Build Your Own WiFi Router with Raspberry Pi

With the rise of smart devices and home networks, control over your internet configuration is everything in the modern age. How about transforming your Raspberry Pi into a full-fledged router? Good news — you can definitely do that, and it’s easier than you’d think.

In this step by step guide we show you how to set up a Raspberry Pi as a wireless router, with just a few tools, some configuration and a little bit of Linux magic. This project is ideal whether you’re a DIY tech wizard, a student or just someone looking to repurpose an old Pi.

💡 Why Use Raspberry Pi to Build WiFi Router?

There are several advantages to using your Raspberry Pi as a router:

• ✅ Savings: You do not need to purchase routers that are quite dear.
• ✅ Absolute control: Manage DHCP, firewall, bandwidth, and everything else.

📦 What You’ll Need

• Raspberry Pi 3, 4 or newer (with onboard WiFi)
• Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm
• MicroSD Card 8GB or larger
• Ethernet RJ 45 Internet connection

Update your Raspberry Pi OS:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Install Packages:

sudo apt install -y hostapd dnsmasq iptables-persistent

Enable required services:

sudo systemctl unmask hostapd
sudo systemctl enable hostapd
sudo systemctl enable dnsmasq
sudo systemctl enable systemd-networkd
sudo systemctl start systemd-networkd

Configure hostapd (Wi-Fi access point):

sudo tee /etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf > /dev/null <<EOF
interface=wlan0
driver=nl80211
ssid=Pi_Router
hw_mode=g
channel=7
wmm_enabled=0
macaddr_acl=0
auth_algs=1
ignore_broadcast_ssid=0
wpa=2
wpa_passphrase=raspberry123
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK
rsn_pairwise=CCMP
EOF

Tell hostapd where the config is:

sudo sed -i 's|#DAEMON_CONF=""|DAEMON_CONF="/etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf"|' /etc/default/hostapd

Configure dnsmasq (DHCP server):

sudo mv /etc/dnsmasq.conf /etc/dnsmasq.conf.orig

Now Create new config:

sudo tee /etc/dnsmasq.conf > /dev/null <<EOF
interface=wlan0
dhcp-range=192.168.4.10,192.168.4.50,255.255.255.0,24h
EOF

Configure static IP for wlan0:

sudo mkdir -p /etc/systemd/network

sudo tee /etc/systemd/network/12-wlan0.network > /dev/null <<EOF
[Match]
Name=wlan0

[Network]
Address=192.168.4.1/24
DHCPServer=no
EOF

Enable IP forwarding:

sudo sed -i 's|#net.ipv4.ip_forward=1|net.ipv4.ip_forward=1|' /etc/sysctl.conf
sudo sysctl -p

Configure NAT for internet sharing (via eth0):

sudo iptables -t nat -A POSTROUTING -o eth0 -j MASQUERADE
sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i eth0 -o wlan0 -m state --state RELATED,ESTABLISHED -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A FORWARD -i wlan0 -o eth0 -j ACCEPT
sudo sh -c "iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4"

Unblock and bring up Wi-Fi:

sudo rfkill unblock wifi
sudo ip link set wlan0 up

Restart all necessary services:

sudo systemctl restart systemd-networkd
sudo systemctl restart dnsmasq
sudo systemctl restart hostapd

Conclusion:

Congratulations! You have successfully transformed your Raspberry Pi into a wifi router. Your Pi just became an entirely different beast altogether — whether you’re using it as a portable access point, a device for learning or just a simple-router for your home or lab setup.

Rather than purchase commercial hardware to do this, you built a mobile access point and gained insight into various networking workhorses, not to mention useful technologies like hostapd, dnsmasq or systemd-networkd — great experience for any budding (or veteran) IT pro.