6 bizarre issues you are able to do with an previous Wi-Fi router that no one appears to speak about

My favourite use for an previous router? Turning it into a basic Ethernet switch. The factor is … that is tremendous boring. Pretty a lot everybody does that.

So what you probably have an previous router, nothing you notably want, and also you need to have some enjoyable (and maybe get one thing helpful out of it)? Let’s assume outdoors the field for a second. The first bizarre factor you are able to do with an previous router is to have it take heed to your wi-fi thermometer. No, I’m not joking.

Make it eavesdrop in your wi-fi thermometer

Congratulations, you simply turned your router right into a radio station

I admit the entire thing is fairly baffling if you simply throw it on the market with no clarification, however belief me, you can have your router snoop on a wi-fi thermometer, climate station, and comparable sensors.

For context, plenty of low cost gear like that does not truly use Wi-Fi in any respect, and so they simply broadcast tiny packets of information over unlicensed radio bands, generally round 433MHz.

If your previous router has a USB port and may run OpenWrt, you may plug in a cheap RTL-SDR dongle, set up software program like rtl_433, and all of a sudden your router is monitoring temperature, humidity, and no matter different sensors you’ve got in your own home.

There’s rather a lot you are able to do with this, truly. You can log your readings and ship them elsewhere on the community or feed them into one thing like Home Assistant, even. The router is not even doing a router-type job anymore on this state of affairs; it is mainly an always-on radio, actually.

Give your own home its personal satellite-synchronized clock

Yes, your router can take time immediately from GPS

If turning your router right into a makeshift radio receiver did not section you, possibly this one will. You could make the router inform time by utilizing satellites.

With OpenWrt, a suitable USB GPS receiver, and the suitable packages, the router can learn timing information from GPS and use it to maintain its personal clock synchronized. This lets it act as an NTP server for the remainder of your community, so your PCs and the whole lot else can simply ask the router what time it’s as a substitute of relying on the web.

So … is that this in any means vital? Nope, however that is what makes it enjoyable. You can have your very personal community clock tower. It’s bizarre and it is borderline ineffective, nevertheless it’s the form of venture you may have enjoyable with when you work on it.

Create a Wi-Fi community that results in completely nowhere

Just as a result of you may, mainly

Here’s one other gloriously pointless concept (which may even have some level to it in any case, however provided that you assume deep). You can create a Wi-Fi community that has zero web entry, as a result of who’s going to cease you? And then have that community serve an area web page and do nothing else.

With OpenWrt and a captive portal package deal like openNDS, anybody who joins that community might be redirected to a web page hosted proper there on the router. This means no cloud service, no internet hosting, and no outdoors connection by any means.

The strategy to make this handy might be fairly enjoyable. Think of stuff like a celebration guestbook or a family discover board, or perhaps a native wiki for use at work.

Make USB gadgets seem in one other room

Your router can mainly teleport a USB port

If your old router has a USB port, that routinely makes it far more helpful for all types of duties. One oddball of a use case that I’m fairly certain is not extensively identified is that you should use this to make a USB gadget seem some other place in your community.

Using OpenWrt and USB/IP, your router can host a USB gadget and let one other laptop entry it over the community as if it was plugged in regionally. Simply put, the router can develop into a bizarre, convoluted, and elaborate USB extension cable that occurs to run by way of your community.

What do you connect with this “teleporting” USB port? I’d say helpful stuff is finest, corresponding to a printer, scanner, USB serial adapter, or another low-bandwidth gadget.

Plug a webcam into it and make the router watch a room

Because apparently routers can develop into cameras now

Connecting webcams and routers, what may go incorrect? Yes, that is certainly a factor you may truly do.

Just plug a suitable webcam into your previous router and switch the entire thing right into a fundamental community digicam. With OpenWrt, the suitable USB video drivers, and software program like mjpg-streamer, the router can serve the webcam feed throughout your native community without having a full PC to babysit it. Mind you, mjpg-streamer hasn’t been up to date for years, so do your due diligence earlier than attempting it.

I would not need to overstate how helpful that is, although. It’s not going to develop into a full-fledged safety digicam, however you are able to do one thing foolish, like pointing it at your pet’s favourite spot, and use it as a dwell feed of that little nook of the home.

Turn its ineffective buttons and blinking lights into precise controls

That WPS button would not have to stay a WPS button

Some router buttons are best avoided, however in the event you’re probably not utilizing this router as an everyday router, you may as effectively have enjoyable with it. With OpenWrt, you may reassign a few of these buttons and LEDs to stuff that is truly helpful. For occasion, a WPS button may set off a script or toggle guest Wi-Fi on or off.

Your router can do much more than you assume (the query is would you like it to)

As you may see based mostly on the above, there’s so much a router can truly do. And I’m not going to misinform you: just about none of this stuff are strictly important. But I promised you we would look into some weird choices, and I hope that I delivered on that finish, irrespective of in the event that they’re helpful or not.