I know it's common to always look at the newest technology with fond longing, or at least it is for me, but a home router can be just as powerful with the right settings. Even an older router can be used for many other tasks, and you might not know that some of these are possible, especially if you haven't given it a second thought since the ISP set up your connection. And if you're looking for a new Wi-Fi router, these powerful features are some of the things you should be keeping an eye out for, as they make your home network more versatile.

Connect with others for whole-home Wi-Fi

Many consumer routers can make mesh networks now

Many Wi-Fi routers nowadays come with firmware that are able to extend your Wi-Fi coverage by creating a mesh network with your existing hardware. Asus is one good example, whose AiMesh functionality was one of the first mesh networks aimed at the consumer market, after the enterprise had used the technology for a few years. It's worth noting that AiMesh won't automatically use Ethernet as the backhaul, even if physically connected that way, but there's a setting in the firmware for Ethernet Backhaul Mode that will tell the device to use the wired connectivity instead of using up one of the Wi-Fi bands for the backhaul.

TP-Link also has mesh functionality in many of its Wi-Fi routers, with EasyMesh and OneMesh being common in the all-in-one units, and Deco Mesh in its mesh-focused devices. OneMesh links TP-Link routers, range extenders, and powerline adapters into a mesh system that works with your unique hardware requirements, while EasyMesh is an industry standard that a few manufacturers implemented and will work with any other EasyMesh system. Deco is proprietary, but if you already have some Deco nodes, it's the only way to go. Or you could add Omada APs and set them up to do the wireless mesh instead of your router, if you prefer to go prosumer.

Control your smart home

Ditch the dongles and connect many smart home devices with inbuilt hubs

One of the new trends is Wi-Fi routers with inbuilt smart home hub functionality, whether that's Thread, Zigbee, or Z-wave. TP-Link Kasa smart routers have both Zigbee and Z-wave inside, Eero has Zigbee and also functions as a Thread Border Router for Matter devices, as do Nest WiFi devices.

The best part about this is that you don't need additional USB dongles hanging off your router or PC, and most of the routers with smart home hubs built in are also mesh nodes, so they'll be closer to the devices you'll be controlling. The overall effect is a smart home that's easier to handle, mostly. Eero nodes tend to only really work well if you're connecting things to Alexa, so if you have other voice assistants at home, it's better to look at other options.

​​​​​​

Set up parental controls

The internet can be pretty darn scary

Microsegmentation is a great security tool for use on routers to ensure that devices on your network can access the services they need, and no more. It might seem like it's a new thing, but has been living among your router features for some time as parental controls. You can tag devices owned by specific family members, and the better systems let you choose if they can talk to other network devices, or only to the internet, and then which parts of the internet and when.

You can set up network-level URL blocking, like for gambling sites or adult content, but it's often better to set it up on a per-device or per-user basis, so that you can fine-tune the rules set over time. Then add in online and offline time for your kids' devices so they're not up watching Netflix when they should be asleep, and learn good habits around screen time and how to use the internet responsibly for research and homework.

Run a VPN server

Access your home network from anywhere, securely

Your router isn't just the gateway out to the internet, it's also the gateway into your home network, at least if you can run a VPN server on it. While deciding if you want to subscribe to a VPN service or self-host your own, you'll want to know if your router supports WireGuard or OpenVPN, which are two of the most common and easiest to use for home users. Some routers, like those from Amplifi or Asus, might have its own remote access app that makes things even easier for you, as you'll just need to set up a login and the app will handle the rest. But you could also reverse it, and set up a router as a VPN client, and use it to connect back to your home network while you're traveling, and keep your browsing data securely encrypted.

Guest network creation

Be a good host — and a smart one

While it's true enough that consumer routers don't always advertise being able to create VLANs to keep your IoT devices off the main network, that's exactly what setting up a guest network does, and most Wi-Fi routers released in the last decade have this ability. It's not only because IoT devices often have bad to nonexistent security measures, but that's part of it. It's also to keep the airtime free on your other Wi-Fi networks, so that your mobile devices can use bandwidth without packets having to queue up behind broadcast or multicast packets, slowing everything down. Plus, IoT devices tend to use older Wi-Fi versions, which will limit the speeds of your other devices as your router accommodates them.

Even off-the-shelf home routers can be pretty powerful pieces of kit

Networking hardware has changed a lot since I started by making crossover cables to play Diablo II and StarCraft 2 between a few of the computers in the dorms I lived in at university. Nowadays, you don't even have to do that, as the network interfaces will automatically know if they're connected to a switch, router, or directly to another PC and send data accordingly. Modern routers are fantastic devices (even on the low end) that come with features I had to spend long hours with custom firmware to get working at one point, if it was possible at all.