Wireless router for a digital nomad and Apple-fanatic?

[alexjholland]

Hey, I live for 3-4 months at a time in apartments around the world.

I try to ensure I'll have good internet anywhere I stay (results vary!) - and would like to free myself from the crappy, free routers handed out by ISPs that most rental properties offer, which are an obvious bottleneck.

My equipment includes:

• MacBook Pro 2011 (due an upgrade!)
• iPad
• iPhone
• Apple TV 4K

Naturally VPNs are something I sometimes use to access TV from home and it would be kinda cool to bake VPN functionality into the router itself... I think? Flash Routers sell quite a few, but add a big markup. Is it hard to flash one myself? Is it worth it?

I'm a minimalist, but nonetheless internet speeds aren't globally consistent enough to free me from lugging a 4TB USB 3.0 hard drive around for my Time Machine backups (I cable-lock this somewhere hidden in each apartment!). It'd be handy to do this wirelessly by plugging it into the router, if possible.

Some countries have significantly faster 4G than their cable internet, so the ability to plug-in a USB SIM card reader would be really handy too. I keep a bunch of pay-as-you-go SIMS with me.

• Fairly compact
• Works globally
• Can plug-in SIM card via USB stick.
• Decent WiFi range
• Time Machine via USB3.0
• Inbuilt VPN... I think?

Any other features that are beneficial for travel or Apple devices that I've missed out?

Actually.. a wireless USB hub would be awesome, so I can plug a couple of hard-drives and my audio interface in and use them anywhere in the room.. I can only find one online and it's got mixed reviews though!

Cheers,
Alex

 

[BrianBaughn]

I don't have any specific recommendations but you need to consider that in many situations such a travel router would have to be used as an "extender" and not as the main router handing out DHCP as you likely will not be able to bypass the existing router or modem/router. This affects your ability to avoid "bottlenecks" as well as setting up a VPN client on your router in some scenarios.

Also, if a router is 4G capable and you're using it that way the router would need to be the main router...handling DHCP. So you'd have to configure your router's firmware depending on where you are and how you're using it.

 

[alexjholland]

Ok, I'm ordering a GL.iNet GL-AR300M.

It's open-source, can run a VPN and capture a WiFi signal then share it with others.

Plus, it's under £40 - so why not?

 

[Vermifuge]

what about this thing?

https://www.ravpower.com/rp-wd03-filehub-6000mah-power-bank-portable-wireless-router.html