GL.iNet - Beryl AX (GL-MT3000)

GL-i I’ve used them for years. Great features built into the preinstalled OpenWRT OS. The Cellular models are great for adding a backup WAN. In many places, Italy for example, cellular is cheaper than wired.

How small you wanna go? Look at Gli-net's travel routers. I carry one in my luggage and they're great.

How small you wanna go? Look at Gli-net's travel routers. I carry one in my luggage and they're great.

I am also using the GL-iNet Beryl AX and am happy with the performance. I had my AVP on an Eero 6+ mesh network at first but the performance in Mac Virtual Display and Steam Link was very poor. Setting up the Beryl AX as a secondary wireless router, and setting it to use channel 149, dramatically improved performance. The Eero mesh nodes and the Beryl AX are both connected via Ethernet to my ISP router. The AVP and my gaming PC stay on the Beryl AX wireless network, and everything else in my household uses the Eero wireless network. If I want to use MVD, I switch the Mac to use the Beryl AX network, too.

GL iNet make some good ones.. the AX1800 and MT3000 are my go to, paired with a 10k mAh battery pack; they’ll run for quite a while — easily 4-6hrs. Their forums are also helpful for getting support from the community if needed.

I have a GL-iNet Beryl AX - even though it’s marketed as a travel router, it’s amazing for the price. It packs a lot for its mini size: 2.5GB wan, 1GB LAN, WiFi 6….

Getting two Beryl AX routers is definitely an option, but I have to ask; have you already checked if your current router at home doesn't have wireguard or open vpn capability? If it does, then you really only need your travel router which will save you some coin. If not, then you can go ahead with your own idea and buy 2 Beryl AX routers or even go further and buy a new high powered router like the Flint 2 (or up coming 3) to replace your existing home ISP router. It's no secret that ISP provided routers are usually very limited in their functionality, speed, etc, so putting it in bridge mode and putting a Flint behind it could also be an option. It all depending on the money you want to spend and effort of setting it up you have. The Beryl AX is a great power:cost router.

A major drawback to using a travel router as a permanent home router compared to normal routers is the wifi range. You'll find that the antennas of the travel routers are much smaller and lower powered than those of traditional routers meaning the range is hindered. If you live in an apartment then this may not be an issue, however if you live in a house, that could be problematic. Travel routers are meant to be used in close proximity to the connecting devices ie within a hotel room for example. So don't expect a miracle when it comes to the wifi range (compared to traditional routers). In regards to Beryl AX vs Slate AX, it would all depend on what you need. I doubt you would actually feel the difference in speed between both in the real world, but the Slate has an additional gigabit port that might be beneficial to hard wire one of your devices on your network. If you have a switch, then this advantage isn't really one to consider though. If you're really thinking about using a travel router as your permanent home router, then it's best that you think about your environment. If you live in a smaller place (studio or apartment), then it might work really well for you. If you live in a larger place with plenty of walls, then I would recommend getting another Flint. I hope this helps 🙂

I have a glinet berryl.ax.and a opal and both are great. Berryl is better but costs twice as much.

So I was a big fan of Mikrotik previously, but they don't seem to offer a 2.5 gigabit router board so I went a different way for this selection with openWRT and discovered GL.iNet ... I had previously purchased one(GL.iNet Beryl) for traveling in my RV as a hotspot access to my fileshares with a mobile wan hotspot via tethering...it worked flawlessly... Although it had a 2.5.gb wan port, I actually wasn't using it... After the Spectrum tech insisted that I had to use their modem to achieve gigabit speed, it was then that I discovered ALL of my connected home devices (smarthome appliances) were listed on my spectrum web management panel. I was not pleased to be sharing absolutely everything with them, so I disconnected it, replaced their modem with my Beryl and achieved slightly faster consistent Internet speeds(tested with ookla), afterwards erasing all device info from their website and returning their modem to my local spectrum store. The Beryl ran slightly hot for dedicated home use so I went online for a solid replacement.... Since I was in need of a 2.5.gb wan port for my home with WiFi support, I looked up their home based solution, the Flint... It had the same interface as my Beryl, but faster processor for more in-home performance... And even though the initial interface is simplified, there is an advanced interface that allows me to configure more powerful firewall settings. So far I'm loving this thing and it acts as a true firewall...nothing is shared with Spectrum web management panel which was what initially motivated me to do all of this...hope this helps [GL.iNet GL-MT6000(Flint 2)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CP7S3117?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title)

So I was a big fan of Mikrotik previously, but they don't seem to offer a 2.5 gigabit router board so I went a different way for this selection with openWRT and discovered GL.iNet ... I had previously purchased one(GL.iNet Beryl) for traveling in my RV as a hotspot access to my fileshares with a mobile wan hotspot via tethering...it worked flawlessly... Although it had a 2.5.gb wan port, I actually wasn't using it... After the Spectrum tech insisted that I had to use their modem to achieve gigabit speed, it was then that I discovered ALL of my connected home devices (smarthome appliances) were listed on my spectrum web management panel. I was not pleased to be sharing absolutely everything with them, so I disconnected it, replaced their modem with my Beryl and achieved slightly faster consistent Internet speeds(tested with ookla), afterwards erasing all device info from their website and returning their modem to my local spectrum store. The Beryl ran slightly hot for dedicated home use so I went online for a solid replacement.... Since I was in need of a 2.5.gb wan port for my home with WiFi support, I looked up their home based solution, the Flint... It had the same interface as my Beryl, but faster processor for more in-home performance... And even though the initial interface is simplified, there is an advanced interface that allows me to configure more powerful firewall settings. So far I'm loving this thing and it acts as a true firewall...nothing is shared with Spectrum web management panel which was what initially motivated me to do all of this...hope this helps [GL.iNet GL-MT6000(Flint 2)](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0CP7S3117?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title)

Carnival has banned travel routers. That said, I bring one on every cruise and vacation I take and have never had any cruise line notice it, let alone take it. I've never used internet on Carnival, but on Princess, sharing the connection was easy. I use a Beryl AX by GLi-Net and I've never had an issue adding it to any hospitality network. I set mine up to use the same wifi SSID as my house so that devices like my kid's oxygen monitor, ebook readers, etc. all just connect to that without issue.