GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal) Portable WiFi Travel Router, Mini VPN Wireless Router for Fiber Optic Modem, Mobile Internet WiFi Repeater, Dual Band Openwrt Computer Routers, Home/Business/RV/Cruise

I picked up the GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal) Travel WiFi Router for added security and convenience while traveling, and it has quickly become an essential gadget for me.Pros:✅ Compact & Lightweight (5/5): This router is small enough to fit in my pocket or backpack, making it perfect for travel. It doesn’t take up much space and is easy to carry around.✅ Easy Setup (5/5): The setup process is super simple—just plug it in, follow the user-friendly interface, and you’re good to go in minutes. Even if you're not tech-savvy, the instructions are clear and straightforward.✅ Secure Public WiFi (5/5): One of the main reasons I got this router was for extra security when using public WiFi. It acts as a middle layer between my devices and the public network, reducing risks of hacking and data theft.✅ Dual-Band WiFi (5/5): With AC1200 speeds, it provides solid performance on both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The Gigabit Ethernet port is also a nice bonus when I need a wired connection.✅ Repeater & Bridge Mode (5/5): Works well in hotels, airports, and cafes, where I can extend WiFi signals or create my own private network.✅ Supports OpenWRT & VPN (5/5): It supports OpenVPN & WireGuard, which means I can use my own VPN service for extra privacy. Great for bypassing geo-restrictions when traveling internationally.✅ Reliable Performance (4.5/5): Handles multiple devices at once without lag. Streaming and browsing work smoothly, though I wouldn’t expect it to handle heavy gaming or 4K streaming on many devices at once.Cons:⚠️ Limited Range (4/5): Works great for a single hotel room or small space, but don’t expect long-range coverage—this is meant for portability, not whole-house networking.⚠️ No Built-In Battery (4.5/5): It needs to be plugged in via USB-C, which isn’t a huge issue, but a built-in battery would have been nice for true portability.⚠️ Not Ideal for High-Speed Streaming (4/5): While it's fast for general use, don’t expect top-tier speeds if you have a super-fast gigabit connection—this is a travel router, not a high-end home router.Final Verdict:The GL.iNet GL-SFT1200 (Opal) is an amazing travel router for those who value security, portability, and ease of use. It’s perfect for business travelers, frequent flyers, and anyone who needs a safe, private network while on the go.

The router performance is about the same as the Tenda AC1200 AC8 it replaced. It does that with MUCH smaller antenna and only two of them compared with 4 antennae of the AC8. Prepare for very small fonts in the start up instructions! I did have an issue and needed to go online to the site for clarification. Possibly due to language differences there was confusion as to which password to enter into the router once it rebooted. Either the new router password or the host password. That was resolved and the router has run smoothly since 12/11/24. It was setup in our house but it will be transferred to an office environment shortly where its host and password will again be changed before it settles into service at that location. Based on its performance we ordered three more.This router was approved for use by our national organization. We also bought the carry cases for them as Amazon offered a case designed for this router. We do need a case to protect the router when not in use. If you use "WISP" mode to connect to the host wirelessly this router does not have one. Its equivalent mode is "Repeater" and it works the same as WISP as it connects to the host and on to the Internet in our case. We have not used the router in any other mode, however we expect that it will meet our expectations. There are two LAN and one WAN port along with a 2.0 USB port. With its small size we may use a switch for allowing access to other devices. A four port switch device is very light and won't interfere with portability this router affords. The color blends in very well with our office surroundings. The AC8 was only offered in black or white colors and with 4 large antennae it did not blend in very well. Packing it for travel or storage was very annoying. This Opal router works well and has side benefits. The antennae design worked well in a TP-Link access point we used several years ago. The Internet speed test we ran did not differ very much from the AC8 design so we expect about the same performance from this smaller unit as compared to the larger Tenda AC8 design. I also bought one for our house. A nice touch was the power supply and cord. Both match the unit color and the plug has a unique design. The cord is a flat design that FOLDS very nice within itself. I am NOT going to purchase round cords any longer. When one coils (folds) this cord just follow the contours that you see when you first look at the unit in the box. You can then fold it back into the same size. I took a photo of it so I could refold it correctly and it DID! A nice small package without using an elastic. Its funny how the little things add up to a nice design. The Gli folks have a nice design throughout the product. Even the box design is very well done. BTW the route unit takes up about 1/2 the box and the cord and power supply take up the other half. The router is in a soft sleeve and one will realize it is only 1/2 of the box size. The plug of the power cord will need a 10 second assembly.It seems to be a universal plug that allows the unit to adapt to US, EU and other electrical systems. The contacts assembly are separate from the remainder of the cord assembly. The instructions indicate how to connect the contacts to assemble it to the cord unit by aligning the contact unit with the cord unit and then clicking the two into place with a slight twist of the wrist. Sounds complicated BUT it is like aligning an aspirin bottle top with the bottle edge and slightly twisting the top on. The U.S. model has a standard U.S. plug contacts. The units going to the EU probably have the EU type contact assembly. Slick!We do not need speed greater than the AC1200 standard right now. However, if we need more speed or more features the GLi company will be the first place we will look. GLi put a lot of thought into their design and it makes me confident that their electronics are designed with the same care and detail.

We don't have internet service at our shore house but we do at our main home, so we needed something that could rebroadcast the Xfinity hotspot. As you might know, this is not possible on most routers because the hotspot is not password protected, but only serves a login portal until you actually login. So it seems like you have Internet access, but you don't into you're logged in. This router does support this, so I simply connected to the hotspot, logged into the portal in the app, and voila - done. The entire house has a strong WiFi signal that all devices can now use. I couldn't be happier with this little guy!