Owning Your Network on the Road: GL.iNet Travel Routers Reviewed

When you connect to a hotel wifi, you are connecting to someone else’s infrastructure. The operator can read unencrypted traffic, log device identifiers, redirect DNS queries, and inject content into pages not served over HTTPS. Most of this is passive and opportunistic rather than targeted. That does not make it harmless.

A travel router with a built-in VPN changes the situation. You plug it into the hotel ethernet port or connect it to the hotel wifi as an upstream source, and every device you own joins your own private network behind it. The VPN tunnel carries everything from there. The hotel sees one encrypted connection.

This guide covers two GL.iNet models: the Slate AX (GL-AXT1800) at EUR 122.99 and the Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) at EUR 101.99. It explains why the firmware matters more than the spec sheet, how either compares to cheaper closed-firmware options, and which model to buy.

Why OpenWrt matters

Most travel routers ship with locked firmware. You get the features the manufacturer chose to include, updated on the manufacturer’s timeline, auditable only to the extent that you trust the manufacturer’s description of what the firmware contains.

OpenWrt is an independent Linux-based router operating system with public source code. If a vulnerability is discovered, the patch is not gated on a manufacturer’s release cycle. If the manufacturer abandons the hardware, community support may continue for years. GL.iNet ships OpenWrt on their hardware with a simplified management dashboard layered on top: approachable for daily configuration, with full OpenWrt access available when you need it.

TP-Link’s current Wi-Fi 6 travel option, the TL-WR1502X, does not offer this. Its firmware is proprietary, and if TP-Link ends support for the hardware, you are frozen at the last official firmware version. For traffic that includes work accounts, financial services, and personal communications, that is a real constraint. For more on why repairability changes the long-run asset case for hardware, see Right to Repair: Not an Environment Argument.

VPN at the router versus VPN on the phone

A VPN app on your phone protects your phone. Your laptop, tablet, and any other devices on the same network are still exposed.

A travel router running WireGuard or OpenVPN at the hardware level covers every device behind it, including ones with no VPN client installed. GL.iNet includes pre-built integrations for over thirty VPN providers. You authenticate once during setup; after that, connecting to any wifi routes all traffic through the tunnel automatically.

The practical implication for multi-device travellers: your work laptop, personal phone, and any shared devices all sit behind one tunnel. You do not need separate VPN subscriptions for each device. You do not need to remember to connect on each one.

What both GL.iNet models share

The Slate AX and Beryl AX run on the same OpenWrt firmware and support the same VPN protocols. Both are Wi-Fi 6, both have USB 3.0, and both come with a two-year warranty and free EU shipping from GL.iNet’s European store. Both are pocket-sized. If you are moving from a locked-firmware option or no travel router at all, either model is a meaningful step up.

Where they differ

The Slate AX uses an IPQ6000 quad-core processor at 1.2 GHz. WireGuard throughput reaches 550 Mbps; OpenVPN 500 Mbps. It has two LAN ports alongside the WAN port, so you can wire two devices without a hub. The antennas are retractable, which holds up better in a bag. The quad-core chipset also positions it better for heavier use cases, including routing multiple tunnels or running additional OpenWrt packages. Dimensions: 125 x 82 x 36mm, 245g.

The Beryl AX uses an MT7981B dual-core at 1.3 GHz and is marginally more compact at 120 x 83 x 34mm, 196g. Its WAN port is 2.5G, useful if you work from locations with faster wired connections. VPN throughput is lower: WireGuard tops at 300 Mbps, OpenVPN at 150 Mbps. One fewer LAN port. EUR 21 cheaper.

The pick

The Slate AX is the better buy for most travellers. WireGuard throughput is nearly double the Beryl AX, which matters when you are tunnelling video calls or large file transfers. Two LAN ports add flexibility. The retractable antennas travel better.

Buy the Beryl AX if pack weight is a genuine constraint or if you regularly use high-speed wired connections and want the 2.5G WAN port. Its VPN performance is adequate for solo streaming and standard browsing.

At EUR 122.99, the Slate AX works out to around EUR 24 per year across a five-year service life. That is manufactured hardware running auditable, open-source firmware, eligible for independent security patches for as long as the community supports the chipset. It is not a subscription. It does not require an account with any third party. The hotel wifi remains someone else’s network; this puts a layer of your own between your devices and it.

For a broader look at hardware worth owning in this category, see Hardware Privacy Stack.

Products mentioned

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