We present the best portable Wi-Fi routers for traveling to keep you connected through the holidays and 2022.
Why Would I Want a Portable Wi-Fi Router?
There are many reasons you’d want to set up a mobile hotspot with your own portable Wi-Fi router.
Security: Sometimes connecting to public Wi-Fi access points feels a little sketchy. Having your own mobile hotspot puts you on your Wi-Fi network, which will always be more secure. Several travel Wi-Fi routers also come with built-in VPN and firewall support.
Savings: If you’ve got a Wi-Fi router capable of using cellular data, all the devices you have only need to have Wi-Fi capability to connect to that mobile hotspot. You don’t need to buy tablets with SIM cards and put them on any data plan. You could also give older smartphones to the kids to use in the car instead of buying them cellular plans. Plus, if the kids have older devices and something happens to them, it’s not as big a blow to the wallet.
Speed: Ever been in a hotel, connected to their Wi-Fi network, and wondered if you just connected to 1990’s dial-up internet? That’s not a problem with your own portable Wi-Fi router. Also, if your portable Wi-Fi router is 5G compatible, you can connect your 4G LTE or older device and take advantage of 5G speeds.
1. Best High End Mobile Wi-Fi Router – Netgear Nighthawk M5
Price: $699Cell Network: 5GWi-Fi: Wi-Fi Version 6At around $700, the Netgear Nighthawk M5 mobile Wi-Fi unit should be able to do almost everything. And it does. If you’re a heavy traveler or use this as your primary Internet connection at home, it may be worth it. Note that it works best on the AT&T and T-Mobile networks in the US. The battery is easily removed, so consider getting a spare to keep charged for quick swaps. If you don’t have 5G cell service in your area, consider the Netgear M1 for 4G service.
VPN, DMZ, and password supportConnect up to 32 devicesUp to 13-hour battery lifeEthernet and USB C connectorsOnboard touch-screen controls also tracks data usage2 x TS-9 external antenna connectors to extend the range1 Gbps Ethernet portWeb and app-based managementSMS Messaging capable
2. Runner Up High End Mobile Wi-Fi Router – NetGear Nighthawk M1
Price: $400Cell Network: 4GWi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n Dual Band 2.4GHz and 5GHzYes, another NetGear Nighthawk. You’ve probably guessed that this is the NetGear Wi-Fi router that came before the M5. Yet, it’s still sought after. It’s also the ideal mobile Wi-Fi router if you only have access to 4G cell service.
VPN, DMZ, and password supportConnect up to 20 devicesUp to 11-hour battery lifeEthernet and USB C connectorsOnboard touch-screen controls also tracks data usageOffload to regular Wi-Fi or Ethernet if available to reduce cellular data consumptionWeb and app-based managementShare data from an external hard driveJumpBoost to charge phones
3. Best Affordable Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot – NetGear 4G AC797
Price: $219Cell Network: 4GWi-Fi: 802.11 a/c Dual Band 2.4GHz and 5GHzNetGear is popular for a reason. If the higher priced NetGear devices are just out of reach, this is the mobile Wi-Fi hotspot for you. With many of the features available on the Nighthawks, you’ll get your money’s worth. Although its peak download speed is 400 Mbs, it’s enough for most people.
Guest Wi-Fi sign in with timerUp to 11-hour battery lifeMax speed 400 MbpsColor display shows network and battery info, plus moreConnect up to 32 devicesManage with the NetGear mobile app
4. Runner Up Affordable Wi-Fi Mobile Hotspot – GlocalMe U3 Mobile Hotspot
Price: $120Cell Network: 4GWi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n 2.4 GHz
Small, weighing 4.4 oz and about the size of 8 credit cards stacked togetherUp to 13-hour battery lifeMax speed 150 MbpsUSB Type-C portConnect up to 10 devicesManage and buy data packages with the GlocalMe app
5. Best Budget Portable Wi-Fi Router – Alcatel LINKZONE MW41NF
Price: $60Cell Network: 4GWi-Fi: 802.11b, 2.4 GHzIf you need a mobile hotspot that’s lightweight, inexpensive, and versatile in several countries, the Alcatel Linkzone MW41NF might be for you. This mobile hotspot device does require a SIM card, so it won’t work on CDMA services like Sprint, Virgin, or Verizon. Alcatel also warns about leaving it charging for more than 10 hours, leading to overheating.
Small, weighing 10 oz and about the thickness of a cell phoneUp to 7-hour battery life, 300 hours on standbyData speed up to 150 Mbps downloadMicro USB 2.0 slotMicros SD slot supporting up to 32GBWPS button for easy mobile Wi-Fi connectionConnect up to 15 devicesManaged by appBasic LED display
6. Runner Up Budget Portable Wi-Fi Router – Yeacomm P21-2 4G LTE CPE Router
Price: $99Cell Network: 4GWi-Fi: 802.11 n/bg, 2.4 GHzIf you need greater Wi-Fi range and have somewhere to plug it in, the Yeacomm P21-2 may be for you. It’s affordable, yet it’s larger than the other mobile Wi-Fi routers listed. The Ethernet and phone ports are ideal for the cottage or remote offices. Yes, you can plug in landline phones and make voice calls over cellular.
Two external antennas for a greater range4 Ethernet ports2 RJ-11 phone ports to connect landline phonesData speed up to 150 Mbps downloadBuilt-in VPN clientConnect up to 32 devicesManaged by appRequires external power
7. Best High End Travel Wi-Fi Hotspot – GL.iNet GL-MT1300 Beryl
Price: $90Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Dual Band 2.4GHz and 5GHzThe GL.iNet Beryl may be the cutest portable Wi-Fi router, but it’s also a beast when it comes to setting up a solid mobile internet connection. This mobile access point is small enough to fit in a pocket yet built with security and versatility at its core. The Beryl can be used as a Wi-Fi router, repeater, or tether to your phone through its USB 3.0 port.
Uses OpenWRT firmware, making it highly configurablePre-installed OpenVPN and WireGuard to support over 30 VPN service providersPre-installed Tor servicePre-installed Cloudflare for DNS securityMicroSD support up to 512 GBUSB 3.0 port1 x WAN + 2 X LAN Gb Ethernet portsMax Wi-Fi speed 867 MbpsMust be plugged in
8. Runner Up High End Travel Wi-Fi Hotspot – GL.iNet GL-AR750S-Ext Slate
Price: $70Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Dual Band 2.4GHz and 5GHzSlightly less cute and powerful, the GL.iNet Slate gives you most of the security features of the Beryl, support for sharing data from MicroSD cards, and respectable 433 Mbps Wi-Fi speeds. It can also be used as a range extender. Think of it as Beryl’s younger sibling that happens to be the same size.
Uses OpenWRT firmware, making it highly configurablePre-installed OpenVPN and WireGuard to support over 30 VPN service providersPre-installed Cloudflare for DNS securityMicroSD support up to 128 GBUSB 2.0 port1 x WAN + 2 X LAN Gb Ethernet portsMax Wi-Fi speed 433 MbpsMust be plugged in
9. Best Affordable Travel Wi-Fi Router – TP-Link Wireless N Nano
Price: $35Wi-Fi: 802.11a/b/g/n 2.4GHzWhat’s with travel routers being cute? The TP-Link N300 is likely the most popular travel Wi-Fi router. The price, features, and 2-year warranty with unlimited technical support make it hard to beat, even if it was twice the price. Plus, it’s small enough to fit in a pocket, so it can travel in your laptop bag. Because it can be used as a repeater, access point (AP), or a mobile hotspot, you can use it even when you’re not traveling. Check out the Nano Router emulator page to see how it’s managed.
Router, repeater, access point, and mobile hotspot modesCan be powered with an adapter, smartphone charger, or laptop USB port1 x 10/100 Mbps WAN/LAN port300 Mbps wireless speedBuilt-in firewall and access controlBuilt-in parental controlsManaged by app or web interfaceGuest network capable
10. Runner Up Affordable Travel Wi-Fi Router – MikroTik – hAP Mini
Price: $22Wi-Fi: 802.11 b/g/n 2.4GHzMikroTik’s hAP mini is roughly 4 inches in height and length and under 2 inches in width. That’s small, considering it also has three ethernet ports. It uses the MikroTik RouterOS that’s configured to run out of the box, or you can access its web-based configuration page to make it do what you want. If anything, the depth of configuration possible may be too much. Of course, there’s an app as well.
Minimum 5 years of free updatesBridging and routing capability3 x 10/100 Mbps WAN/LAN portExtensive control over configurationManaged by app or web interfaceSupports VPN and other security standardsManaged by app or web interfaceGuest network capable
11. Best Budget Travel Wi-Fi Router – GL.iNet microuter-N300
Price: $22Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHzAnother entry from GL.iNet, the microrouter-N300 must be the smallest Wi-Fi router available. With such a small size comes fewer features and range. However, this wireless router is still very capable and energy efficient.
Tiny at 2in x 2in x 0.72in and just over an ounceUses OpenWRT firmware, making it highly configurableRouter, repeater, and access point modesConnect up to 32 devices1 x 10/100 Mbps WAN/LAN portCan be powered with an adapter, smartphone charger, or laptop USB port
12. Runner Up Budget Travel Wi-Fi Router – Kasda KW55293
Price: $16Wi-Fi: 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHzIt’s lower priced and has more ethernet ports than the GL.iNet microuter-N300, so why isn’t the Kasda the best in this class? It’s about the size of 6 microuter-N300s. But at that price, it’s just too good to pass up.
Wireless speed up to 300Mbps4 LAN and 1 WAN Ethernet portsWPS for one-button connection of devicesVPN pass-throughMAC FilteringWeb-based configurationLED status indicatorsSupports Telnet connections
Happy Trails and Safe Travels
One of our featured portable Wi-Fi routers is going to keep you connected while connecting with family and friends for the holidays. You may even want to give them as gifts. Could there be a better, affordable tech stocking stuffer?
