Which travel router is best?
Whether you want to backpack across the European Union or make sure you stay in touch with your business partners from half a world away, having a travel router can assist you in circumventing some of the common network issues that occur during international travel.
Having a powerful and slim unit like the HooToo Filehub Wireless Travel Router HT-TM05 at your disposal, you can convert any wired internet connection into a WiFi connection with minimal effort, offering excellent security and a host of great technical options.
What to know before you buy a travel router
Keep your connection safe and secure
No matter where your travels take you, wired connections or accessing a public Wi-Fi connection could result in potential risk issues. Cybercriminals in particular target these public Wi-Fi hotspots where information quite often flows unprotected. Whether you are staying in a luxury hotel or just renting a bed for eight hours at a hostel, it never hurts to take that little bit of extra caution when accessing the internet.
Instead of seeking public unprotected Wi-Fi hotspots or physically plugging your computer into the internet, travel routers provide you with your own secure Wi-Fi network by connecting to an ethernet, act as a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect other devices and even perform the duties of a Wi-Fi range extender. Whatever your particular destination, a travel router will help keep you in touch with your friends, family and contacts and help ensure your digital safety.
Travel routers powering options
As with many advanced electronic devices, it is important to consider exactly how your brand new travel router will be able to power itself up. This will depend on the continent and the country you’re traveling to. While having the ability to simply plug your travel router directly into a wall socket is the most convenient way to keep your device in working order, having the ability to receive power via USB port or even batteries might be the only thing between you and your ability to access the internet. Check out the buying guide at BestReviews.com to learn more about what makes for a reliable and affordable travel router.
What to look for in a quality travel router
Physical specifications
Depending on just how far from the beaten path you intend to travel, you will absolutely need to purchase a travel router that doesn’t take up an excessive amount of room or weigh a ton. When it comes to challenging issues such as packing your luggage to be under the airline’s baggage allowance or needing your tech to easily slip into your backpack or pocket, you should always consider the size and weight of your travel router before you end up stuck with it for thousands of miles and countless hours.
Power banks, file storage and more
While having the ability to ensure secure internet access in a variety of forms is certainly an incredible convenience, some travel routers are capable of offering much more than that. For example, select travel routers contain power banks that can be used to charge and power up other devices while others can serve as file hubs capable of performing TITAN transfers between multiple USB devices simultaneously. In fact, some models of travel routers can even support traditional hard drives or HDDs as well as USB card readers, meaning you might not even need to bring your laptop along.
Additional protection and custom options like VPN and Open Source
On top of providing the protection of conventional Wi-Fi security measures like WPA2, some travel routers come equipped with the ability to connect to VPNs or virtual private networks clients and servers, providing additional layers of security and greatly improving the speed of your internet connection. For those who prefer to take their technological security into their own hands, some models offer extensive options for customization, including the ability to use Open Source operating systems and software, DIY hardware upgrades, extendable USB discs and much more.
How much you can expect to spend on a travel router
Depending on your desired features, a quality travel router can cost anywhere from $29-$59 and sometimes more.
Best travel router FAQ
Why do I need to buy a travel router in the first place?
A. While you technically don’t need to purchase a travel router, it certainly makes managing your Wi-Fi enabled devices and safely connecting to the internet much easier than it otherwise would be.
Will I need to pay a subscription fee to use my travel router?
A. Unless you purchase a device through an internet service provider or ISP to constantly provide services, owning and using a travel router will not incur any additional expenses.
What’s the best travel router to buy?
Top travel router
HooToo Filehub Wireless Travel Router HT-TM05
What you need to know: This multipurpose travel router will serve you well all over the globe.
What you’ll love: This unit includes the ability to instantly convert a wired network to Wi-Fi as well as transfers files between your device and multiple USB hard drives.
What you should consider: Users have reported issues with slow connection speeds as well as poorly written directions which makes operating it confusing in the beginning.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Top travel router for the money
VONETS Mini 2.4GHz Portable Wireless Travel Travel Router
What you need to know: This affordable travel router offers a wide range of ports and functions.
What you’ll love: This unit offers two ethernet ports that can exchange and support Wi-Fi or WAN access in Wi-Fi router mode as well as Wi-Fi smart bridge mode, AP Client, hotspot, range extender and a one year warranty.
What you should consider: Users have reported being unable to access or change the admin password or creating solid connections.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
Worth checking out
GL.iNET GL-AR750S Mini VPN Travel Router
What you need to know: This travel router is ideal for those who prefer to tinker with their technology.
What you’ll love: This unit has a preconfigured Cloudflare DNS and offers compatibility with over 30 VPNs. It has 128MB RAM, three ethernet ports, 16MB NOR Flash + 128MB NAND Flash, and a USB port.
What you should consider: Users have reported issues with the initial setup of the travel router as well as spontaneous failures within months of purchase.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Daniel Martin writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
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