Instead of discarding old routers, repurpose them as Wi-Fi repeaters, mesh nodes, or network switches to extend coverage or add Ethernet ports. Old routers can perform these secondary roles effectively since networking fundamentals remain unchanged, avoiding waste while maintaining home network functionality.
A user repurposed a DIRECTV HR54-700 DVR into a standalone Jellyfin media player by exploiting a plugin loader vulnerability to gain persistent root access, then leveraging the device's existing hardware decoders and middleware to stream video without satellite service or external dependencies.