GoKawiilIf you have an old Android phone gathering dust in a drawer somewhere, you may already have everything you need to fix the dead zones in your home Wi-Fi network. Instead of buying new hardware, be it an extender, a mesh node or a more powerful router, you could just use an old Android device.
Most households have at least one old Android phone sitting forgotten somewhere, too outdated to use as a daily driver, but too functional to justify throwing it away. Before you drop it off for recycling, you should consider what it can still do for you. With nothing more than its built-in settings and a power outlet, that phone can pull double duty as a Wi-Fi extender, helping push your home network's signal into those room corners where signal is patchy at best.
You don't need any special apps, extra hardware or even advanced technical know-how. Android's built-in hotspot feature lets your phone connect to your existing Wi-Fi network and act as a repeater to broadcast it as a separate signal, thus extending coverage.