--- title: Throwing away your old network equipment is a fool’s... description: Old networking equipment like routers, switches, and access points doesn't have to be discarded when upgraded. It can be repurposed as a wireless access point... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/throwing-away-your-old-network-equipment-is-a-fool-s-errand---here-s-what-to-do-with-it-instead-pjpna1p5u twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Throwing away your old network equipment is a fool’s errand - here’s what to do with it instead | daily.dev og:description: Old networking equipment like routers, switches, and access points doesn't have to be discarded when upgraded. It can be repurposed as a wireless access point... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/throwing-away-your-old-network-equipment-is-a-fool-s-errand---here-s-what-to-do-with-it-instead-pjpna1p5u og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/pjPna1P5u.png og:image:alt: Throwing away your old network equipment is a fool’s errand - here’s what to do with it instead og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Throwing away your old network equipment is a fool’s errand - here’s what to do with it instead **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 3 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Old networking equipment like routers, switches, and access points doesn't have to be discarded when upgraded. It can be repurposed as a wireless access point to eliminate Wi-Fi dead zones, sold on the secondhand market to home lab enthusiasts, or used as extra switches in a home lab setup. However, hardware too old to support current security standards like WPA3 and no longer receiving firmware updates should be retired from active network use to avoid security risks. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [That old router in your drawer can still fix your worst Wi-Fi problems](https://daily.dev/posts/that-old-router-in-your-drawer-can-still-fix-your-worst-wi-fi-problems-kfrdatdxk) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [I thought I needed a new router, but turning my old one into an access point fixed more than I expected](https://daily.dev/posts/i-thought-i-needed-a-new-router-but-turning-my-old-one-into-an-access-point-fixed-more-than-i-expec-iucwgscyp) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Your old router is the secret to a stable smart home](https://daily.dev/posts/your-old-router-is-the-secret-to-a-stable-smart-home-wvnoejwnx) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [Your old router gathering dust could be the network upgrade your smart home needs](https://daily.dev/posts/your-old-router-gathering-dust-could-be-the-network-upgrade-your-smart-home-needs-mxr4bi1vy) · XDA Developers · 1 upvotes · 0 comments - [Your 5-year-old router isn't just slow — it's an unpatched security loophole](https://daily.dev/posts/your-5-year-old-router-isn-t-just-slow-it-s-an-unpatched-security-loophole-oavyhuzrh) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments --- [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/throwing-away-your-old-network-equipment-is-a-fool-s-errand---here-s-what-to-do-with-it-instead-pjpna1p5u) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Throwing away your old network equipment is a fool’s errand - here’s what to do with it instead","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/throwing-away-your-old-network-equipment-is-a-fool-s-errand---here-s-what-to-do-with-it-instead-pjpna1p5u","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/throwing-away-your-old-network-equipment-is-a-fool-s-errand---here-s-what-to-do-with-it-instead-pjpna1p5u"},"datePublished":"2026-04-02T17:32:00.947Z","dateModified":"2026-04-02T17:32:56.495Z","description":"Old networking equipment like routers, switches, and access points doesn't have to be discarded when upgraded. 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