Old Networking Equipment

[nullPointer]

We're getting a bit of a jump on spring cleaning this year, being that we're slowly becoming swallowed whole by the bulk of our clutter and assorted detritus. In doing so I rediscovered a box containing my router graveyard. Now, I'm pretty good about re purposing and finding new work detail for old computers and whatnot, but my current router pretty much serves all my needs, and further I wouldn't want to degrade the overall performance of my wireless by introducing mixed wireless standards (this would be a hypothetical combination of N and G) in the form of a segmented network (not that I'd need such a thing anyway).

So I put the question to you guys. What do you do with your old networking devices? Donate them? Sell them? Toss them in the bin? Turn them into toasters? I'm at a bit of a loss, but I do know that currently they're taking up valuable space in my home right now, which could be better used in other ways.

[Draco1962]

I still have a few old ones myself, but have given most of them to my grown-up kids or other relatives or friends when setting up a new apartment, etc. Even if it is just to put their smartphones and tablets on WiFi as most of them are backwards compatible to 802.11g or prior.

If they are working, and you still have the setup instructions, I would reset them back to default settings (including stock admin credentials) and donate if you can.

[stigzler]

What a good idea. My loft is just getting ridiculous with legacy IT stuff. How about donating? This one in the UK, but sure a quick email would result in partner suggestions in the US:

http://www.computeraid.org/donate.asp

[tthurman]

I have a eletronic recycling firm that comes and picks up from us about every six months, and I believe Best Buy offers such a service for older computers and electronics, at no charge.

There is always the freecycle network too.

I've been getting better about unloading stuff like this over the years, but I still tend to hang onto stuff longer than I should.

[Adultery]

Personally I part out what I can and just toss the carcass.

I keep routers for much the same reason Drac does, you always know someone who needs one.

I probably have more dvd burners, ram, hdds, pci cards, and mobos than I will ever need but if I ever build anything simple its good to have that stuff around (like for a jukebox).

[CharlesLam]

sell them if i can. donate them if i cant. its a nice tax writeoff at the end of the year.

[hansolo77]

You can send me some Cat-5 cables if you have them. I need a long one to go from my room, across the hall, and to my dad's room. The longer the better. Also, wireless aside, is it possible to add network "ports" to your existing network by simply adding another router into the mix? In my case, I'm using a D-Link for all my routing needs, wireless, and 4 gigabit ethernet ports. However, I also have an old 10/100 Netgear 4-port router just collecting dust in my closet. Could I simply plug one of the D-Link lan ports into the WAN port on the Netgear and get another 4 ports (thus giving me 7 in total (even though the Netgear wouldn't be as fast))?

[nullPointer]

That's an excellent question Han. I really hadn't considered turning one (or more) of the old routers into a simple® wired switch, or a port multiplier as it were. That's a pretty great idea. One of the ones I have is already running DD-WRT, so I think that one would be pretty easy. It's one of the old blue Linksys jobbies; man those things were tanks! The other one is not compatible with DD-WRT (or Tomato), so that one could take some additional research to see what it's capable of.

In terms of my cables, that's the one piece of the equation that I usually do hang on to, and inevitably seem to find use for. So at least for now, I'll be hanging on to the cables. Sorry man!

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!

Edit: For the other one it looks like it should be as simple as turning off the wireless, and disabling DHCP ... which in truth is also exactly what I'd do with the DD-WRT one, it's just that I'm more familiar with that particular firmware.

[Draco1962]

You can send me some Cat-5 cables if you have them. I need a long one to go from my room, across the hall, and to my dad's room. The longer the better. Also, wireless aside, is it possible to add network "ports" to your existing network by simply adding another router into the mix? In my case, I'm using a D-Link for all my routing needs, wireless, and 4 gigabit ethernet ports. However, I also have an old 10/100 Netgear 4-port router just collecting dust in my closet. Could I simply plug one of the D-Link lan ports into the WAN port on the Netgear and get another 4 ports (thus giving me 7 in total (even though the Netgear wouldn't be as fast))?

You may want to reference this "how to" article. Likely, if using the default router firmware, you will not be able to use the WAN port, so will need to plug into ports 1-4 on the Netgear router, leaving only 3 ports available. If your old Netgear router is compatible with DD-WRT, you can flash it and be able to use the WAN port to connect to your D-Link, thus converting your Netgear into a true switch and will be able to connect up to 4 other devices.

[Adultery]

Usually you can just change a setting or two in the router bios and make it a switch or repeater as Drac mentioned. You can buy a nice switch for $20 though... Of course the price depends on the number of ports.

As for cat5, i just buy a spool and cut/cap my own, that way i get the perfect length every time and its a ton cheaper than buying cables.

[Draco1962]

Of course, repurposing an old router to a dedicated switch for devices that don't need or support gigabit connections saves you $20+.

I have a Linksys WRT54G that is DD-WRT/Tomato compatible that I will be using to wire the "smart" Samsung TV and Blu-Ray player in the living room. Since the cable I have is Cat 5, it will not support gigabit anyway. Both support wireless, but I would much prefer to keep them in wired mode as there is a bit of interference due to walls and such between the office and the living room.

[nullPointer]

Both support wireless, but I would much prefer to keep them in wired mode as there is a bit of interference due to walls and such between the office and the living room.

This. Funny story. My wife brought some mylar balloons home for our kids after having worked a trade show all day. So later we were watching a movie with the kids streaming wirelessly from my HTPC/media server to the PS3 (The Book of Life which was pretty cute as it turns out). Any hoo, one of our daughters got antsy at one point and started whipping her balloons back and forth, in the general area of the PS3. Sure enough, we get the popup, "The PS3 has lost connection with the media server," and the movie cuts out. I tell her to go put her balloons away, and we were able to resume the movie without a hitch. I don't have definitive proof that the balloons caused it, and "correlation is not causation" as they say, but it sure did seem to be slightly too coincidental to be otherwise.

[Draco1962]

I have no doubt it was the Mylar balloons. Mylar used in reflective window films and other similar films used for insulation can wreak havoc on wifi and other RF signals.

[hansolo77]

You may want to reference this "how to" article. Likely, if using the default router firmware, you will not be able to use the WAN port, so will need to plug into ports 1-4 on the Netgear router, leaving only 3 ports available. If your old Netgear router is compatible with DD-WRT, you can flash it and be able to use the WAN port to connect to your D-Link, thus converting your Netgear into a true switch and will be able to connect up to 4 other devices.

Thanks for that link Drac. Question.. does it have to be a wireless router that gets the DD-WRT firmware? My Netgear is so old it was pre-wireless.

[Draco1962]

It may not be compatible, but not knowing what router you have, there is only one way to be sure - the DD-WRT database.

[hansolo77]

Yeah, doesn't look like mine is supported bummer.

Netgear RT314

Amazon Link