tp link travel router captive portal

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Travel router that can access captive portal

• Thread starter new-frog
• Start date Mar 11, 2019
• Tags captive portal

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New Around Here

• Mar 11, 2019

Hi all! I searched but could not find a post on this. I am looking for a router (small travel preferred) to use in hotspot mode (sharing a wifi connection). The host network that I want to access doesn't have a PW, but does use a captive portal login page. I want to connect an Internet radio to this network. My radio and all the other ones, support a SSID/PW, but don't have a browser to accept the T&Cs on a login page. So I thought I'd get a router to get behind the host network, and use it to set up a shared network the radio can connect to with just a SSID/PW. I've looked at a few travel routers by Netgear, TP-Link and others, but they don't seem to support captive portal logins. Some will host a captive portal, but of course that's not what I need. Most I've come across will only access the donor network with an SSID, but you can't get the browser to pull up the captive login page. Sorry for the long post, but I wanted to provide detail. Does anyone know of a router that will support this? I don't think it's rare, since most hotel WiFi seem to use login pages, and people want to share hotel WiFi to a laptop, tablet, Fire stick. etc. Thanks in advance!  

Senior Member

• Mar 12, 2019

You can almost always do this with any router that supports MAC spoofing (which should be any modern router). Some routers can also support it more directly by opening a browser when connecting through the router (you may need to disable DNS Rebind Protection and/or DNS TLS). A well-known brand for such support in travel routers is GL.iNET. I believe the GL-AR750S-Ext and GL-B1300 are their most advanced dual band models.  

Very Senior Member

new-frog said: So I thought I'd get a router to get behind the host network, and use it to set up a shared network the radio can connect to with just a SSID/PW. Click to expand...

• Mar 13, 2019

doczenith1 said: I used my HooToo Tripmate Nano twice recently for a similar reason. With the Nano you log into the Nano with your phone/tablet and then tell it the wifi network that you would like to join. Click to expand...

GO WHITE!  

• May 27, 2019

doczenith1 said: GO WHITE! Click to expand...

• May 28, 2019

I can't speak for the GL.iNET routers but with the HooToo you will use the vpn on your client device and connect via the HooToo to the wifi in the hotel. The HooToo does not provide any sort of vpn capabilities. And just to be clear, the main benefit of the HooToo is to allow more than one device to connect to a wifi host that only allows one device to be connected. The HooToo becomes that "one" device and then allows you to connect multiple devices to the HooToo for access to the hotel wifi.  

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WiFi Captive Portals Making It Difficult To Connect Your Travel Router?

I’m travelling a lot more these days so spending time in hotels is now for winding down and sleeping to minimise the effects of jet lag. Something I find doesn’t actually get any easier the more you travel. I now take my Chromecast with me. It’s just one of those things that just works. No fuss or hassle. So I don’t need to spend time trying to troubleshoot problems.

Hotels tend to use captive portals for signing in to their wifi via the web browser. The Chromecast doesn’t have a web browser so can’t connect. The solution would be to create my own private wifi network that it can connect to.

So basically a router. With a wifi hotspot.

What I need from a travel router

There are a lot of travel routers available so it was important to narrow that down by creating a list of what I needed:

• Small and lightweight;
• Run off USB power (so no lugging around power packs and cables);
• Simple, so less to manage and go wrong;
• No battery (as I want to pack it in checked baggage);
• Needs to work with ‘hotel’ wifi;
• OpenVPN support as a client;

The last one wasn’t a deal breaker as I use IPVanish on all of my devices but it’s a nice to have.

After a bit of research I settled on the GL.iNet range of products. They tick all of the boxes and have good reviews. The base model, Mango has everything I needed but for a little more money the Shadow (AR-300M) has the better Qualcomm CPU. So that’s what I settled for.

When it arrived, the first thing I did was a factory reset it (suggested by a helpful Amazon review). I connected it to my home wifi, connected devices to it and it just worked. Hotel wifi is another beast entirely.

The first hotel

So here I am in a Marriot owned hotel in Kansas City, Missouri and it was time to try out creating my first private wifi hotspot. Most hotel wifi uses a captive portal sign in page to register the device. This is usually done using the MAC address of the device, to permit access. As the travel router does nto have a browser to sign in we need to give it the MAC address of a device that does.

Easy. Or so I thought.

The Marriot Hotel I was staying at provided an ethernet cable for internet, as well as wifi. So I used that. Gave it the MAC address of my laptop. But couldn’t connect to the internet. Any device I connected to the travel router private hotspot couldn’t get internet access either. I couldn’t even ping the hotel wifi gateway!

I then tried to connect the travel router to the hotel wifi. Exactly the same issues - couldn’t connect to the internet and couldn’t even ping the gateway!

After several hours of troubleshooting I found a forum post outlining a workaround. It wasn’t the travel routers fault apparently. It was The Marriot hotels’ weird and wonderful way of doing things that the travel router needed a helping hand with.

So I tried to implement the workaround. But the instructions were not clear and eventually I had to throw in the towel and give up. The forum post mentioned The Marriot were upgrading the wifi service across their hotels. Some have the new system and some don’t. I concluded that this hotel had a new, more restrictive system that the travel router could not work with.

I then went to bed.

… a short time later

When I cannot overcome a problem I can find difficult to let go. That’s a strength and a weakness. Tenacity is a good thing. But so is knowing when to give up. Couple that with a lack of sleep and jet lag and I was grumpy and determined.

So, I spent another hour troubleshooting. Then I went for breakfast.

When I came back I decided I would give it one last go. And, you’ll be finally glad to hear after reading up to this point, I got it working!

Here’s how I did it.

Some notes before we start

Before I start there are a couple of points to make.

You may be able to skip some steps below. This worked for me as is. It may not work for you;

The GL.iNet AR300M is a quirky little device with it’s own idiosyncrasies. It will frustrate you. Stay calm or you’re not going to get this to work;

Other hotels will use the same system as The Marriot. So these steps may work with others;

Reboot your travel router before you start. It’s always a good idea to start from a clean state. To do this hold the Reset button until the middle LED starts flashing faster (will happen after 3 seconds). Note that holding it for 10 seconds will restore factory settings . So be careful!

I recommend disconnecting any other devices you have connected to your travel router. Only connect the device you will be using for these steps;

If you have OpenVPN client setup I have noticed that while going through these steps it tries to connect, fails and blocks all network traffic. So it looks like you are not connected to the hotel wifi and these steps don’t work. My advice is to check OpenVPN is not trying to connect before you start and if you experience connection issues;

I had all of the Custom DNS Server settings disabled. To do this in the GL.iNet console, click the More Settings menu and then Custom DNS Server and make sure all options are turned off;

The previous night I had changed a lot of settings while troubleshooting. So I could start with a clean slate I did a factory reset. You are unlikely to have to do this. If you do be aware you will have to reconfigure everything . I was lucky that this was the first time I’d used it so reconfiguration took me about 2 minutes. To do a factory reset:

• On the main menu click More Settings menu and then click Revert Firmware ;
• Click Revert Now ;

And finally.

It’s important that you use the same device throughout all of these steps. And that the device you use hasn’t been registered on the hotel wifi. I think the wifi captive portal page is triggered by using a device that hasn’t been signed in before. I will try and confirm this next time I’m at a hotel.

Sign in to the hotel wifi captive portal through your travel router

Let’s get on with connecting to The Marriot wifi!

Connect to the GL.iNet admin panel. I had to connect to http://192.168.8.1 and enter the admin password;

From the main menu click More Settings and then MAC Clone ;

• On the MAC Clone page, select the MAC address that is shown as (clone) in the dropdown list. Click Apply ;

• Click Internet on the main menu. Then, in the Repeater box, click Scan ;

• When the scan is complete select the hotel wifi you want to connect from the dropdown menu (mine was TOWNEPLACE_GUEST ). Click Join ;

• Click Internet on the main menu. Once you see the hotel wifi name (mine was TOWNEPLACE_GUEST ) appear with an IP address, make a note of the Gateway IP address. We will need it later;

Completing the last step caused a popup with You must login ... to appear (I’m using Firefox so you may see something different). Click the Login button and you will see the wifi sign in page appear. The page will fail to load, but that’s okay. If that page does not appear, try browsing to cnn.com or neverssl.com . There may be others that work but those worked for me in tests;

When the sign in page fails to load look at the browser address bar. It will show something similar to https://mcita.cust.blueprintrf.com:8001 . We are need to note part of this. The bit after https:// and before the :8081 . Using the previous example it would be mcita.cust.blueprintrf.com . Make a note of it;

• Go back to the GL.iNet admin console and click More Settings and then Advanced . When prompted, login using the same password you use to login to the GL.iNet admin console;

• From the top menu click Network and then Hostnames . Then click the Add button. In the first box, under Hostname , enter the name we made a note of in step 8 above (our example was mcita.cust.blueprintrf.com ). In the second box, under IP address , select from the dropdown the IP address that we noted for the Gateway in step 6 above. If you don’t see this IP address in the list make sure something else in the list is not using it. If it is, remove that entry by clicking Delete (I would also recommend you reboot the router by clicking System and then Reboot ). Click Save & Apply ;

Refresh the hotel wifi sign in page that failed at step 7. One of two things will happen here:

The page will either load and you can then sign in to the wifi, or

It will fail to load again, in which case wait 30 seconds and try again. If it fails to load on the second or third attempt my suggestion would be to reboot the travel router and then go back through all of these steps again. If this still doesn’t work then there are lots of things you can try but there are too many options to give them here.

I currently have 5 devices connected to the travel router:

• Two Windows laptops;
• 1 Android tablet;
• 1 Android watch;
• 1 Android phone

Connecting to wifi through captive portals with your travel router makes things more difficult, but not impossible. You can now create your own private wifi hotspot while you’re travelling without jumping through hoops. Hopefully this saves you the pain I went through.

Do you have a problem, want to share feedback, or discuss further ideas? Feel free to leave a comment here! Please stick to English. This comment thread directly maps to a discussion on GitHub , so you can also comment there if you prefer.

If you have left a comment in the past using Disqus, see the post on adding new giscus commenting .

• Norwegian Cruise Line

Sharing internet with a travel router

By Grimix , October 2, 2023 in Norwegian Cruise Line

Recommended Posts

I’m on the Encore right now and thought I’d share a tip (might have been shared before) for giving your whole cabin internet. I’m using my wireless travel router to share my connection (we upgraded to the FAS+ so have 2 unlimited) to the cabin with the same SSID (network name) we have at home. So the kids are able to log in without my credentials and do their homework on their chromebooks.

It’s not hard to do, but if you’re not tech savvy it might be (I write software for a living…) Just thought I’d throw it out there for those who know how to use a travel router that it does work!

I’m using a tp-link AC750 I’ve had for several years. Only around $40 on Amazon.

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RocketMan275

9 minutes ago, Grimix said: I’m on the Encore right now and thought I’d share a tip (might have been shared before) for giving your whole cabin internet. I’m using my wireless travel router to share my connection (we upgraded to the FAS+ so have 2 unlimited) to the cabin with the same SSID (network name) we have at home. So the kids are able to log in without my credentials and do their homework on their chromebooks.   It’s not hard to do, but if you’re not tech savvy it might be (I write software for a living…) Just thought I’d throw it out there for those who know how to use a travel router that it does work! I’m using a tp-link AC750 I’ve had for several years. Only around $40 on Amazon.

So, are you paying for all the internet you're using?

He's still using one device, so yup - paying for every cent he's using.

It just happens that device can rebroadcast another SSID. 

I do the same and GL iNet routers are the best for this. 

Yeap, originally bought it because I got tired of calling hotel IT numbers to get my Apple TV whitelisted. (They finally allowed it to connect to captive networks.) The internet still sucks on board. I can’t use enough internet bits to get my moneys worth either way. 🙂

cruiser2015

41 minutes ago, Grimix said: I’m on the Encore right now and thought I’d share a tip (might have been shared before) for giving your whole cabin internet. I’m using my wireless travel router to share my connection (we upgraded to the FAS+ so have 2 unlimited) to the cabin with the same SSID (network name) we have at home. So the kids are able to log in without my credentials and do their homework on their chromebooks.   It’s not hard to do, but if you’re not tech savvy it might be (I write software for a living…) Just thought I’d throw it out there for those who know how to use a travel router that it does work! I’m using a tp-link AC750 I’ve had for several years. Only around $40 on Amazon.

NCL supposedly is allowing on user device at a time per registered user.

How does the setup with your router impact that? Is the router the "device" or the actual laptop/phone?

If the ship reads each device, then you can only use one at a time anyway (unless you purchase a multi-device (2) plan).

5 minutes ago, cruiser2015 said: How does the setup with your router impact that? Is the router the "device" or the actual laptop/phone?  

In this case, the router is the 'device' connected, NCL only sees the MAC (hardware address) of 1 device. 

Your other device(s) tethered to that they are unable to see.

Often use it to Chromecast at hotels, or in this case, only need to buy one full-premium internet subscription. Keep in mind they don't reach well, so this is something that really helps with in the room. 

How's your allocated speed/output  with TP-Link ... that's on my bottom shelf these days.  Run that with Open DD-WRT should get you better results, hopefully.  EdiMax BR-6258n was my go to then, more capable and features rich but still hopelessly sluggish over satellite at sea.  But, you can't override the narrow bandwidth and dynamic caching imposed by EMC's server, I could be wrong or missing the latest tweaks - please, do share.  

P.S.  I would love to see some benchmark results over speedtest dot net running these configurations onboard/  

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09N72FMH5/

This is my go to, GL.iNet has always been solid. Right now 39.90 with a 10% coupon, under 40 bucks all in with tax. 

I'll be on the Getaway and Breakway next year, so we'll have a pretty good amount to test with Starlink on board. 

For newbies setting this up, you essentially plug it in, look for its SSID, connect to the device, then go to it's homepage at https://192.168.8.1/ and scan for NCL or whatever other Wifi you want to repeat.

Once you captive portal authenticate, you'll be good. Connect your Chromecast, etc. to the device's WiFi name. 

EDIT: Also, if your ship still has EMC, use this in tandem with a VPN provider. It works flawlessly. No weird caching. 

24 minutes ago, cpqq said:   In this case, the router is the 'device' connected, NCL only sees the MAC (hardware address) of 1 device.    Your other device(s) tethered to that they are unable to see.   Often use it to Chromecast at hotels, or in this case, only need to buy one full-premium internet subscription. Keep in mind they don't reach well, so this is something that really helps with in the room.   

Do you think that two end users could be on at the same time?

Would that work with the standard internet (premium gets pricy @ $380)?

We have the FAS 300 minutes each. I was planning to upgrade both to the (standard) unlimited. It's about $230 for each account. It would be good if I only had to upgrade one. $380 beats $460; but then I would need the router and have to deal with the setup - iffy proposition.. 

If you're looking to check email and a few websites, shouldn't be an issue. If one of you wants to surf Netflix... may want to get the premium plan and test the GL.iNet solution. 

Buy one, hook up at house, connect to it's WiFi and browse to https://192.168.8.1. PW is on the device.

Once logged in, in repeater mode on the left side click 'Scan' - It will show all WiFi names. Choose your homes and enter the PW.

It'll be the same on NCL, except you need to pass through the captive portal once to register your router as the 'device' 

22 minutes ago, cpqq said: If you're looking to check email and a few websites, shouldn't be an issue. If one of you wants to surf Netflix... may want to get the premium plan and test the GL.iNet solution.    Buy one, hook up at house, connect to it's WiFi and browse to https://192.168.8.1. PW is on the device.   Once logged in, in repeater mode on the left side click 'Scan' - It will show all WiFi names. Choose your homes and enter the PW.   It'll be the same on NCL, except you need to pass through the captive portal once to register your router as the 'device' 

No plans to do video.

After reading your directions, I see why you cautioned about being tech savvy.

I consider myself so, but in a minor way. I have not encountered some of the terms you used.

My secret weapon is my oldest daughter, who is a computer support tech. I'll check with her if I need help to set this up.

Thanks again.   😀

2 hours ago, Grimix said: I’m on the Encore right now and thought I’d share a tip (might have been shared before) for giving your whole cabin internet. I’m using my wireless travel router to share my connection (we upgraded to the FAS+ so have 2 unlimited) to the cabin with the same SSID (network name) we have at home. So the kids are able to log in without my credentials and do their homework on their chromebooks.   It’s not hard to do, but if you’re not tech savvy it might be (I write software for a living…) Just thought I’d throw it out there for those who know how to use a travel router that it does work! I’m using a tp-link AC750 I’ve had for several years. Only around $40 on Amazon.

I really don't see any difference between using a router to share internet than using  a drink package to share drinks.

23 minutes ago, RocketMan275 said: I really don't see any difference between using a router to share internet than using  a drink package to share drinks.

Not necessarily, you are allowed to share internet with as many people as you want with only one sign on at a time. If someone leaves the cabin they have no internet since the router is using the sign on. The router is the one signed on using the internet regardless if those in the vicinity can access it. You can hotspot with your phone on land and it is perfectly legal.  

The drink package is whole different type of purchase and can only be used by one person so yes, getting drinks for someone else without the package is a form of stealing but definitely not equal.

I am not technologically advanced so I couldn’t do this but I don’t see it as stealing.

53 minutes ago, RRSeeker said: Not necessarily, you are allowed to share internet with as many people as you want with only one sign on at a time. If someone leaves the cabin they have no internet since the router is using the sign on. The router is the one signed on using the internet regardless if those in the vicinity can access it. You can hotspot with your phone on land and it is perfectly legal.   The drink package is whole different type of purchase and can only be used by one person so yes, getting drinks for someone else without the package is a form of stealing but definitely not equal.   I am not technologically advanced so I couldn’t do this but I don’t see it as stealing.

If I understand you corrctly, one can share the internet as long as only one person at a time is using it?

Is that correct?

Yes, one device is accessing their internet. Multiple devices are accessing my device that is accessing their internet. Theirs terms and conditions are satisfied. They don’t disallow routers to be bright on board. Is it skirting the intent of their t&cs? Probably. I don’t think they’re losing any sleep about people doing this as it takes more sophistication than going up with someone’s card and ordering a drink.

 I’m fine with it, if it goes against your moral compass I would encourage you to not do it. We all have our lines!

3 minutes ago, Grimix said: Yes, one device is accessing their internet. Multiple devices are accessing my device that is accessing their internet. Theirs terms and conditions are satisfied. They don’t disallow routers to be bright on board. Is it skirting the intent of their t&cs? Probably. I don’t think they’re losing any sleep about people doing this as it takes more sophistication than going up with someone’s card and ordering a drink.    I’m fine with it, if it goes against your moral compass I would encourage you to not do it. We all have our lines!

I think some are using semantics to defend stealing.

If you want two or more to simulaneously access the internet, pay for two or more.  Otherwise it's just like sharing a drink package.

And I disagree. That’s why we have lawyers. That aren’t specific enough about their rules and do not preclude the use of routers. Therefore it is their failure to correctly write their terms and conditions. People probably shouldn’t use iMessage to communicate with their families. NCL clearly wants people to pay 9.95 per device to communicate with each other. That is basically stealing from them as well.

18 hours ago, Grimix said: I’m on the Encore right now and thought I’d share a tip (might have been shared before) for giving your whole cabin internet. I’m using my wireless travel router to share my connection (we upgraded to the FAS+ so have 2 unlimited) to the cabin with the same SSID (network name) we have at home. So the kids are able to log in without my credentials and do their homework on their chromebooks.   It’s not hard to do, but if you’re not tech savvy it might be (I write software for a living…) Just thought I’d throw it out there for those who know how to use a travel router that it does work! I’m using a tp-link AC750 I’ve had for several years. Only around $40 on Amazon.

Thanks for the tip! I'm just trying to figure out how to do this. What is the benefit of this over just using your phone or laptop as a hotspot for the others in the cabin to use? 

ChiefMateJRK

Would making your iPhone a hotspot accomplish the same thing?

18 minutes ago, ChiefMateJRK said: Would making your iPhone a hotspot accomplish the same thing?

I did that on the Getaway in January. I used my iPhone as a hotspot, to long of a story by I had to get on the internet using both my iphone and MacBook and the hotspot worked. I was told it would not but it did

fastpitchdad

21 hours ago, Grimix said: Yeap, originally bought it because I got tired of calling hotel IT numbers to get my Apple TV whitelisted. (They finally allowed it to connect to captive networks.) The internet still sucks on board. I can’t use enough internet bits to get my moneys worth either way. 🙂

You could have just cloned the MAC address 😉  

On 10/2/2023 at 5:41 PM, RocketMan275 said: I really don't see any difference between using a router to share internet than using  a drink package to share drinks.

warning: gross and disgusting explanation follows. Stop reading.  To make your sharing analogy more precise, this would be if you drank the drink to be shared and then mama bird regurgitated it into the person’s mouth who didn’t have the drink package. Hmmm would that violate the terms of the drink package?

21 minutes ago, blutfort said:  would that violate the terms of the drink package?

Stealing is stealing.  

Cruising Lynne

On 10/2/2023 at 7:15 PM, Grimix said: Yes, one device is accessing their internet. Multiple devices are accessing my device that is accessing their internet. Theirs terms and conditions are satisfied. They don’t disallow routers to be bright on board. Is it skirting the intent of their t&cs? Probably. I don’t think they’re losing any sleep about people doing this as it takes more sophistication than going up with someone’s card and ordering a drink.    I’m fine with it, if it goes against your moral compass I would encourage you to not do it. We all have our lines!

If I do not have unlimited internet, how goes it count the minutes? Do they start ticking down once the first device that isn't the router logs on?

I am not that tech savvy, but my husband is. We usually take turns going on line when we are cruising, but it would be better if we could go on line at the same time. Sometimes we just want to quickly check a few things before bed at night or before venturing out for the day. 

26 minutes ago, Cruising Lynne said: If I do not have unlimited internet, how goes it count the minutes? Do they start ticking down once the first device that isn't the router logs on?

It counts based on when you've logged into the internet.  If you're using a router to allow more than one device to connect through only one internet plan then the device acting as the router signing into the internet starts the clock.

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How-To Geek

Get a travel router to upgrade your hotel wi-fi experience.

You can upgrade your hotel Wi-Fi experience easily.

Quick Links

What's a travel router, why use a travel router in a hotel, which travel router should you get.

You might not have "travel router" on your vacation packing list, but after reading this article, you just might. Here's why we always pack a router with us when we're headed to a hotel.

A travel router is a small network router designed with an emphasis on portability and use in-the-field. While you could, in theory, use a travel router as an internet router in your home, it's not intended for that.

Instead, travel routers are meant to link together a smaller number of devices all congregated fairly close together. Think, your laptop and phone, your kids' tablets, and maybe even a streaming stick in a hotel room---not all those things plus a pile of computers, smart devices, and such spread out across your whole home.

They typically have a very small form factor, the size of a portable battery pack or even smaller. Speaking of that, many of them are portable battery packs, so you can use them to charge your phone while you travel in addition to their router function.

Further, unlike the router you have at home, travel routers have UI elements and even physical toggles that make it easy to quickly switch them between functions like router mode, hotspot mode, repeater mode, and so on.

That last part is crucial. You want a travel router that can easily connect to the hotel's internet in different and reliable ways. In some hotels, you can plug the travel router directly into a courtesy Ethernet connection in your room, which is easy peasy.

In other hotels, there's no physical internet connection, and you have to connect the travel router to the hotel's Wi-Fi and use it in hotspot mode, where it captures the Wi-Fi connection, and then all your local devices connect to the travel router instead of the hotel's Wi-Fi system.

You might be thinking, "Well, that's all very fascinating, but I have no idea why I would go to the trouble?" And that's certainly a fair question to have on your mind if you've never considered packing a router (no matter how small it might be) along with your toiletries and phone charger .

Historically, one of the best reasons to pack a travel router was that many hotels didn't have Wi-Fi (they only had an Ethernet port in the room for business travelers to plug in their laptops).

Later, when hotels started to get Wi-Fi, they had frustrating policies like only one or two devices per guest/room were allowed on the network. Even today, some hotel Wi-Fi systems still have such rules.

When you use a travel router, you can "log in" just the travel router to the hotel's system so, as far as they are concerned, there is only one device in the room. All the traffic of the other devices passes through the travel router.

Speaking of device traffic, you can also leverage the travel router to increase your privacy. Most travel routers support basic VPN protocols like PPTP or L2TP, and the more advanced ones support OpenVPN and WireGuard .

That makes it simple to tunnel right from your room to a third-party VPN or right back to your corporate or home VPN server. It also makes it easy to transfer files securely between your devices as the file transfer is happening over the micro network you set up, and the files never pass through the hotel's infrastructure in any way.

It also makes it much easier to use your devices in the fashion you're accustomed to. You could set your travel router's Wi-Fi credentials to match your home network's Wi-Fi credentials, for example. Not only does that make it dead simple to log in when you get to your hotel (as your phone and laptop already know the way "home"), but you can even toss your Chromecast or favorite streaming stick into your bag and use it in your hotel room. Forget the stupid "smart" TV interface hotels have, enjoy your streaming services the way you want without the lag.

Above all else, when you're shopping for a travel router (whether you pick one of our suggestions or forge out on your own to do some research), you need this feature: captive portal connectivity.

You know how when you first connect to a hotel's Wi-Fi there is usually a pop-up page where you accept the terms and conditions and/or login with your name and room number? That's the portal. You need a router that "capture" that exchange and mimics your initial login device (like your iPhone).

All of our picks below support easy captive portal exchanges, which makes the setup when you first get to your hotel room a breeze. Without that feature, you're left manually cloning your original login device's MAC address which usually works but can be hit or miss.

One of the most popular options on the market is the TP-Link N300 Nano Router . It's a steal at around $30, but it's starting to show its age.

It only supports 802.11n (Wi-Fi 4) on the 2.4 GHz band. But for only ten bucks more, you can jump from the N300 Nano Router to the TP-Link AC750 Nano Router .

TP-Link TL-WR902AC AC750

It's tiny, inexpensive, and our all-around top pick for best travel router. For most folks, it's the easiest solution.

The upgraded model features dual-band Wi-Fi, 802.11AC (Wi-Fi 5), and a really convenient switch on the side that makes it dead simple to change modes without logging into the router.

While we love the TP-Link Nano lineup, especially the newest models, and think they are the best fit for just about everyone, there are a few other options to consider.

If you want more advanced VPN solutions, you'll need to step beyond the TP-Link offerings and consider something like the GL.iNet GLMT300N ---it's roughly equivalent to the TP-Link N300 Nano Router but runs the popular OpenWRT router firmware and supports both OpenVPN and WireGuard.

And if you want a beefy upgrade over the TP-Link AC750 Nano Router consider the GL.iNet GL-A1300 .

GL-iNet GL-A1300

For power users that want passthrough connectivity for Ethernet devices and advanced VPN services like WireGuard, this travel router delivers.

It also runs OpenWRT firmware and robust VPN support like its smaller sibling, but includes two additional Ethernet ports, support for many more Wi-Fi devices, and more.

But whichever of our picks you go with, you'll become the master of your Wi-Fi destiny when you're on the road. Forget cruddy hotel Wi-Fi or frustrating Wi-Fi rules. Plug in your own router and go. And hey, if you're in the upgrade mood, here are some other travel gadget upgrades worth looking at.

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TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router(TL-WR902AC) - Support Multiple Modes, WiFi Router/Hotspot/Bridge/Range Extender/Access Point/Client Modes, Dual Band WiFi, 1 USB 2.0 Port

Purchase options and add-ons, about this item.

• Travel Sized Design: Conveniently small and light to pack and take on the road, creating Wi Fi network via Ethernet
• Dual Band AC750 Wi Fi: Strong, fast connection for HD streaming on all your devices
• One Switch for Multiple Modes: Perfect for Wi Fi at Home, your hotel room or on the road
• Flexible Power: Micro USB port to an adapter, portable charger or laptop
• Industry leading 2 year warranty and unlimited 24/7 technical support

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Important information

Legal disclaimer.

1. Maximum wireless transmission rates are the physical rates derived from IEEE Standard 802.11 specifications. Range and coverage specifications along with the number of connected devices were defined according to test results under normal usage conditions. Actual wireless transmission rate, wireless coverage, and number of connected devices are not guaranteed, and will vary as a result of 1) environmental factors, including building materials, physical objects and obstacles, 2) network conditions, including local interference, volume and density of traffic, product location, network complexity, and network overhead and 3) client limitations, including rated performance, location, connection quality, and client condition. 2. Actual network speed may be limited by the rate of the product's Ethernet WAN or LAN port, the rate supported by the network cable, Internet service provider factors and other environmental conditions.

From the brand

Founded in 1996, TP-Link is a global provider of reliable networking devices and accessories, involved in all aspects of everyday life.

With a proven heritage of stability, performance, and value, TP-Link has curated a portfolio of products that meet the networking needs of all individuals.

Now, as the connected lifestyle continues to evolve, the company is expanding today to exceed the demands of tomorrow.

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Product guides and documents, compare with similar items, what's in the box.

• AC750 Wireless Travel Router TL-WR902AC
• Power Adapter
• RJ45 Ethernet Cable
• Quick Installation Guide

From the manufacturer

During Travel

Product description.

With the travel-sized and compact design, TL-WR902AC is small enough to put into your pocket and make sure you can have internet access wherever you go. The mini USB power supply and built-in adapter make it perfect for travelers, students, and anyone else living life on the go. Coming with the next generation Wi-Fi standard – 802.11ac, 3 times faster than wireless N speeds, TL-WR902AC delivers a combined wireless data transfer rate of up to 733Mbps, making it an ideal choice for various applications simultaneously. To meet the wireless needs of almost any situation you might encounter, the TL-WR902AC features Router, Hotspot, Range Extender, Client, and Access Point Modes. A multifunctional USB port allows you to share files and media through your internet browser with different computers. Also, the USB port can provide power supply (up to 5V/2A) to mobile devices like smart phones or tablets, making it easy to charge on the go. Frequency Range: 2.4GHz and 5GHz; Interface Available: 1 x 10/100Mbps WAN/LAN Port, 1 Reset Button, 1 USB 2.0 Port, 1 Mode Switch, 1 WPS Button; Protocols Supported: Supports IPv4; System Requirement: Windows 10/8.1/8/7/Vista/XP Mac OS or Linux-based operating system; Wireless Standards: IEEE 802.11ac/n/a 5GHz, IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4GHz.

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TP-Link AC750 - ALL your devices on ONE Private Network

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Customer Review: Lightweight Easy To Set Up

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TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router - Review

TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router - WiFi Bridge/Range Extender/Access Point/Clie...

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TPLink Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router

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Customer reviews

Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.

To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.

Customers say

Customers like the portability and signal strength of the router. For example, they say it's the best option for a portable travel router and the WiFi range is excellent. Some appreciate the size. That said, some complain about connectivity and have mixed opinions on performance, speed, value, and ease of setup.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers like the signal strength of the router. They say the signal appears to be strong, stable, and has an excellent range. Some customers also say that the router is rock-solid, handles plenty of connected devices, and doesn't slow the internet connection. They appreciate that it pushes 5G WiFi and that it streams perfectly on VLC without logging in.

"...Big brother (AC902 model) + Much cleaner and more stable connections - handles all my devices brilliantly. + Far more features..." Read more

"...lists for the wireless, DHCP reservation, port forwarding, port range forwarding , DMZ, etc.-..." Read more

"...First, the ship's wifi drops the connection after some amount of time of inactivity and requires that you log in again in the web interlace where..." Read more

"...Despite its small size, it packed a punch . The dual-band AC750 Wi-Fi ensured a robust and fast connection, allowing for smooth HD streaming...." Read more

Customers like the size of the networking router. They say it's compact, lightweight, and easy to hide. Some mention that it'll fit in a case.

"...Both are small enough that the only reason I would recommend the nano over the big brother is if you need something to fit in your pocket, or..." Read more

"...The device itself is small , which is great for travel...." Read more

"...This thing fits in that case , taking up only a little more room than my 2.4GHz router did.-..." Read more

"...First and foremost, the portability of this device is unmatched. Its compact and lightweight design meant it easily slipped into my carry-on,..." Read more

Customers like the portability of the router. For example, they say it's the best option for a portable travel router, perfect when traveling and need to create a secure network, and a nice travel companion. Some mention it'll also work as a wireless access point and is great for traveling with multiple devices that need to be connected to the Internet.

"...Now, I can seamlessly work while traveling , which is incredibly convenient and has greatly improved my productivity...." Read more

"...The device itself is small, which is great for travel ...." Read more

"This little portable travel router is amazing ...." Read more

"...It's missing one feature for travel - that is in more expensive small routers - that could be important to you. It does not support a VPN client...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the performance of the router. Some mention that it works very well in harsh conditions, and is fully functional. However, others say that it was frustrating to configure and unusable.

"...setup, great wizard. + SOOOOO tiny + Works great with Marriott/SPG hotels (and everywhere else I've tried it) - Struggles with..." Read more

"...times I tried this product, it was frustrating to configure and simply unusable . I am returning it and I'm going to try a different travel router." Read more

"...while traveling, which is incredibly convenient and has greatly improved my productivity ...." Read more

"...this gem and checked out the instructions and reviews and it does not disappoint ...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the ease of setup. Some mention that it's pretty straightforward to set up, with easy to understand directions and an intuitive interface. However, others say that it is a bit challenging to setup since it has several modes for different devices and the instructions seem vague. They also mention that there is very little documentation on the router and that the DLNA doesn't seem to work well.

"...Nano: + simple setup , great wizard. + SOOOOO tiny + Works great with Marriott/SPG hotels..." Read more

"...Now, I can seamlessly work while traveling, which is incredibly convenient and has greatly improved my productivity...." Read more

"...The two times I tried this product, it was frustrating to configure and simply unusable...." Read more

"...The included directions are good to help novice users get running, but like many technical things when you run into problems then it helps to have..." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the speed of the router. Some mention it has fast Internet speeds, while others say that the user interface is slow.

"...I had the whole thing hooked up and was online with great speed in under 30 minutes (it only took that long because I got interupted!)..." Read more

"...to be a big restriction in speed and multiple devices. - Slow speeds ..." Read more

"...The dual-band AC750 Wi-Fi ensured a robust and fast connection , allowing for smooth HD streaming...." Read more

"...The user interface is slow - VERY slow , and unless you run the quick setup, getting it to use another AP as a WAN interface is not intuitive at all...." Read more

Customers have mixed opinions about the value of the router. Some say that the savings were substantial, running into hundreds of dollars over the duration, and there was no additional connection fee. However, others say that it's painfully slow and not worth the expense.

"...The savings were substantial , running into hundreds of dollars over the duration of the cruise...." Read more

"What a piece of junk . I bought this because I wanted a media server for my VR headset. There is a USB port for this exact purpose...." Read more

"... Worth every penny ." Read more

"...This one is more expensive but easier to configure and more reliable." Read more

Customers have issues with the connectivity of the router. They mention that the USB cable used to power it does not make a good connection, it loses connection every few hours, and is picky on what kind of connection it will take. Some customers also report that the parent connection may not be working.

".../SPG hotels (and everywhere else I've tried it) - Struggles with multiple devices , the single band antenna seems to be a big restriction in..." Read more

"...At first, connection was very spotty , most of the time websites would not load or load completely...." Read more

"...-WR902AC because it was not always clear where or why the connections were breaking down ...." Read more

"...This also freed up the USB port I was using to power this router. Problem solved...." Read more

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How do I set up Captive Portal on TL-WA1201?

Recent updates may have expanded access to feature(s) discussed in this FAQ. Visit your product's support page, select the correct hardware version for your device and check either the Datasheet or the firmware section for the latest improvements added to your product.

Captive Portal allows you to design a portal page for network access verification. Customers are directed to view an advertisement or accept set terms before being granted internet access. In this way, it offers unique marketing opportunities for small businesses to improve brand awareness and deliver marketing messages.

Note: Captive Portal is available only when the device works in Access Point mode or Multi-SSID mode.

• Connect your computer to the access point’s network.
• Visit http://tplinkap.net , and log in with the password you set for the access point.
• Go to Settings > Wireless > Portal.
• Enable Portal.

• Select the effective Wi-Fi network for portal authentication.
• Set the Authentication Type to Simple Password and set a password for clients. Or select No Authentication if you want to allow clients to access the network without any authentication.
• Select a time for the Authentication Timeout. A client has to reconnect to the network when its authentication times out.
• (Optional) Enable Redirect and enter your desired website. Newly connected clients will be redirected to the specified website.
• (Optional) Click Click to Edit to customize the authentication login page.

NOTE： TL-WA201 V3.0 doesn't support the image uploaded.

• Save your settings.

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Hotel captive portal strikes again

So I have had the opportunity to try my new MT3000 during a trip to Spain using an android tablet to connect (open network but with credentials needed in captive portal to authenticate) . I have tried every single trick in the book (and I do mean every single thing that I have read about this problem on these fora over the years I have been hanging on here) to get the hotel’s captive portal to show up on my tablet to no avail. Connecting my tablet directly to the hotel’s WiFi, passing the captive portal and then cloning the tablet’s MAC to the MT3000 worked quite well but that was the only way.

Now the important question that I can find no answer to: I managed to get a cheap TL-WR802N travel router to try and using this in WISP mode, this small thing connected to the hotel’s WiFi immediately and got me to the captive portal straight away. Why was the TP-Link able to achieve what the GL.iNet couldn’t no matter what I have tried? What is the difference here especially with the GL.iNet being supposedly much more advanced and freatures-rich? Where is the weak link or the problem with the handling of captive portals on these routers that have caused so much grief to fellow travelers?

What’s the IP of the Beryl AX (192.168.8.1)? What’s the IP of the TPlink( 192.168.0.1) The subnet routing might not be allowed or used by another service at the hotel.

Good shout but trying the Beryl IP on 192.168.0.1 still makes no difference in getting the captive portal to come up after connecting to the hotel’s WiFi. Also if the subnet routing is not allowed or occupied then wouldn’t you expect MAC cloning workaround to also not work?

So what size hotel maybe they have a small IP window for allocation. Starts 192.168.1.10 to 192.168.1.80 (simple way of limiting connections) or something could also maybe forcing DNS request. TP-link running some kind of Tomato OS? DNSmasque issue? Maybe the wifi encryption? or Bandwidth? look at the settings of the TP-Link see whats different?

Lot of options Any thing in the logs?

No, it is a massive hotel. Settings on both routers are exactly the same and TP-Link running original stock firmware. No difference with various DNS settings (automatic, manual, encrypted, forced…etc.) on the GL.iNet and the open WiFi connects with no problems at all and router gets IP but it cannot get the captive portal no matter what I have tried even when trying to point the browser to gateway IP of 172.10.0.1. No pointers on logs either.

Well well well, guess what! After pulling my hair off, it finally worked merely by connecting my tablet to the 2.4Ghz SSID of the GL.iNet and not the 5Ghz one. Now why this should make any difference is beyond me…

Weird Little confused on what you did exactly? You connected you tablet to hotel wifi 2.4Ghz entered info for captive portal, got a connection, then cloned MAC address to GL.iNet router, then connected to the router 2.4Ghz?

The TP-Link TL-WR802 could access 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz?

Legacy stuff maybe easy of use.

Casually inqure at the front desk. The answer might actually be first sign-in needs to be done on 2.4Ghz then once added can access 5Ghz because of the range difference. I mean who runs up and down hotel hallways chasing invisible creatures. Pokemon. Literally been told by someone when wifi mapping to optimize for this. But I digress the point is how the AP are set up 5Ghz prioritization.

The TP-link TL-WR802N travel router only does 2.4Ghz Right?

MAC cloning worked as expected regardless of the SSID band used. I then reverted to routers’s default MAC to try and get it to work without MAC cloning.

Hotel appears to only broadcast at 2.4Ghz (probably for better reach rather than speed) and so both my routers were only connecting to wireless 2.4Ghz on the WAN side. The problem is if my tablet was connected to the MT3000’s 5Ghz on the LAN side then I couldn’t not get the captive portal to show up and then I discovered that it would only work if the LAN connection was also established on the 2.4Ghz. As for the TL-WR802N however, that wasn’t an issue as it is a single band router anyway. Why would the band choice on the LAN side by itself make any difference to the router’s ability to pass through the captive portal page with all the other settings being exactly the same?

Maybe it gets bottle necked at the 2.4Ghz connection because the tablet on the 5Ghz connection is sending stuff way to fast and expecting to soon. Maybe 5Ghz timeout needs to be tweaked only thing I can think of.

As far as I know, TP-link repeater works in bridge mode, while glinet works in routing mode. The reason why we choose to work in routing mode is to better cooperate with VPN.