What a fair price looks like
Condition on WishThrift is described by the seller against five grades, and nobody inspects it on your behalf — so the description and the photographs are what you are buying on.
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | £45 (~$60) | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | £38 (~$51) | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | £29 (~$39) | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | £20 (~$27) | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | £11 (~$15) | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Sterling guide ranges with an approximate US dollar equivalent at £1 ≈ $1.33 (July 2026). Sellers set their own asking price; these are a starting point for judging an offer. All five grades explained.
The checklist before you pay
An account lock is the single biggest one — a device still signed in to an iCloud, Google or Microsoft account cannot be reset and is effectively unusable. After that, battery health and undisclosed third-party repairs.
Run through these before money changes hands — they are the things that decide whether a router is worth what is being asked:
- Older wireless standards, which sell for very little
- ISP-locked routers tied to one provider
- Missing power supplies, often proprietary voltages
- Units still holding previous configuration
And the things worth paying more for, because they hold their value:
- Current wireless standards
- Mesh systems sold as complete sets
- Recognised networking brands
- Original power supply included
Common faults and fakes
Outright counterfeits are rare outside accessories, where fake chargers and cables are a genuine fire risk. The commoner problem is a device described as working that has a fault the seller knows about.
Ask the seller to factory reset and remove their account BEFORE you pay, and to send a photograph of the settings screen showing it signed out. Ask for the exact model identifier and, on anything with a battery, the battery health figure.
WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or grade anything, and no marketplace check replaces your own. If a seller will not answer a direct question about condition or origin, that is the answer.
Questions to ask the seller
These are the three that get asked most often about a router, and the answers tell you most of what you need:
Say plainly. Many routers supplied by internet providers only work on that network, which makes them worthless to everyone else.
Factory reset it before listing and confirm. It removes your network credentials and any admin password, which is both a privacy matter and necessary for the buyer.
Read the label. Wi-Fi 5, 6 and 6E are meaningfully different in speed and price and it is the main thing buyers compare.
Also worth establishing before you commit:
- State the wireless standard and speeds
- Factory reset it before selling
- Confirm the power supply is present
Photographs to ask for
If the listing does not already show these, ask — a seller who has the item will send them in minutes:
- The router from the front, whole, with any lights visible
- The rear ports and reset button
- The label showing model, standard and default credentials
- The power supply and any cables, plus any scuff or missing antenna
Details to confirm before you commit
- Brand, model and Wi-Fi standard
- Number and speed of ethernet ports
- Whether it is provider-locked or unlocked
- Whether the power supply and cables are included, and that it has been factory reset
Live router listings
Nothing matching is listed at the moment. Browse electronics for what is live now, or everything on the site — stock changes daily and new listings are free to post, so it is worth checking back.
When to buy
Steady but low value year round. Recent standards sell within days at modest prices; older routers are worth very little and often better recycled.
Prices move against that cycle for a buyer: the cheapest time to buy is when sellers are listing most, not when demand peaks.
Paying and collecting safely
WishThrift does not process payments, hold funds or offer buyer protection — you agree the price and the method with the seller directly, which is what keeps the platform free on both sides. Meet somewhere public where you can, inspect before you pay, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed. Be wary of any seller who wants to move the conversation elsewhere before you have agreed anything.
Selling one instead?
If you already have a router sitting unused, it is free to list and there is no commission — the price you agree is the amount you keep. Read how to sell router for what to photograph and how to price, or what router is worth at each condition grade.
Frequently asked questions
What should I pay for a used router?
Around £6 to £29 in good condition, more for barely-used examples and less for anything with a described fault. Compare against the seller’s photographs rather than the grade alone.
How do I check a router before buying?
Ask the seller to factory reset and remove their account BEFORE you pay, and to send a photograph of the settings screen showing it signed out. Ask for the exact model identifier and, on anything with a battery, the battery health figure.
Is buying a router second hand safe?
Yes, with the ordinary care any private sale needs. WishThrift does not authenticate, inspect or hold funds, so inspect before you pay where you can, meet somewhere public, and keep the conversation on the site. An account lock is the single biggest one — a device still signed in to an iCloud, Google or Microsoft account cannot be reset and is effectively unusable. After that, battery health and undisclosed third-party repairs.
See also: all buying guides · router value guide · selling router · Electronics · condition grades.