We purchased the The 5 Best Wireless Travel Routers so our expert reviewer could thoroughly test and assess it. Keep reading for our full products reviews.
Modern smartphones are great for keeping you connected on the go, but if you’re doing any serious work or even just watching Netflix, using your 5G data can get pricey. The best wireless travel routers will save you time and trouble by allowing you to create your own private Wi-Fi bubble wherever you land, whether it’s in a conference center, hotel room, or airport lounge.
These handy little devices are especially useful when working in locations with only a wired internet connection, but they can also help you improve performance by providing a stronger Wi-Fi signal even in hotels and conference centers with public Wi-Fi hotspots. Many also include security features such as VPNs, which keep all of your internet traffic safe from prying eyes. The best wireless travel routers are ideal for anyone who wants to stay connected without relying on insecure and spotty Wi-Fi hotspots.
The TP-Link TL-WR902AC (Check latest price on Amazon) is one of the fastest and Best Wireless Travel Routers we’ve seen, which is particularly impressive given its size and price. It’s small enough to carry in a pocket, briefcase, or backpack, measuring 2.64 x 2.91 x 0.9 inches and weighing only 8 ounces, so you’ll be ready to set up your own Wi-Fi bubble pretty much anywhere.
The TL-WR902AC has impressive dual-band Wi-Fi performance for such a small device, with AC750 speeds of up to 433 Mbps on the 5 GHz 802.11ac side. It’s also extremely versatile, as it can serve as a range extender, a private Wi-Fi hotspot for WISP networks, or even a bridge to connect a wired device to a Wi-Fi network by using its built-in Ethernet port in the opposite direction.
A built-in USB port lets you share files and media from a removable USB storage device, and it can also charge your smartphone or tablet with up to 2A of passthrough power. The only real disadvantage is that the port layout is a little strange, with the USB and microUSB power ports on the opposite side of the Ethernet port.
Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC750 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: No | Wired Ports: 1
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Best Splurge: Netgear Nighthawk MR1100 Mobile Hotspot 4G LTE Router
Netgear already produces a wide range of excellent home and business routers, so it’s no surprise that it also offers a high-end mobile travel router. While it isn’t the most cost-effective option on our list, it’s well worth the investment if you need to connect multiple devices to the internet at lightning-fast speeds from virtually anywhere.
Netgear’s Nighthawk MR1100 travel router (Check latest price on Amazon) can easily handle your entire family or project team, and unlike most other Wireless Travel Routers on this list, it also works as a 4G LTE mobile hotspot. This means you’ll be able to connect to its Wi-Fi network and access the internet even if there’s no other Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection available. It’s also the first mobile hotspot to support Gigabit LTE, with 4X4 MIMO and four-band Carrier Aggregation, so it can rival your home broadband connection in terms of internet speeds.
The MR1100 isn’t just for LTE; it also functions as a traditional portable router. Simply connect a regular internet connection to the Ethernet port and share access with your Wi-Fi devices. You can also keep track of the router’s status and how much data you’re using thanks to a large 2.4-inch color LCD screen. The rechargeable battery can last up to 24 hours before needing to be recharged, and you can use some of that capacity to charge your smartphone or other mobile devices in a pinch.
Wireless Spec: 802.11ac / 4G LTE | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC750 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: No | Wired Ports: 1
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Best Range: TP-Link TL-WR802N N300 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router
The TP-Link TL-WR802N (Check latest price on Amazon) is an older single-band router that stands out for its surprisingly long range in a small package. While the single-band N300 rating won’t break any speed records, it’ll suffice for lag-free 4K Netflix streaming and Zoom video conferences.
The TL-WR802N, like most Wireless Travel Routers, is designed for one or two users on the go, and the 300Mbps 802.11n speeds will most likely be faster than the internet connection at most hotels and conference centers. This little pocket-sized router, on the other hand, focuses exclusively on the longer-range 2.4GHz band, so you won’t have to worry about staying connected while you’re roaming around the boardroom.
The N300 is powered by a micro USB port that can be directly connected to a wall charger or even a laptop, so you won’t have to worry about running out of juice. It can also be used as a repeater, Wi-Fi client, or even an extender for a public WISP hotspot. The only drawback is that it lacks a USB port, unlike its dual-band sibling, the TL-WR902AC, so you won’t be able to share files.
Wireless Spec: 802.11n | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: N300 | Bands: Single-band | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: No | Wired Ports: 1
GL.iNet’s GL-AR750S (Check latest price on Amazon) is a travel router with a surprising amount of power and flexibility for power users while still being relatively simple to use. You get a simple router out of the box with dual-band Wi-Fi speeds of up to 733 Mbps and full 5 GHz 802.11ac support, as well as three Gigabit Ethernet ports for connecting wired devices.
Advanced users, on the other hand, will appreciate how much more this one has to offer, thanks to the OpenWrt firmware, which comes pre-installed with both OpenVPN and WireGuard. This means it’s ready to use as a VPN gateway to protect your online privacy, which is especially important when surfing from unsecure hotel rooms and airport lounges. It even comes pre-configured with 25 popular VPN services, and it uses Cloudflare’s encrypted DNS servers for added security, whether or not you’re using a VPN service.
There’s also a built-in USB 2.0 port and a microSD card slot for connecting external storage devices or adding up to 128GB of storage directly to the router to use it as a portable file server, as if the three Ethernet ports weren’t enough. You can also use the OpenWrt firmware to set it up as a repeater/extender, bridge, Wi-Fi client, hotspot, USB modem, or perform network diagnostics.
Wireless Spec: 802.11ac | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC750 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: No | Wired Ports: 3
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Best for Road Warriors: GL.iNet Mudi GL-E750 Portable 4G LTE Router
Because its routers all use open-source technology and include features like OpenVPN and encrypted DNS support, GL.iNet (Check latest price on Amazon) makes some of the most secure Wireless Travel Routers on the market, and its latest portable router takes that technology to the airwaves with 4G LTE support. It’s an excellent option for travelers who need to stay connected safely and reliably no matter where they go.
This router ensures that you always have a secure and private internet connection with WireGuard encryption, support for multiple open source VPN protocols, and even Tor anonymous network routing. All of your traffic will be encrypted, whether it’s over your hotel’s shared network or your carrier’s LTE network, and you can even have an always-on tunnel back into your home or office network.
It’s not just for mobile LTE, though; it’s also a capable Wi-Fi access point, with dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz support and 733Mbps throughput on both bands, as well as a built-in battery that lasts up to eight hours and USB and microSD card slots for sharing files with your connected devices. It also has a built-in rechargeable battery that promises up to eight hours of use on a single charge, as it is designed to be used from anywhere.
Wireless Spec: 802.11ac / 4G LTE | Security: WPA2 | Standard/Speed: AC750 | Bands: Dual-band | MU-MIMO: No | Beamforming: No | Wired Ports: 1
The Final Word
The TP-Link TL-WR902AC is the best value for money, ticking all the right boxes in terms of ease of use, performance, range, and features. The GL.iNet GL-AR750S is hard to beat if you’re looking for something more versatile that will protect your internet traffic from prying eyes when using public hotspots, as it comes ready to use as a VPN gateway right out of the box.
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