Key Takeaways
- Travel routers are miniature and portable, fitting in small spaces like laptop bags.
- These routers are often powered by USB, allowing flexibility with power sources.
- Travel routers enhance security by creating a private network, offering better Wi-Fi range.
Having a router in your house makes perfect sense, but what about a router that goes with you wherever you are? That’s what a travel router is, and you may be surprised how useful one of these little network gadgets can be when you’re away from home.
Travel Routers Are Tiny
The defining feature of a travel router is surely its diminutive size. These little routers are usually small enough to sit on top of your palm, though there’s still a range of sizes within this tiny niche. A travel router should be small enough to fit in a laptop bag or in an odd pocket of a backpack.
They Are Battery or USB-Powered
Some travel routers have built-in batteries, but this is far from the norm. What is almost universally true is that these routers get power from USB, rather than a typical router’s DC adapter wall-wart. This means you can hook them up to a power bank, to a free USB port on your laptop, or using a USB port in your car.
GL.iNet GL-AXT1800 (Slate AX) Pocket-Sized Wi-Fi 6 Gigabit Travel Router
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A versatile and compact travel router that suits just about any need for those on the go.
They Don’t Have Cellular Modems
It’s important to point out that travel routers and portable Wi-Fi hotspots are not the same thing. These days, you can buy what’s sometimes called a “Mi-Fi” device which has a built-in cellular modem and lets you share your cellular data with all your devices using Wi-Fi. However, these devices are not fully-featured routers.
Travel routers are just normal routers, but in portable form. This means you need to provide an internet connection the router can use, which it then makes available. For example, your hotel room might have an Ethernet port you can connect to your travel router to share the connection with all your devices. You can also use these routers as Wi-Fi repeaters. For example, if your room is too far from the nearest Wi-Fi node on a public Wi-Fi network, you can use the router as a signal booster.
Just like regular full-sized routers, some travel routers support USB cellular modems, though you’ll have to check which of these is explicitly supported. You can use your phone’s internet connection with these routers as well. Simply activate the Wi-Fi hotspot function of your phone, and then connect to that network with the router, as if your phone was a public Wi-Fi spot.
The advantage here is that a travel router has far more Wi-Fi range than your phone, and it can handle more devices at once. From your phone’s perspective, it’s connected to just one device.
Some Routers Allow for Shared Network Storage
Again, just like regular routers, some travel routers have a USB port which can work with hard drives or other USB storage devices. This lets you share storage between all of your devices. Perhaps you have files that you need to access from several machines, or you’re traveling in a group and need a portable private NAS.
Travel Routers Can Be Better for Security
You’ve probably heard that public Wi-Fi isn’t safe unless you use a VPN, and even then there’s still some risk involved. By putting your travel router between your devices and the public Wi-Fi hotspot, you add an extra layer of security. How much security depends on the router. Some of them can run a VPN client app onboard, others have sophisticated hardware firewalls and malware detection. If security is your main concern, pay special attention to the security features of any travel router you’re considering.
Travel Routers Network Your Devices Together
One of the best things about a travel router is that it networks your devices together privately. Lots of Wi-Fi features, such as AirPlay, Wi-Fi printing, wireless VR, and so on rely on a local network that lets devices see each other. None of these things work on public Wi-Fi hotspots, but if you bring your own router, then you have a true LAN with you and all the benefits that entails.
Phone Hotspots Are Enough for Most People
While travel routers are very cool indeed, most people don’t actually need a dedicated router on their travels. Use a VPN when connecting to public Wi-Fi, or use your phone as a Wi-Fi hotspot and share your mobile data with your laptop, tablet, or game console as needed.
When to Buy a Travel Router
As you can tell, travel routers are better suited for travelers who need serious network features while on the go. There are endless scenarios where you may want to have a travel router, but all of them are relatively niche. If all you need is to share your phone’s data while away from home, or safely use public Wi-Fi, there are cheaper and simpler solutions. If you need anything above and beyond that, a travel router is an awesome addition to your travel technology kit.
