The poll results so far are pretty much in line with what I think is of value in a travel router. #1 is VPN speeds. I’ve been impressed with how fast Airbnbs have been upgrading their internet speeds; two years ago the apartment I’m in now was 25/1, and now it is 100/100 fiber, so for the first time I can make practical use of vpn connection speeds higher than my mango and beryl. But I would doubt owners are going to be paying up for 1G/1G anytime soon.
One slightly off the wall suggestion specific to a travel router would be a small battery to deal with momentary power outages. #2 on the list is USB-C power. I’d like to suggest that most people who are using a travel router are also using small multi-device GaN USB-C chargers (perhaps you should do a poll on that?). Things are moving rapidly towards 100w 4-port USB-C/USB-A chargers; I think we may see growth in the Hyperjuice stackable type as well for folks that need more. A feature of these devices is that they adjust the power delivered over each PD port when a new device is plugged in.
When I am in a new location I set up the travel router and a charging station for my laptop, tablet and phone. But the charging station can’t now be powering the travel router as effectively, because each time you plug in a device there is a momentary power interruption that causes the router to reboot. I don’t know the characteristics of that power interruption, but I wonder if it would be feasible to have a small capacitor or battery across the power input that would stop the rebooting.
The stackable Hyperjuice design would handle this however and maybe that is the direction most people would go.
You are using some PD power adapter which have multiple output. Each time you plug a new device, it renegociate the power ouput and cut output of all type C sockets. This is a problem of PD power adapter.
Yes, we discussed this before. I was wondering if there was a way of mitigating that. Now that I think of it, maybe making your wall plug a pass through would be useful.
Renegotiation seems a problem with the current Gan PD chargers. All of them I have (different brands) suffer from that problem when you (un)plug a new device. It is a problem for both routers (12V) and mini pc (20V) as they do not have batteries like the laptops and causes a reset. If the device uses 12V usb-c PD (or DC jack, with a usb-c to 5.5x2.5 12V PD decoy is the same) one solution is to have a different charger for it. They sell some travel adapters with 45W PD usb-c port, I usually plug devices like the router there and connect the 100W 4 port usb-c power adapter to the travel adapter for the laptop, phone, … Another solution if to use a usb-a 5V —> 12V booster. they tend to have 5.5x2.5 jack so it works ok for tradicional routers with round DC jack like the Flint GL-AX1800 (<12W). It requires a usb-a able to provide >= 12W (5V >= 2.4A), which are easy to find in power banks and standard multiport chargers (travel dapters also). Probably they will sell usb-a to usb-c 12V booster (without PD, I know, dirty and risky) for usb-c devices (I would avoid this tbh, only good idea for dc jack). Using a travel adapter with usb ports and a multiport usb-c adapter allows you to have 2 independent charging stations in a single socket, which is nice for travelling and at home to avoid reseting mini pc/routers. So this seems the best option I have found for now.
do we have any estimation about the release of the wifi 6 travel router? what is the expected size, approximately, comparing with Slate and Beryl? Bigger than both and smaller than Flint?
I plan to update all the old devices pre wifi 6 I have (around 10 devices for me and my family), and would be good to know a time estimation like 1y, <1y or >1y.
Flint is ok for the a desktop, but oversized for travelling. Despite that it seems the unique offering wifi 6 and >=100mbps openvpn, so the unique option for some of us for the moment.
This is a great point and crystalizes some things. If I follow @alzhao, it isn’t realistic to expect the travel routers do solve this, and that seems fair. I don’t see the GaN PD devices to pay attention to this. So the router will need direct access to the mains.
Where I am at the moment I have access to only two free outlets, and yet the spouse wants one for the hair dryer. I do have a Technet adapter with two 110v outlets and two USB ports (2.4amp total, or 10w). But the form factor of the adapter for my Beryl, and the form factor for the GaN, cannot both be plugged in to that adapter. That is in part because the Beryl adapter is of a round shape that hogs both outlets; the same would be true for 230v adapters.
So my two concrete suggestions for a new travel router would be to adopt an adapter design that does not have the round shape with plugs that rotate into place, and have a squarer shape that would fit a duplex outlet, and plug adapter designs like the GaN devices that fit over the 110v AC plugs.
The alternative is multiplug adapters and extension cords, both cumbersome to travel with. But tomorrow I’m going out to the Monoprix and get a multiheaded 4 outlet 230v adapter for 4 euro. Ugly, cumbersome and trashed after I’m done with it.
I suppose they will become more popular and with higher wattage options, 65W or 100W, with the time.
As for 12V usb-c PD decoy they sell adapters for routers (5.5x2.5, 4.0x1.7 or 3.7x1.35 for example) like:
Today, for standard voltages like 5V, 9V, 12V, 15V and 20V, a usb-c PD is the best option. usb-c adapters, cables and decoys are easy and cheap enough to replace single use bricks.
for the moment.
