Traveling for work and staying in hotels is inconvenient enough, but sometimes you’re stuck with a single ethernet cable as your internet source. By using a travel router, you can split the connection between your devices, and create a wireless hotspot for phones, tablets, or laptops. These devices are incredibly compact and use USB power, rather than a standard wall socket. Here’s a collection of our favorite travel routers.
RAVPower FileHub Travel Router
Portable storage you can stream
Plug in an SD card to this travel router, and it will pull your files off it for backup, without ever needing to connect a computer. There is 3TB of available space, which can also be used for streaming content, with support for DLNA. LED status icons on the front of the device show you what connections are being used, as well as battery life.
HooToo Filehub Travel Router
Charge your devices while sharing connection
Serving as a travel router, external hard drive, and 10400 mAh portable battery, you get three devices in one with this model from HooToo. There are covers for all of the ports, so you won’t have to worry about dust ruining your connections. At the top of the device, there is an LED battery monitor, as well as a WiFi indicator.
GL.iNET GL-MT300N-V2 Wireless Mini Portable Travel Router
Bright color is easy to spot
This model has ports for LAN, WAN, and USB (mobile data), and can be used as a repeater, USB modem, or tethering device. It supports connection speeds up to 300Mbps and weighs only 39 grams. Both OpenVPN and OpenWrt come pre-installed. The vibrant yellow color also makes it easy to find in your bag.
TP-Link N300 Nano Travel Router
Simple design lets you plug and play
If you want to keep things simple, consider this option from TP-Link. It supports one incoming LAN or WAN connection, letting it be used as a router or hub, and has a plug for power via USB. You can transfer up to 300Mbps on the 2.4Ghz WiFi band.
GL.iNet Slate VPN Router
Offers more connection ports
Cloudflare DNS Over TLS is pre-configured on this option, so you'll be secure from the start. It’s compatible with 3G/4G USB modems and works with 2.4Ghz at 300Mbps, and 5Ghz at 433Mbps. There are two LAN ports, one WAN port, and there are a few customization options for the LEDs on the front of the device.
Getting connected
A travel router can provide you with a wireless network wherever you travel, so you can continue streaming or working on your mobile devices. We think the RAVPower FileHub Travel Router is the best option for most people. Photographers and videographers will enjoy the app-free file transfers from SD cards and the 3TB of storage. It also has an easy-to-understand LED display, showing your current battery life and network connection.
If you want even more from your travel router, consider the HooToo Filehub Travel Router. It can charge your devices, share a wireless signal, and store your files. It’s also the most rugged option in our collection because it has covers for all of its ports.
