The 7 Best Wireless Travel Routers of 2021

When it comes to choosing the best wireless travel routers for your needs, there are many things to keep in mind. These vary depending on what you want to do with your wireless connection, what kind of signal you need to get, whether you want a laptop to use while travelling, or if you have a desktop computer that needs to stay connected when you are out of the house. No matter what your needs are, there is a router out there for you, so just take some time to research and compare the best options before making a final decision.

There are two main types of wireless routers that you will come across on the market: USB powered or AC powered. While the initial cost may be greater with USB-powered travel routers, the benefit that you will receive in the long run will more than makeup for the higher price tag. The best travel routers are usually very easy to use, are very durable, and are packed full of features that will make sure you never have to worry about using them for a second time.
To keep your Wi-Fi hot and hip, you should check frequently to see if any major updates are being released by the manufacturer. These updates will allow you to take advantage of the newest features and technologies available with Wi-Fi hot spots and with additional features that will work to make your Internet surfing faster and easier. If you are still unsure of whether or not you should invest in a wireless travel router then read on to learn more about the subject. The first place to start would be to look around online.

GL iNet GL AR750S Ext

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If you’re an advanced user looking for a travel router that offers maximum power and flexibility, then GL.iNet’s GL-AR750S has you covered. Not only does it offer dual-band Wi-Fi with speeds of up to 733Mbps and full 5GHz 802.11ac support, but there are also three Gigabit Ethernet ports that can be used to plug in wired devices, plus a Gigabit WAN port that ensures you get the fastest possible internet speeds.

In addition to its top-notch performance, the GL-AR750S uses the OpenWRT firmware, making it highly configurable, and with OpenVPN and WireGuard pre-installed it can act as both a VPN client and a VPN server right out of the box. In fact, it’s ready to go with over 25 VPN service providers, so you’ll be able to ensure your internet activity is private no matter where you land, and it’s also preconfigured to use Cloudflare’s encrypted DNS servers for additional security.

There’s also a USB 2.0 port for connecting external storage devices and sharing content, plus a microSD card slot for keeping up to 128GB of storage right in the router, letting it act as a portable file server. Thanks to the OpenWRT firmware, it can also easily be set up to act as a repeater/extender, bridge, Wi-Fi client, hotspot, USB modem, or even do network diagnostics.

_{GL-E750 Portable 4G LTE Router 4G LTE Privacy Router for Road Warriors}

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GL.iNet makes some of the most secure travel routers available, since they all use open source technology and include features like OpenVPN and OpenWRT support, and now its latest portable router expands its technology onto the airwaves with 4G LTE support, making it a great choice for road warriors who need to stay connected no matter where they are and want to always make sure they can do so securely and reliably.

Featuring WireGuard encryption, support for multiple open-source VPN protocols, and even TOR anonymous network routing, this router ensures that you’ll always have a secure and private connection to the internet, whether it’s over your hotel’s shared network or your carrier’s LTE network, and you can even use the VPN feature the other way, setting up a VPN server over LTE to securely and privately access any of your devices that are behind it, such as when you hit the road with your smartphone and need to get onto the laptop back at your hotel.

More than that, however, it’s also a capable Wi-Fi access point, featuring dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz support with 733Mbps throughput across both bands, along with a built-in battery that offers up to eight hours of use and a USB port and microSD card slot that can be used for sharing files with your connected devices.

NETGEAR Nighthawk MR1100 Mobile Hotspot 4G Router

Netgear is well known for its great home and business routers, so it shouldn’t be surprising that it offers a premium mobile travel router as well, and although it doesn’t come cheap, it can easily be worth the splurge if you want to be able to get your devices onto the internet from just about anywhere in the world at blazing fast speeds.

Unlike most of the other travel routers on this list, the Nighthawk M1 also works as a 4G LTE mobile hotspot, which means that you’ll be able to connect to its Wi-Fi network and get onto the internet even when 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’s capable of providing internet speeds that can rival your home broadband connection.

The internal dual-band Wi-Fi antennas provide both 2.4GHz and 5GHz access for up to 20 Wi-Fi devices, and it can run for up to 24 hours off the internal battery before you need to recharge it, plus you can use it to charge your smartphone or other mobile devices in a pinch. Of course, it works as a traditional portable router too—just plug a normal internet connection into the Ethernet port and you can share access from it to your Wi-Fi devices. A large 2.4-inch colour LCD screen also ensures that you can keep track of the router’s status and how much data you’re using.

TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router

With the travel-sized and compact design, TL-WR902AC is small enough to put into your pocket and make sure you can have internet access wherever you go. The mini USB power supply and built-in adapter make it perfect for travellers, students, and anyone else living life on the go. Coming with the next generation Wi-Fi standard – 802.11ac, 3 times faster than wireless N speeds, TL-WR902AC delivers a combined wireless data transfer rate of up to 733Mbps, making it an ideal choice for various applications simultaneously. To meet the wireless needs of almost any situation you might encounter, the TL-WR902AC features Router, Hotspot, Range Extender, Client, and Access Point Modes. A multifunctional USB port allows you to share files and media through your internet browser with different computers. Also, the USB port can provide a power supply (up to 5V/2A) to mobile devices like smartphones or tablets, making it easy to charge on the go. Frequency Range: 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Interface Available: 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN/LAN Port, 1 Reset Button, 1 USB 2.0 Port, 1 Mode Switch, 1 WPS Button; Protocols Supported: Supports IPv4; System Requirement: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP Mac OS or Linux-based operating system; Wireless Standards: IEEE 802.11ac/n/a 5GHz, IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz

GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 (Mango

[WIRELESS MOBILE MINI TRAVEL ROUTER] Convert a public network(wired/wireless) to private Wi-Fi for secure surfing. Create a secure Wi-Fi hotspot quickly. Tethering（For IOS14, please upgrade the firmware to 3.105, you could download it here:https://dl.gl-inet.com/firmware/mt300n-v2/v1/）, 3G/4G USB Modem Compatible. Powered by any laptop USB, power banks or 5V DC adapters (sold separately). 39g (1.41 Oz) only, portable and pocket friendly.
[OPEN SOURCE & PROGRAMMABLE] OpenWrt pre-installed, USB disk extendable.
[LARGER STORAGE & EXTENDABILITY] 128MB RAM, 16MB Flash ROM, dual Ethernet ports, UART and GPIOs available for hardware DIY.
[OPENVPN CLIENT] OpenVPN client pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers.
[PACKAGE CONTENTS] GL-MT300N-V2 (Mango) mini router (1-year Warranty), USB cable, Ethernet cable, User Manual. Please update to the latest firmware from the following link before using: https://dl.gl-inet.com/firmware/mt300n-v2/v1/


Travel FriendlyConvert a public network (wired/wireless) to a private Wi-Fi for secure surfing. Tethering, 3G/4G USB Modem Compatible.Only 39g (1.41 Oz) and very pocket friendly.	Flexible Power SupplyAble to use a laptop or power bank or a standard 5V/1A DC adapters (sold separately) as a power supply.	Powerful HardwareMax. 300Mbps fast Wi-Fi speed128MB RAM, 16MB Flash ROMDual Ethernet ports UART and GPIOs available for hardware DIY.	Open Source platform-installed OpenWrt/LEDE, a highly customizable Linux OSPre-installed OpenVPN client, supports 30+ service providers

GL.iNet GL-MT1300 (Beryl


Your Privacy is Safe with UsAs with other GL.iNet products, Beryl supports 30+ OpenVPN and WireGuard VPN services. Also offering impressive VPN speeds with 91Mbps on WireGuard and 21Mbps on OpenVPN respectively. You can even configure your router to act as a VPN server and you can access the server whenever you want.	IPv6 SupportedBeryl is the first router from GL.iNet with the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IPv6), adding an extra layer to your cybersecurity.	Tor AnonymityTor service is pre-installed in Beryl. Users’ online identity and browsing data could be concealed from surveillance and traffic analysis by using the Tor service.	Encrypted DNS With Cloudflare or NextDNSObtain a fast and secure DNS performance, while preventing DNS hijacking and domain theft with Cloudflare. NextDNS services include features such as ads and trackers blocking, analytics of Internet traffic. You can choose freely between different encrypted DNS proxies (e.g. bn, cs, d0wn, etc) with just one click

Specification

CPU: MT7621A, Dual-Core @880MHz

Memory / Storage: DDR3L 256MB / FLASH 32MB

Wi-Fi Speed: 2.4GHz(400Mbps), 5GHz(867Mbps)

Ethernet Port: 3 x 10/100/1000Mbps auto-negotiation

Antennas: 2 x undetachable external Wi-Fi antennas

Power Input: Type-C, 5V/3A

Working Temperature: 0 ~ 40°C (32 ~ 104°F)

Storage Temperature: -20 ~ 70°C (-4 ~ 158°F)

Dimension / Weight: 118 x 85 x 30mm, 184g

Interface

1 x WAN Ethernet port 2 x LAN Ethernet ports 1 x USB-A 3.0 port 1 x Type-C 1 x MicroSD card slot 1 x Reset

GL.iNet GL-AR300M

[MINI TRAVEL WIRELESS ROUTER] Convert a public network(wired/wireless) to a private Wi-Fi for secure surfing networking. Tethering（For IOS14, please upgrade the firmware to 3.105, you could download it here:https://dl.gl-inet.com/firmware/ar300m/v1/）, 3G/4G USB Modem Compatible. Powered by any laptop USB, power banks or 5V DC adapters (sold separately). 39g (1.41 Oz) only and pocket friendly.
[OPEN SOURCE & PROGRAMMABLE] OpenWrt pre-installed, USB disk extendable.
[VPN CLIENT & SERVER] OpenVPN and WireGuard pre-installed, compatible with 30+ VPN service providers.
[LARGER STORAGE & EXTENSIBILITY] 128MB RAM, 16MB NOR Flash + 128M NAND Dual flash, dual Ethernet ports, UART and GPIOs available for hardware DIY.
[PACKAGE CONTENTS] GL-AR300M (Shadow) mini router (1-year Warranty), USB cable, User Manual

GL.iNet GL-AR300M Mini VPN Travel Router, Wi-Fi Converter, OpenWrt Pre-Installed, Repeater Bridge

Security

Its outstanding security protocols and data encryption technology offers an extra layer of protection wherever you go.

Privacy

It is the best travel accessory for business travellers, journalists, frequent flyers and anyone who feels the need to protect their privacy while surfing the internet.

OpenVPN and Wireguard

It supports 30+ popular OpenVPN service providers and Wireguard.

Powered by MTK 7628NN 580Mhz SoC
Small, light, easy to use
300Mbps high speed
LEDE pre-installed
Faster OpenVPN encryption
4 GPIOs for more DIY funs