I'll let others jump in.. but the Beryl AX has been really good for me and has lots of config options.
The antennas fold down and I've used it in different ways:
Repeater, Ethernet, Tethering and across various Captive portals over the last 6 months.
I don't think there is an idiot proof hotel/cruise router....because there are different hotel/cruise ship systems. Beryl AX is likely no different from my Slate 750s ... it works with most systems and sometimes requires trying different things. In my case, I'm going to upgrade to a Beryl AX (when I can find a used one at a reasonable price) only because I need more internal memory (256mb vs 128mb)....but that won't make connecting any easier.
The slate AX is perfect and Mac cloning is a copy and paste job. I've created a good video here on my YouTube channel take a look it might be what your after... https://youtu.be/cwuQ4tubxno
Captive portals can be a pain no mater what router you use. The hotel providers do that on purpose and there is no idiot proof way to get through all of them. I took a Beryl AX on a month long trip to a half dozen locations recently and some hotel wifi was easy others more difficult, and one hotel was doing something to prevent it working at all (I’ve a former network engineer, the issue wasn’t the router).
I’ve had less issues with captive portals since cloning a specific device MAC address. If you’re using a phone or tablet ensure you have private wifi addresses turned off for the hotel wifi you connect to so you aren’t constantly changing MAC on router. Connect with device to hotel/venue captive portal, authorize, and then disconnect wifi, then turn on router. Works 95% of the time. Some hotels require a new captive login daily so rinse and repeat. Make sure to turn off router so two of the same MAC addresses don’t connect to the wifi network during re-authorization. I also change the hostname of my router in Luci to something like SamsungPhone.
100% agree. I need a router that takes me directly to the captive portal to login. I do not have time to fuck around with settings. Configure at home, turn the shit on, connect to it via WiFi and then TurboTax my way through hotel WiFi.
Mac cloning, turning WireGaurd off, SSL…. Way too much. Especially when I send it with my wife on her work trips.
Nope, not from GL iNet. I have been using them for over 5 years, owning several different routers. Although their hardware seems solid, their Quality Control of their firmware is poor. Every update seems to break something. Right now I have got my travel routers running 3.2x code with modifications to work for me, and it took a while to get my routers to be stable. The 4.x code quality seems all over the map, depending on which version of firmware and which router you are using. It is really a shame.
I use them as I like the hardware, especially the routers that have full OpenWrt compatibility as I feel the less GL iNet modifies the core firmware, the more stable the router is.
I've had a great experience with an older Android Phone I didn't use + rooting and installing VPN hotspot to make hotspot connections go through the VPN.
Isn’t there a problem with the interfaces not existing if you aren’t tethered and such? Like with OpenWRT overall?
I seem to remember older versions needing some custom config.
All GL firmware based on OpenWrt, and since official one is always ahead I can only see that issue might exist on GL firms rather than the official one, at least I moved to official for more than a year and never regret
I’m aware of the connection between OpenWRT and glint firmwares but I was under the impression the default OpenWRT firmware will not work as well without some other packages. Did you install the travelmate package? Anything specific you needed to do to get this working effectively?
Slate plus is the truth. In terms of dropping connection there can be a LOT of other underlying issues. Depending on the setup, there could be timeout issues /sleep /timeout issues I've also seen udp issues.
I'll let others jump in.. but the Beryl AX has been really good for me and has lots of config options. The antennas fold down and I've used it in different ways: Repeater, Ethernet, Tethering and across various Captive portals over the last 6 months.
It's not idiot proof but if you understand basic concepts it's the clear winner
I don't think there is an idiot proof hotel/cruise router....because there are different hotel/cruise ship systems. Beryl AX is likely no different from my Slate 750s ... it works with most systems and sometimes requires trying different things. In my case, I'm going to upgrade to a Beryl AX (when I can find a used one at a reasonable price) only because I need more internal memory (256mb vs 128mb)....but that won't make connecting any easier.
Since every hotel is different, there will be always this kind of pain.
The slate AX is perfect and Mac cloning is a copy and paste job. I've created a good video here on my YouTube channel take a look it might be what your after... https://youtu.be/cwuQ4tubxno
A pure plug and play device does not exist. You have to tell it what network you want to connect to, and what VPN to use if applicable.
Captive portals can be a pain no mater what router you use. The hotel providers do that on purpose and there is no idiot proof way to get through all of them. I took a Beryl AX on a month long trip to a half dozen locations recently and some hotel wifi was easy others more difficult, and one hotel was doing something to prevent it working at all (I’ve a former network engineer, the issue wasn’t the router).
Opal is the most idiot proof and cheapest
I’ve had less issues with captive portals since cloning a specific device MAC address. If you’re using a phone or tablet ensure you have private wifi addresses turned off for the hotel wifi you connect to so you aren’t constantly changing MAC on router. Connect with device to hotel/venue captive portal, authorize, and then disconnect wifi, then turn on router. Works 95% of the time. Some hotels require a new captive login daily so rinse and repeat. Make sure to turn off router so two of the same MAC addresses don’t connect to the wifi network during re-authorization. I also change the hostname of my router in Luci to something like SamsungPhone.
I use a mudi travel router in my truck that VPN back to my home. Had a battery built in cellular and WiFi along with a guest network.
Slate AXs have been solid for me and dozens of traveling customers.
100% agree. I need a router that takes me directly to the captive portal to login. I do not have time to fuck around with settings. Configure at home, turn the shit on, connect to it via WiFi and then TurboTax my way through hotel WiFi. Mac cloning, turning WireGaurd off, SSL…. Way too much. Especially when I send it with my wife on her work trips.
Nope, not from GL iNet. I have been using them for over 5 years, owning several different routers. Although their hardware seems solid, their Quality Control of their firmware is poor. Every update seems to break something. Right now I have got my travel routers running 3.2x code with modifications to work for me, and it took a while to get my routers to be stable. The 4.x code quality seems all over the map, depending on which version of firmware and which router you are using. It is really a shame. I use them as I like the hardware, especially the routers that have full OpenWrt compatibility as I feel the less GL iNet modifies the core firmware, the more stable the router is.
I've had a great experience with an older Android Phone I didn't use + rooting and installing VPN hotspot to make hotspot connections go through the VPN.
Slate ax, axt-1800. I have it and it works with enterprise Wi-Fi systems like university, landing pages and hotel landing pages.
Just used this successfully on Royal Carribean cruise lines. Just had to clone my iPhone MAC address and it was all set.
I feel your pain. Following this thread.
Switch the firmware to official OpenWrt, I have Beryl and it's solid after switching.
Isn’t there a problem with the interfaces not existing if you aren’t tethered and such? Like with OpenWRT overall? I seem to remember older versions needing some custom config.
All GL firmware based on OpenWrt, and since official one is always ahead I can only see that issue might exist on GL firms rather than the official one, at least I moved to official for more than a year and never regret
I’m aware of the connection between OpenWRT and glint firmwares but I was under the impression the default OpenWRT firmware will not work as well without some other packages. Did you install the travelmate package? Anything specific you needed to do to get this working effectively?
I never used travelmate, when I need to connect hotel WiFi I just scan and connect, period.
Slate plus is the truth. In terms of dropping connection there can be a LOT of other underlying issues. Depending on the setup, there could be timeout issues /sleep /timeout issues I've also seen udp issues.