5 best portable 4G Wi-fi routers to keep you connected on the road
All major cities offer network access, but Netgear, Huawei, ZTE, Xiaomi and TP-Link devices add security and serve many devices
With 4G networks widely available in all major cities around the world, getting online when travelling has never been easier and faster.
Yet for those people who have multiple devices such as smartphones, tablets and notebooks, or those who travel in a small group, a portal Wi-fi router will be helpful because you can share Wi-fi with multiple devices using the same data SIM card.
It is also more secure than using hotel or public Wi-fi access because most routers will encrypt data so that no one can steal your personal data.
While it’s easy to rent a portable 4G Wi-fi router from a vendor, if you travel frequently and don’t want to waste your time collecting or returning the router, it makes better sense to buy your own router.
You can also get one offering better performance and more advanced functions than those provided by the rental companies.
If you often travel ... it makes better sense to buy your own router. You can get one with better performance and more advanced functions than rental versions
Before buying your own Wi-fi router, you should make sure that the router is unlocked (which means you can use SIM cards from any telecom carrier) and is compatible with the 4G standard and frequency bands (there are two different 4G LTE standards: TDD-LTE and FDD-LTE) used in your travel destinations.
Other considerations include the Wi-fi standards it supports (preferably 802.11ac, which is backward compatible with all previous generations), download/upload speeds, battery life and other additional features, such as a LAN (Local Area Nework) port to connect to broadband and a microSD slot for data storage.
Check out 5 flagship models from the major router manufacturers that would make for a good choice – depending on your needs and budget.
1. Netgear Nighthawk M1