Travel router

[Lanark Camper]

We used our travel router for the first time in a campground. Very impressed. We had a half a bar on the wifi, on an iPhone and iPad, couldn’t do anything.

The little travel router hooked up and we could both watch YouTube, email pictures, excellent results. And it includes a VPN. We already have a vpn on our devices so no advantage there for us.

On our sailboat I installed a Bullet “booster” connected to a home wifi router. We could connect to public wifi from quite a distance. It was a bit tricky to set up and sometimes to use.

This is simple and inexpensive and can be used while travelling in hotels, cruise ship etc.

Bob

https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt3000/

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Lanark Camper

We used our travel router for the first time in a campground. Very impressed. We had a half a bar on the wifi, on an iPhone and iPad, couldn’t do anything.

The little travel router hooked up and we could both watch YouTube, email pictures, excellent results. And it includes a VPN. We already have a vpn on our devices so no advantage there for us.

On our sailboat I installed a Bullet “booster” connected to a home wifi router. We could connect to public wifi from quite a distance. It was a bit tricky to set up and sometimes to use.

This is simple and inexpensive and can be used while travelling in hotels, cruise ship etc.

Bob

https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt3000/

We enjoyed the increased range that our JEFA Tech gave us. Kind of fun to see businesses stretching down the block and see what the furthest one away was that we could pick up. Not using it as much now because with great data and cell plans and more cell towers we pretty nearly always can pick something up.

Been there, done that with the boat. Anchored out trying to pick up the wi-fi from a hotel on shore.

Ron

[iamunique127]

Originally Posted by Lanark Camper

We used our travel router for the first time in a campground. Very impressed. We had a half a bar on the wifi, on an iPhone and iPad, couldn’t do anything.

The little travel router hooked up and we could both watch YouTube, email pictures, excellent results. And it includes a VPN. We already have a vpn on our devices so no advantage there for us.

On our sailboat I installed a Bullet “booster” connected to a home wifi router. We could connect to public wifi from quite a distance. It was a bit tricky to set up and sometimes to use.

This is simple and inexpensive and can be used while travelling in hotels, cruise ship etc.

Bob

https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-mt3000/

That device certainly is affordable.

I'm not a big tech guy so, altho I read the product page, I still don't understand how it actually picks up it's signal to give you wifi. Does it need to get its wifi from somewhere initially and then goes on to boost that signal so it's useable? I assume it doesn't get it's signal from cellular data.

[Lanark Camper]

It isn’t difficult to set up. Lots of YouTube instructional vids.
It does two things, it improves the security of your public wifi connection and it will boost the low wifi signal if its strength is marginal as often happens in a campground in our experience.
It’s normally used with public wifi. It can connect onto a cellular hot spot to provide vpn security and multiple users.
Some hotels, cruise ships only provide one login to their wifi network. This allows multiple devices/people to securely share the login.

Hope this helps, I’m no expert !
Bob

[iamunique127]

I understand in general now. Thanks.

[Donna D.]

So this is like a much less expensive version of WeBoost?

[Lanark Camper]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

So this is like a much less expensive version of WeBoost?

I’m not familiar with WeBoost, although I have owned similar products.
I found this to be inexpensive, portable, provides a VPN. Was not expecting it to boost a weak wifi signal, that was an unexpected bonus. Can be powered off a usb socket or a power pack.
I would assume it’s not as effective as a dedicated wifi booster however it made a huge difference for us. We went from unusable to watching videos.
We will also use it in hotels, cruise ship etc while travelling that the true wifi boosters probably can’t be used.

Bob

[7Gentex]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

So this is like a much less expensive version of WeBoost?

WeBoost is for cellular, this appears to be strictly a WiFi signal booster.

Though could be very handy where a WiFi signal is too weak for "normal" use.

[Centex]

Originally Posted by 7Gentex

WeBoost is for cellular, this appears to be strictly a WiFi signal booster.

Correct. WeBoost is to enhance weak cell-tower signal reception (as when at a remote location where no one is providing a local public Wi-Fi service). Sometimes helpful for 'boondockers' on the fringe of cell coverage.

This device is to enhance and provide additional security features when using a local public Wi-Fi service like available at some RV parks, starbucks, etc. So, of no benefit for 'boondockers' for example.

[hugh]

I'm probably being pedantic, but these little routers wouldn't really be considered "signal boosters" because they don't directly amplify and/or re-transmit a radio signal.


instead, they are actually just normal Wi-Fi routers, that can use a cell phone, wired network, or in this case, a public Wi-Fi hotspot as the "upstream" Internet connection. Because the router has a better antenna than many handheld devices (e.g. a phone), it can often connect to the upstream hotspot in situations where those handheld devices cannot.



So, instead of amplifying the signal, the router creates its own (separate) Wi-Fi hotspot that your phone can connect to, and then "routes" the data between your phone and the upstream Wi-Fi router.

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by hugh

I'm probably being pedantic, but these little routers wouldn't really be considered "signal boosters" because they don't directly amplify and/or re-transmit a radio signal.

Actually your statement of "Because the router has a better antenna than many handheld devices (e.g. a phone), it can often connect to the upstream hotspot in situations where those handheld devices cannot." is essentially what a booster does. Its using its larger antenna to repeat the original signal thus boosting the local signal for electronics that have small antennas and poor reception.

If you go to Amazon and search for "WIFI range extender and booster" you'll pull up a bunch of these devices. The vast majority of them are designed to plug into a 120VAC outlet directly for home use. Most of them are specially designed to operate in this manner and not as a router, but most wifi routers can be set to operate as a repeater or bridge. That is whats going on here is that this router is being operated in "repeater" mode when in campgrounds with wifi.

[Lanark Camper]

The one I bought does come with a power supply and a selection of wall plugs to allow use outside of North America. It plugs into the power supply with a USB plug, so could be run off off a USB plug in the RV or even off a power brick.
And it includes a VPN. Somehow even though it’s using a VPN we get better video going through the router than direct to wifi even when wifi is strong. I would have expected the vpn to slow things up.

Bob