How to turn your old Android phone into a portable Wi-Fi router
How to turn your old Android phone into a portable Wi-Fi router
https://www.howtogeek.com/stop-wasting-money-on-travel-routers-use-your-old-android-instead/
Publish Date: 2026-01-30 11:16:00
Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com
Travelers who are concerned about their network connectivity often think that they need a dedicated travel router, but in reality, an old Android phone can do the same job—and sometimes even better. Before spending money on extra hardware, you should consider putting your old phone to work as a portable hotspot instead.
Your old phone already has everything a travel router does
Every modern Android phone allows you to use it as a hotspot or for USB/Bluetooth tethering. This means you can connect pretty much any other device to the phone and use it in place of a router.
If your goal is to connect a desktop PC that doesn’t have a Wi-Fi antenna to your Airbnb’s Wi-Fi connection, an old Android phone allows you to do just that. I actually brought my desktop PC with me on vacation and was able to play online games by connecting to the Airbnb’s Wi-Fi network with my phone and then using USB tethering to provide internet access on my PC.
Credit: Hannah Stryker / How-To Geek | AnotherPerfectDay / Shutterstock
Bluetooth tethering provides another layer of flexibility, albeit it’s quite a bit slower and less reliable than USB tethering.
A travel router is essentially designed to do the same task while also boosting Wi-Fi connectivity. It can do this thanks to its stronger antennas. However, how much a travel router can boost your internet connection still depends on the…
