topic Re: Can I use a spare SH31B as wired extender? in Broadband & Landline

Can I use a spare SH31B as wired extender?

SkinnyTiger — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 14:47:42 GMT

I recently had to have my SH31B router power supply replaced and because it failed at exactly the worst time - 3pm on Saturday of a bank holiday weekend, I found a cheap replacement router on eBay that I could pick up the same day to keep myself connected. Now the replacement power supply has arrived, I’ve got a spare router and power supply.

So my question is, can I use this a a wire extender like the SW30A devices?

I have a garden building with a wired Ethernet connection and a separate wireless access point but it’s close enough to the house that I can sometimes find myself swapping between the two and getting disconnected on Teams calls. I want to extend the router wireless rather than have a separate one and my understanding is that because the extenders and router “talk” then everything would be seamless.

Re: Can I use a spare SH31B as wired extender?

JimM11 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:54:31 GMT

@SkinnyTiger Link below!

Solved: Smart Hub(FTTC) with DV for primary hub; can I use 3rd party as secondary hub? - The EE Community

Re: Can I use a spare SH31B as wired extender?

SkinnyTiger — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:23:26 GMT

Thanks for this suggestion. Unfortunately it’s not quite what I was after. I recognise that I can use the router as an access point, turning off all the other bits. But what I am after is integrating it within the network as though it’s a mesh extender(?) like the SW30A devices, so that it appears within the GUI and connected devices are recognised as being connected to it, rather than whichever Ethernet port the AP is connected to. I hope that makes sense? I might just try it and see what happens.

Re: Can I use a spare SH31B as wired extender?

JimM11 — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:33:50 GMT

@SkinnyTiger NO you cannot turn it into a smart wireless extender, that is just not possible!

Re: Can I use a spare SH31B as wired extender?

bobpullen — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 19:35:57 GMT

@SkinnyTiger wrote:
... what I am after is integrating it within the network as though it’s a mesh extender(?) like the SW30A devices, so that it appears within the GUI and connected devices are recognised as being connected to it, rather than whichever Ethernet port the AP is connected to. I hope that makes sense? I might just try it and see what happens.

Not possible - the SH31B isn't a mesh extender and can't operate as one. You can disable DHCP/change the IP of the secondary hub and wire it LAN <> LAN to the primary to give you another access point, but it's going to exhibit the limitations you already seem aware of.