GL.iNetGL-MT3000 (Beryl AX) Portable Travel Router, Pocket Wi-Fi 6 Wireless 2.5G Router, Portable VPN Routers WiFi for Travel, Public Computer Routers, Business, Moblie/RV/Cruise/Plane

The GL-MT3000 is a compact yet powerful travel router that truly punches above its weight. One of the standout features for me is how incredibly easy it is to set up a VPN server right on the router itself. Whether you’re using OpenVPN, WireGuard, or other supported protocols, the configuration is straightforward, and performance is solid.Another great feature is the free remote cloud access provided by GL.iNet. This means you can securely manage and monitor your router from anywhere in the world—no need for a static IP or complicated port forwarding setups. It’s ideal for people who want remote access to their home or office network while traveling.

With us being very concerned with public WiFi and the lack of security we usually avoid using any hot spots and I have configured our phones and laptops with a personal VPN when using those services. The downside is that the VPN clients on these devices will drain the battery and there is cost per device using that service.With the GL.iNet travel router with the bult in VPN service you only connect to the public WiFi and then launch the VPN on the router itself. Our phones and laptops connect to a secure local connection to the router, which then goes over the VPN which is encrypted over the public WiFi. This was easy to configure and worked well.I didn't have a chance to test at home since the router arrived the day of travel so I quickly did a VPN configuration (WireGuard) that I would enable at the location. Once I was at our destination I plugged in the router and also connected my laptop to the SSID and key using the ones printed on the side of the router. I then created new SSID and key that I would share with the family. The next step was to connect to the WiFi since there was no ethernet at our location and I was able to scan and connect with no issues. The last piece was to put in the WireGuard VPN configuration and activate the VPN which was really easy. The VPN activated on the first try and then tested with my laptop and was able to get to all my sites and services. I then shared the SSID and Key on the family devices and they were all able to connect as well. We had a total of 8 devices running against one connection over the VPN.There are lot more features in this router but for us it was about being secured in the public WiFi space. The router can become a NAS, can use Ethernet as the WAN connection, and also you can use a cell phone USB tethered if no other services are available.What I really liked: Price, compact, easy to setup, USB C powered, up to date softwareWhat I would suggest in improvements: For some reason even though the access point for WiFi was in our room the GL.iNet GL-MT3000 seemed to favor 2.4 GHz over 5 GHz. I clicked on the connection type and was able to force 5 GHz in the WAN settings. The router by default separates the 5 GHz from 2.4 GHz by using separate SSID's. I always preferred to combine both into one SSID and let my devices determine the best one to use. When I configured the local WiFi id did just that in the configuration of our new SSID.I would recommend anyone that travels with family and needs to share and secure their internet devices to take a hard look at using the GL.iNet GL-MT3000.

This tiny router packs a punch. While it is small and light it does have excellent coverage for WiFi in an one bedroom apartment including the balcony. WiFi 6 really makes a big difference in speed, while preserving the older standards 2.4 and 5Ghz. It does VPN (if you need to) and the web interface is very user friendly with a lot of configuration - basic or advanced. You can enable SSH, if you really want and like CLI then you can configure it even more. It is based on the open-source OpenWRT with its own web interface, but you can enable Luci if you want to.You can also connect a external USB 3.0 device (flash drive, HDD enclosure) and have that shared over the network to all your devices.You can setup a separate GUEST WiFi network, if you really want and need to.This company has a very broad range of devices, check it out.This is not the closed source, limited device like Linksys, Asus, DLink and others. Its a very detailed, highly customisable device for your personal network, which can be easy or really complicate to configure - whichever you prefer.Start to finish setup time, for me, was 5 minutes. It has been very stable, been up and running for two weeks without any issues.Highly recommended for travel or apartment complexes or in any situation where you want to keep your data and your devices private.

VERDICTA must-have travel router for use in China. The size is perfect for a backpack or hotel desk, and it performs reliably once configured. NOTE: You need to be comfortable with OpenWrt to get the most out of it.WHAT I LIKE- Compact and sturdy: truly pocketable without feeling flimsy.- Works beautifully: stable Wi-Fi and solid wired uplink in hotels or apartments.- OpenWrt power: full control over routing, firewall, DNS, and VPN/policy rules.HEADS-UP- Requires OpenWrt know-how: expect to manage interfaces, packages, DNS, and policies.- Not so plug-and-play for use in China: plan setup time; beginners may find the learning curve steep. China prep is essential: pre-configure DNS, routing rules, and tunnels before you travel.BEST FOR- Travelers who need a dependable, small router in China and want OpenWrt flexibility for custom DNS, policies, and secure tunnels.SKIP IF- You want a zero-configuration, set-it-and-forget-it device.BOTTOM LINEIf you know OpenWrt (or are willing to learn), the MT3000 is an outstanding, perfectly sized travel router that just works. For China trips, it is easy to recommend.

This thing is awesome. It works a lot better than I thought it would, and is pretty easy to use. I've been asked by several people where I've gotten it from.The only downside I have to it, is that I haven't been able to get it set up without having to use my laptop to do all of the settings. For some reason, I can't log into it on my phone to change anything.Other than that, it works great. I mainly use it with my cell phone as a tether for wifi for my laptop, so I don't burn through all of my hotspot data on my phone.