Amplifying wifi signal with an old router?

A friend was telling me there was a way to make your wifi signal stronger using an old router or something like that. They said something about it picking up the signal but I didn't hnderstand much. Do any of you know how to do that? I currently share wifi with my grandpa who lives nextdoor so signal is almost always pretty weak for one or the other. The reason we don't get two separate internet connections is because my grandparents barely use it at all,only to check facebook on their phones every once in a while and we only get home really late. Any suggestions?

 

He's talking about using an older router as a Repeater for the signal. It can work ok, but you'd be better off with an actual modern repeater instead, or to use something like a Cantenna or high gain dB antenna if you want a stronger signal for the wifi.

 

Just get a real repeater. Don't waste time with old routers or cantennas.

 

What is a repeater? I kneo I sound clueless, I'm sorry its just I had never heard about any of this before. What is the price range for one?

 

A repeater is a device that carries and repeats a wireless signal. As wireless signals spread out, their signal strength decreases the farther away they get from the transmitter. When a repeater picks up that signal, it restores it to full strength to 'repeat' the exact same signal across a larger distance again for you to make sure it reaches its destination without that signal being lost. Netgear, Linksys, and Belkin along with other manufacturers make wireless network extenders (wifi repeaters), and at the time of this post, they are going for anywhere from $50 to $100 on average.

 

That sounds amazing! I honestly didn't know how they worked before. How do they manage to repeat the signal at full strenght? It seems pricey but a great investment at the same time since one would be enough for our whole house. My mom has a music school as well so I am guessing that could come in super useful there too.