DHCP. But for WDS, you'll want to give your secondary router one IP address it hangs on to permanently, instead of having your main router automatically give it a new one periodically, which can cause connection problems. Log into your main router and find the place in the settings that will show you a list of all the connected clients. Then go back to your secondary router and give it an IP address in the LAN settings that isn't currently being used by any of those devices. Make sure you start it with 192.168.0 or 1 depending on which one your network uses and using a fourth number that's between 1 and 255. You can also set the second router's static IP within the first router's DHCP settings by finding the second router's Mac Address and putting it in there. After you do this, go ahead and turn on WDS. You'll get a prompt asking which wireless network you want to connect to. So pick the right one and punch in the password. Make sure, by the way, that you turn off the DHCP feature on the secondary router. Your primary router will handle assigning internal IP addresses and having two devices on the same network handling DHCP functions, oh that can cause some pretty bizarre problems. Get flashbacks. From here, you're all set to use your secondary router. If you're trying to connect a wired device, just plug in the Ethernet cable to one of the LAN ports. Not the WAN port, the LAN ports. If you're trying to connect wirelessly instead, punch in the credentials that your secondary router is using to connect directly to it. Although you can also give your secondary router the same login information as the primary one to have your Wi-Fi devices switch automatically between them. But wait, there's a big caveat with using WDS. Because Wi-Fi is a half-duplex protocol that can't send and receive at the same time, WDS tends to be slower than using a single router. In fact, if you're connected to the secondary router wirelessly, your speeds will be roughly cut in half. Also, keep in mind that you may not want to assign both routers the same login information, as client devices tend to hang on to the first access point they can connect to for dear life. So your phone, for example, may not switch back to the primary router the way you would like to once it's in range. But while WDS isn't perfect, it's a great way to repurpose an old router if you don't need the highest possible speeds and can be a lifesaver if you have a wired-only device you really need to use. Unless you don't mind tripping over the 100-foot Ethernet cable you've snaked all through your house. It's an aesthetic. Dystopian cyberpunk. Cables everywhere. Wow, you watched the whole video. Thanks for that, guys. Hey, you know what else you can do? Like the video. But if you didn't like it, I dislike it. This is so dumb. Check out our other videos. Comment below with video suggestions, and don't forget to subscribe and follow. I'll be watching."}