Travel router suggestions

[Suspicious_user]

I’m looking for a travel router with the following requirements:

Ideally I’d like an eSIM - but could go for a traditional SIM card (suggestions for a SIM card with EU roaming and a large allowance gratefully accepted)

Wi-Fi repeating - so I can log in to a hotel Wi-Fi with the router, then have a separate Wi-Fi for all the other devices?

Chargeable via USB so it can work in the car.

[ST565NP]

Any cheap / older mobile phone could do that. With hot spot from mobile phone it can also do wi-fi extender.

[Suspicious_user]

ST565NP said:

Any cheap / older mobile phone could do that. With hot spot from mobile phone it can also do wi-fi extender.

Thanks, I’d rather a proper router though, and I don’t think a phone would be able to have 2 different Wi-Fi signals (one connecting to the hotel, the other allowing clients to connect)

[ATG]

Interested to know what the use-case is for the wifi repeater?

[Suspicious_user]

ATG said:

Interested to know what the use-case is for the wifi repeater?

Repeater is probably not the right word, but it’s all I can think of at the moment.

Stayed in a couple of hotels recently (in France), where they only give you 2 logins to the Wi-Fi.

Another use case would be where you pay for Wi-Fi - one device, which would be the router - then multiple devices would be able to use the router, now this may be moot if they’ve got some sort of security on the Wi-Fi that detects this

[superpp]

I have a cheap 4g mobile router, which takes a SIM card and allows 10 wifi connections.
Battery last the day.
I doubt you'll find one that can share a wifi connection, however I also have nano router which can do this:

https://www.tp-link.com/uk/home-networking/wifi-ro...
It's an old model, but there are newer versions.

[Phil.]

My son is traveling across Asia presently and is finding this router to be great. Not the cheapest but good. He’s using local sims but has the option of an e-sim if required.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07ZK5HLG3/ref...

[sgrimshaw]

Suspicious_user said:

ATG said:

Interested to know what the use-case is for the wifi repeater?

Repeater is probably not the right word, but it’s all I can think of at the moment.

Stayed in a couple of hotels recently (in France), where they only give you 2 logins to the Wi-Fi.

Another use case would be where you pay for Wi-Fi - one device, which would be the router - then multiple devices would be able to use the router, now this may be moot if they’ve got some sort of security on the Wi-Fi that detects this

AFAIK ... that's what Bridge Mode does.

[Radec]

I bought the below TP Link mobile router, which worked really well in Turkey, just slightly bigger than a credit card and about as think as a mobile phone.

Just bought a local data SIM when I got there and I was away.
It works worldwide as well.

Used 2 adult phones and 2 kids tablets for a week with no issues apart from when there local mobile signal went out of 4g range.

Great for when we were out an about too.

It's a bit pricey though.

https://amzn.eu/d/4nyMG58

[Suspicious_user]

Found this:

https://amzn.eu/d/9DbtjC0


seems to fit the bill.

Anyone used one?

[Phil.]

Wow! That’s very expensive. What are you getting over and above the other suggestions in this thread, other than 5G?

If you want 5G then this is less expensive:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GlocalMe-Frequency-Requir...

Edited by Phil. on Saturday 6th January 16:17

[Suspicious_user]

Phil. said:

Wow! That’s very expensive. What are you getting over and above the other suggestions in this thread, other than 5G?

If you want 5G then this is less expensive:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/GlocalMe-Frequency-Requir...

Edited by Phil. on Saturday 6th January 16:17

Nothing, just saw the 5G and the price. I’ve already got a Netgear 4G one, just wanted one that did eSIM and Wi-Fi bridging.

[PF62]

Suspicious_user said:

I’m looking for a travel router with the following requirements:

Ideally I’d like an eSIM - but could go for a traditional SIM card (suggestions for a SIM card with EU roaming and a large allowance gratefully accepted)

Wi-Fi repeating - so I can log in to a hotel Wi-Fi with the router, then have a separate Wi-Fi for all the other devices?

Chargeable via USB so it can work in the car.

I use a GL-ARM300M www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-ar300m/ and although it doesn't take a SIM card it is easy to connect to a phone hotspot for other devices to connect to it.

Cheap (£30 or less), will happily run off a USB power bank, easy to connect to hotel WiFi as it will happily 'spoof' the MAC of the phone you used to sign in and will then broadcast a separate connection for other devices to connect to, and ethernet ports if you prefer to plug in to a router and plug your laptop into it, plus it is absolutely tiny.

But most importantly it will run WireGuard (or OpenVPN) to connect to a VPN of your choice (or my preference back home to a Pi running PiVPN and PiHole).