内容来源：https://www.engadget.com/2246379/how-to-use-old-android-phone-wifi-extender/

内容总结：

旧手机别扔！一招变废为宝，轻松解决家中Wi-Fi信号死角

你是否曾为家中某个角落Wi-Fi信号微弱而烦恼？其实，不必急着花钱购买信号扩展器或Mesh路由器，一台闲置的旧安卓手机就能帮你快速解决问题。

旧手机变身“信号中继站”

大多数家庭都有那么一两台被遗忘在抽屉里的旧安卓手机——性能跟不上日常使用，但扔掉又觉得可惜。在送去回收之前，不妨让它发挥余热。只需利用系统自带功能和一个电源插座，这台旧手机就能充当Wi-Fi信号扩展器，将家中的网络信号覆盖到那些信号不稳定的房间角落。

整个过程无需安装任何特殊应用，不需要额外硬件，更不需要高深的技术知识。安卓系统自带的“热点”功能，可以让手机连接家中现有Wi-Fi网络，再作为一个独立的信号源重新广播，从而扩大覆盖范围。

实际操作只需三步

具体设置非常简单，几分钟即可完成。首先，在旧手机上打开“设置”，进入“网络和互联网”选项，连接家中的Wi-Fi并输入密码。接着，进入“热点和网络共享”设置，开启“Wi-Fi热点”功能，并可为热点重命名、设置一个安全密码。如果手机支持，还可以在频段设置中选择5GHz，以获得更好的近距离性能，不过其覆盖范围会比2.4GHz稍短。

最后，将手机放置在路由器与信号死角之间的中间位置，并确保靠近电源插座以便随时充电。需要注意，旧手机电池续航本就有限，持续开启热点会加速耗电。

临时方案，非长久之计

需要明确的是，这种方法只是扩展Wi-Fi信号，并不会提升你的网速。如果家中宽带本身较慢，热点也无济于事。此外，与市售专用Wi-Fi扩展器或Mesh节点相比，手机热点的性能和稳定性仍有差距。它无法实现智能家居设备的无缝漫游，创建的是独立网络，部分智能设备可能无法稳定连接，且在家走动时需手动切换网络。

如何选择？

究竟选择旧手机改造还是购买商用设备，取决于你的实际需求。旧手机方案零成本，非常适合作为临时应急或针对单一问题区域的补充方案。如果你需要一个快速、免费且能避免电子垃圾的解决方案，手头又有闲置设备，不妨一试。但请记住，这只是权宜之计，并非一劳永逸的网络优化方案。若追求更好的覆盖范围和性能表现，还是建议考虑购买专用扩展器、Mesh节点或更换新路由器。

中文翻译：

如何将旧安卓手机用作Wi-Fi扩展器

这是解决家中信号盲区的快捷方法。

如果你有一部旧安卓手机在某处抽屉里积灰，你可能已经拥有了修复家中Wi-Fi网络盲区所需的一切。与其购买新硬件——无论是扩展器、网状节点还是更强大的路由器——你完全可以利用一部旧安卓设备。

大多数家庭都至少有一部被遗忘在某个角落的旧安卓手机，它过于老旧无法作为日常主力机使用，但又还能用，扔掉又觉得可惜。在把它送去回收之前，你应当考虑一下它还能为你做些什么。只需使用其内置设置和一个电源插座，这部手机就能一机两用，充当Wi-Fi扩展器，帮助将家中网络的信号推送到那些信号不佳的角落。

你不需要任何特殊应用、额外硬件，甚至不需要高深的技术知识。安卓自带的热点功能可以让你的手机连接到现有的Wi-Fi网络，并作为中继器将信号以独立信号的形式重新广播，从而扩大覆盖范围。

安卓Wi-Fi扩展器到底能做什么？

如果你家中有些区域互联网信号较弱，那确实很让人恼火。虽然有些事是可以做的——你知道路由器天线的摆放有正确方法吗？——但在解决之前这始终是个麻烦。当然，你可以购买一些设备。升级到网状系统或购买新路由器可能相当昂贵，而Wi-Fi扩展器根据型号不同大约要花50美元。但利用你已有的技术，这笔钱完全可以不花。

你的安卓手机可以连接到现有的家庭Wi-Fi网络，并将信号作为独立热点重新广播。然后你可以将其他设备——从笔记本电脑到平板电脑和智能电视——连接到这个Wi-Fi信号上。可以把它想象成一个信号中继站，手机从路由器接收Wi-Fi信号，然后将其传递给需要它的其他设备。它不是网状系统，也不会像网状系统那样工作，但对于信号覆盖弱的区域来说，这是一个免费且省力的解决方案。

如何将安卓手机设置为Wi-Fi扩展器

整个过程非常简单，只需几分钟。我们的起点是你已经找到旧安卓手机、充好电并运行了最新更新之后。

• 打开“设置”，进入“网络和互联网”>“互联网”。选择你的家庭Wi-Fi网络，并在提示时输入密码。

• 进入“设置”>“热点和网络共享”，打开“Wi-Fi热点”开关。你也可以在下拉菜单中找到热点图标——你只需要知道安卓状态栏那些图标都代表什么意思。

• 点击Wi-Fi热点，重命名网络并设置一个强密码，以保护你的网络安全并方便识别。

• 如果你的手机支持，你可以在速度或频段设置中选择5GHz。这将改善附近设备的性能，但覆盖范围比2.4GHz短。

• 将手机放在路由器和你想解决的盲区之间大约中间的位置。确保它靠近电源插座，这样方便随时充电。旧手机的电池续航本来就不太可靠，而持续运行热点会很快耗尽电量。

这种方法的一个缺点是，手机只是扩展了你现有的Wi-Fi信号，但不会以任何方式提升你的网速。如果你的互联网本身就很慢，热点也解决不了这个问题。你还需要记住，任何商用Wi-Fi扩展器或网状节点的性能都会优于这种基于安卓的解决方案。

使用这种方法时还需要注意的一点是，它没有任何智能家居集成功能。专用的Wi-Fi扩展器通常支持智能家居生态系统和无缝漫游，而安卓热点创建的是一个独立网络，因此一些智能家居设备可能无法稳定地连接到它。此外，你在家中走动时需要手动切换网络。

安卓手机还是商用替代品：哪个更好？

这个问题的答案只有你自己能回答。你现在想为你的网络投资吗？安卓手机做扩展器零成本，作为临时解决方案或针对单个问题区域的补充方案非常理想。然而，商用Wi-Fi扩展器、网状节点或新路由器能提供更好的覆盖范围和性能。如果你需要快速解决方案且手头已有闲置设备，那就选择安卓手机方案。你甚至可以尝试USB网络共享的替代方案以获得更稳定的连接。在合适的情况下，它会成为一个出乎意料好用的Wi-Fi扩展器，设置只需几分钟，成本为零，而且还能让一部设备免于被扔进回收箱。只是要明白，这是一个实用的权宜之计，而不是永久的网络解决方案。

英文来源：

How to use your old Android phone as a Wi-Fi extender
It's a quick fix for that dead zone in your house.
If 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.
What does an Android Wi-Fi extender actually do?
If your home has areas where the internet signal is weak, it can be quite annoying. While it's true that some things can be done — did you know there was a right way to position your router's antennas? — it can be a nuisance until fixed. There are things you can buy, of course. Upgrading to a mesh system or getting a new router can be quite expensive, while a Wi-Fi extender can put you back about $50, depending on model. That's still money you could simply not spend by making use of tech you already have.
Your Android phone can connect to your existing home Wi-Fi network and rebroadcast the signal as a separate hotspot. You can then connect other devices, from laptops to tablets and smart TVs, to that Wi-Fi signal instead. Think of it as a signal relay, as the phone picks up Wi-Fi from your router and simply passes it along to other devices that need it. It's not a mesh system, and it won't perform as one, but it's a free and low-effort fix for weak coverage areas.
How to set up your Android phone as a Wi-Fi extender
The process for this whole operation is quite straightforward and only takes a few minutes. Our starting point comes after you've already located your old Android phone, recharged it and run the latest updates.

Open Settings, go to Network & Internet > Internet. Select your home Wi-Fi network and enter the password when prompted.

Go to Settings > Hotspot and Tethering and toggle on Wi-Fi Hotspot. You can also find the Hotspot icon in the drop-down menu — you just need to know what all those Android status bar icons mean.

Tap the Wi-Fi hotspot to rename the network and set a strong password to secure your network and keep it easy to identify.

If your phone supports it, you can select 5GHz under the speed or band settings. This will improve performance for nearby devices, but it offers a shorter range than 2.4GHz.

Place your phone about halfway between your router and the dead zone you're worried about. Make sure it's near an outlet so you can easily keep it recharged. Old phones already have questionable battery life, and running a hotspot continuously will drain the battery fast.
The downside of this method is that the phone extends your existing Wi-Fi, but it won't boost your internet speed in any way. If your internet is already slow, the hotspot won't fix that. You also have to keep in mind that any commercial Wi-Fi extender or mesh node will outperform this Android-based solution.
Another thing to keep in mind when using this method is that there's no smart home integration to speak of. Dedicated Wi-Fi extenders often support smart home ecosystems and seamless roaming, while an Android hotspot creates a separate network, so some smart home devices may not connect to it reliably. Plus, you'll need to manually switch networks as you move around your home.
Android phone vs. commercial alternatives: Which is better?
The answer to this question is one only you can deliver. Do you want to invest in your network at this point? An Android phone extender costs nothing, and it's ideal as a temporary fix or supplementary solution for a single problem area. However, you'll get much better range and performance from a commercial Wi-Fi extender, a mesh node or a new router. Go for the Android phone option if you need a quick fix and already have an unused device on hand. You could even try the USB tethering alternative for a more stable connection. It will make a surprisingly capable Wi-Fi extender for the right situation, the setup takes minutes, the cost is zero and it keeps a device out of the recycling bin. Just understand that this is a practical workaround, not a permanent network solution.