How to Use a Router As a Switch: 11 Steps

Router vs. Switch: What You’re Actually Changing

A typical home router is a multitool: it routes traffic between networks (your home network and the internet), assigns IP addresses (DHCP), often runs a firewall/NAT,
and usually includes a small built-in Ethernet switch for the LAN ports.

A switch, on the other hand, is mainly about connecting devices on the same local network so they can talk to each other and share the same internet gateway.
When you “use a router as a switch,” you’re mostly doing two things:

• Stop it from acting like the boss (disable routing/DHCP features that compete with your main router).
• Use the LAN ports like a mini port-expander (so your wired devices all sit on one network).

Before You Start: What You Need (and What to Check)

Quick checklist

• An Ethernet cable (Cat5e or Cat6 is ideal).
• A computer (or phone) that can log in to the router’s admin page.
• Your main router already working as the internet gateway.
• A spare power outletbecause routers are picky about staying alive.

Compatibility notes

• Speed: If the old router only has 10/100 (“Fast Ethernet”) ports, your wired devices will cap around ~100 Mbps. Fine for printers and smart TVs; less fun for NAS and big downloads.
• Locked settings: Some ISP-provided routers make it hard (or impossible) to disable DHCP. If you can’t disable it, skip to the troubleshooting section for safe alternatives.
• Port labels: Most routers have 1 WAN/Internet port and multiple LAN ports. Using the wrong one is the #1 “oops” in this whole project.

The 11 Steps to Use a Router As a Switch

1. Step 1: Decide how you’ll use it (wired-only or wired + Wi-Fi)

   If you only need extra Ethernet ports, you can treat the old router as a wired switch.
   If you also want better Wi-Fi coverage, you can configure it like an access point (AP) while still using the LAN ports for wired devices.

   Either way, the big rule is the same: your main router stays in charge of routing and IP address assignment.

2. Step 2: Reset (optional) and update firmware (recommended)

   If the router has been through multiple households, roommates, or mysterious “optimizations,” a factory reset can save you from hidden settings.
   After reset, update the firmware if you canespecially on older modelsbecause stability and security matter, even for “just a switch.”

   Tip: If updating firmware feels like wrestling a porcupine, you can still proceedjust be extra careful about changing default passwords and disabling risky features.

3. Step 3: Connect a computer directly to the old router

   Disconnect the old router from everything else. Then:

   • Plug your computer into one of the router’s LAN ports.
   • Power on the router.
   • If your computer doesn’t get an IP automatically, you may need to set a temporary manual IP (more on that later).

   This “direct connection” avoids conflicts with your current network while you’re changing settings.

4. Step 4: Log in to the admin page

   Open a browser and visit the router’s admin address (often printed on a sticker).
   If you’re unsure, common defaults include things like 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1.

   Once you’re in, jot down the current LAN IP and DHCP settingsyou’ll use them to avoid stepping on your main router’s toes.

5. Step 5: Change the admin password (seriously, do it)

   Even if your router is about to live a quiet life as a port expander, leaving default admin credentials is like leaving your front door unlocked because you “mostly use the garage.”

   Set a strong password, disable remote management if it’s enabled, and consider turning off WPS if you won’t need it.

6. Step 6: Pick a safe “management IP” for the old router

   You’ll want to access this device later for settingsso it needs a predictable IP address on your main network.
   The safest approach is to set the old router’s LAN IP to:

   • The same subnet as your main router
   • Outside the main router’s DHCP address pool (so it won’t be handed out to another device)

   Example:

   • Main router IP: 192.168.1.1
   • Main router DHCP range: 192.168.1.100 – 192.168.1.199
   • Set old router LAN IP to: 192.168.1.2 (or 192.168.1.10, etc.)
   • Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0

   After you change this IP, the admin page will move to the new address. That’s normal. Slightly annoying. Completely normal.

7. Step 7: Disable DHCP on the old router

   This is the make-or-break setting. Your main router should be the only device handing out IP addresses on your network.
   If two devices run DHCP, clients can get conflicting network settingsleading to random dropouts, no internet, or devices that vanish like socks in a dryer.

   Look for settings labeled DHCP Server, Use Router as DHCP Server, or similar, and turn it off.

8. Step 8: Disable routing extras you don’t need (NAT, firewall, “internet” features)

   If your router has an explicit Access Point Mode or Bridge Mode, enable itthose modes typically disable NAT and routing features automatically.

   If it does not have AP/Bridge mode, don’t panic. You can still use it as a switch by:

   • Leaving the WAN/Internet port unused (in most cases)
   • Disabling features like UPnP, SPI firewall, and “internet filtering” on the old router (optional but cleaner)

   The goal is to prevent double-NAT or weird “two routers both trying to be the gateway” drama.

9. Step 9: Decide what to do with Wi-Fi (off, or access-point)

   If you only want wired ports, turn Wi-Fi off on the old router to reduce interference and clutter.
   If you want extra coverage, set Wi-Fi to act like an access point:

   • Use the same SSID/password as your main router for simple roaming, or a different name if you want manual control.
   • Pick a sensible channel plan (especially on 2.4 GHz) to reduce interference.
   • Use WPA2/WPA3 security (whatever the router supports safely).

10. Step 10: Cable it correctly (LAN-to-LAN is the usual winner)

    Now connect the old router to your main router with Ethernet. In most “router-as-switch” setups, you’ll do this:

    Important: Avoid plugging the main router into the old router’s WAN/Internet port unless your device specifically says to do that in AP mode.
    Some routers repurpose the WAN port in AP mode; others keep it separate. When in doubt, LAN-to-LAN is the safest baseline.

    Also: on very old hardware, you might hear about “crossover cables.” Most modern routers/switches auto-detect (auto MDI-X), so a normal Ethernet cable works fine.

11. Step 11: Test, verify, and clean up

    Plug a wired device into the old router and confirm:

    • The device gets an IP address from the main router (not something weird and unexpected).
    • The device can access the internet.
    • You can still reach the old router’s admin page at the management IP you set (example: 192.168.1.2).

    If everything works, you’re done. If not, don’t worrymost failures come from three fixable causes: wrong port, DHCP still on, or an IP address conflict.

Troubleshooting: Fix the Most Common Problems Fast

Problem: “My internet died the second I plugged it in.”

• Likely cause: You used the WAN port and created a double-router setup (double NAT) or a conflicting gateway.
• Fix: Move the uplink cable to a LAN port on the old router, and confirm DHCP is disabled.

Problem: “Devices connect, but some can’t reach the internet.”

• Likely cause: Two DHCP servers are active, so devices are getting different default gateway settings.
• Fix: Ensure DHCP is disabled on the old router. Reboot the affected devices (or renew DHCP lease).

Problem: “I can’t log back into the old router after disabling DHCP.”

• Likely cause: You changed its IP, or your computer isn’t on the same subnet.
• Fix: Use the management IP you set (example: 192.168.1.2). If you don’t know it, check your main router’s client list for the device, or temporarily set a manual IP on your computer in the same range.

Problem: “I can’t disable DHCP (the option is missing or locked).”

• Option A: If the router supports Access Point Mode, enable itthis often disables DHCP automatically.
• Option B: If it’s ISP-locked and won’t cooperate, the safest move is to give it a retirement party and buy an inexpensive unmanaged switch.

Problem: “My speed is worse than expected.”

• Check whether the router’s LAN ports are gigabit or 10/100.
• Swap cables (bad or old cables can force slower negotiation).
• Avoid connecting through a WAN port unless AP mode explicitly supports it.

Specific Example Setup (So You Can Copy-Paste the Logic)

Let’s say your main router uses 192.168.0.1 and hands out DHCP addresses from 192.168.0.100–192.168.0.200.
Here’s a clean router-as-switch configuration:

• Old router management IP: 192.168.0.2
• Subnet mask: 255.255.255.0
• DHCP on old router: Disabled
• Wi-Fi on old router: Off (or configured as AP, optional)
• Uplink cable: Main router LAN → old router LAN

Result: anything plugged into the old router’s LAN ports behaves like it’s plugged into a normal switch on the main networkone IP range, one gateway, one happy household.

When You Should Just Buy a Switch Instead

Repurposing a router is handy, but it isn’t always the best tool:

• You need reliability: Switches are purpose-built and tend to be “set it and forget it.”
• You need more ports: A router usually adds 3–4 usable LAN ports. A basic switch can add 8, 16, or more.
• Your router is ancient: 10/100 ports, flaky firmware, or overheating turns “free” into “why.”
• You can’t disable DHCP: That’s a dealbreaker for a clean same-network setup.

Still, if you already own the router and it has gigabit LAN ports, using it as a switch is a perfectly reasonable (and satisfyingly thrifty) move.

Real-World Experiences (About )

In real homes and small offices, “router as switch” projects usually start for one of three reasons: a desk moved to a different room, a new gadget showed up with an Ethernet port,
or someone bought a smart TV that hates Wi-Fi with the passion of a thousand dropped Zoom calls.

One common experience is the “home office expansion” problem. A person sets up a workspace in a spare room and suddenly needs to connect a laptop dock, a printer,
and a VoIP phoneplus a second monitor hub that insists on Ethernet. Instead of running multiple cables back to the main router, they repurpose an old router near the desk.
Once DHCP is disabled and the uplink is LAN-to-LAN, the old router becomes a tidy little wiring station. The satisfying part is that everything gets an address from the main router,
so printing and file sharing work immediatelyno “which network is the printer on?” mystery novel required.

Another frequent scenario is the “TV and game console corner”. Many people report that wired connections feel smoother for streaming and online games,
even when Wi-Fi is “technically fast.” They tuck a repurposed router behind the entertainment center and use its extra LAN ports for the TV, console, and a streaming box.
The key learning here is that placement matters less than cabling: if the Ethernet run back to the main router is solid, the entire corner behaves like a single wired cluster.
The most common early mistake is plugging the uplink into the WAN port, accidentally creating a second network that breaks casting or makes multiplayer chat flaky.
Once they switch to the LAN port (or enable true AP mode), everything snaps back into one happy network.

A third experience pops up in garage workshops and hobby spaces. People add a small network island for a desktop, a Raspberry Pi, a security camera recorder, or a smart hub.
The repurposed router’s bonus is that it’s not just “more ports”it’s also a stable place to plug in devices that don’t move. In these setups, the “management IP” step becomes valuable:
assigning a predictable address lets them log in later to adjust Wi-Fi settings (if they’re using it as an access point) or to confirm it isn’t accidentally running DHCP again after a reset.

The big takeaway from these real-world setups is simple: success usually comes down to one network, one DHCP server, and the right port.
Do those three things, and your old router stops being a retired gadget and starts being a useful piece of network infrastructurelike a folding chair for your Ethernet needs.

Conclusion

Using a router as a switch is one of the most practical networking upgrades you can do with equipment you already own.
Disable DHCP, give the device a safe management IP, connect LAN-to-LAN, and you’ll have extra wired ports without changing how your network works.
If you also configure Wi-Fi as an access point, you can improve coverage while keeping a single, consistent home network.

If things go sideways, remember: it’s almost always DHCP, an IP conflict, or the WAN port trying to be the main character. Fix that, and you’re back in business.

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