Travel Router – Forumite.site

This topic has 44 replies, 10 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 7 months ago by Dave Rice.

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August 13, 2018 at 2:54 pm #24649
Drezha
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@drezha
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I’m about to travel a lot for work (site inspections of 87 sites) so I’ll be spending a reasonable period of time in hotels (probably Travelodge’s…) Whilst these have wifi, I’m limited to two devices, but I’ll probably have more than this, due to the items I use for the survey.

I’ve been looking at something like this – would I be able to bridge the Travelodge wifi with it? They have a log in portal, and some googling suggests I can, but I believe a number of you have devices like the link and wondered if anyone had first hand information.

It would also let me take a Chromecast with me which would make life a bit more comfortable!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
August 13, 2018 at 4:43 pm #24652
PlaneMan
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@planeman
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I see no reason why not but not tried it myself. Maybe someone with more network experience (Dave, for example) could prove me wrong.
August 13, 2018 at 4:55 pm #24655
blacklion1725
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@blacklion1725
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I should think so. I use this one which will bridge wifi or ethernet to a local hotspot, and has the advantage that it also supports OpenVPN (either to your own router or a paid service – if you don’t want the VPN feature it is overkill.) I think the local logon portal would be extended to the client (on the hotspot side) but not 100%.

Another option would be a 2nd usb wifi adapter for a laptop and create a hotspot on the laptop?
August 13, 2018 at 5:10 pm #24657
Drezha
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@drezha
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blacklion1725 wrote:

I should think so. I use this one which will bridge wifi or ethernet to a local hotspot, and has the advantage that it also supports OpenVPN (either to your own router or a paid service – if you don’t want the VPN feature it is overkill.) I think the local logon portal would be extended to the client (on the hotspot side) but not 100%. Another option would be a 2nd usb wifi adapter for a laptop and create a hotspot on the laptop?

I gave this one a punt and ordered for collection from a locker near the site I’m working at tomorrow. Got to love Amazon Lockers!

The USB adapter is a good one, but forgot I could do that. Whilst this should be fine whilst I’m out with work as I’ll have my laptop, I was also considering that it may work when holidaying with the girlfriend, where I may not have a laptop.

Do have a subscription to Private Internet Access but from memory, Travelodge blocks VPN access, which isn’t ideal when trying to access my work VPN! My home Synology VPN is setup with L2TP IIRC but I believe that’s also blocked.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
August 13, 2018 at 6:00 pm #24658
blacklion1725
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@blacklion1725
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Should be fine I think – the dearer ones are higher specced which is handy if you are streaming or have multiple clients simultaneously, but as ever with Amazon – can go back if no good. Be interested to see you how you get on – especially the VPN if you try it.
August 13, 2018 at 6:38 pm #24660
Bob Williams
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@bullstuff2
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You won’t lose that bright yellow box, Chris!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.
August 14, 2018 at 11:48 am #24681
Ed P
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@edps
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Travelodge use Virgin Wifi, so you may need to explore how to use a vpn with them. (For home use it needs a firewall mod so good luck!)
August 14, 2018 at 12:01 pm #24682
The Duke
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@sgb101
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I use a hootoo, and I have a tavel passport I got for my In laws that does the job you want also.

You could also just use a laptop. My lad used this approach to get around the two device limit on his uni wifi for 4 years.

He bought a lenovo laptop he hated, he was going to return it, but set ui up as a ‘router/gateway’ to his WiFi, and just left it doing its front for 4 years, between 2 dwellings.

Though a hootoo would be a better shout. It have peoblay 4 or 5 modes. Same as the old travel mate passport I think it was called. I deplored that as a wifi drudge at the In laws, (but it does what you want too) about 5 or more years ago, to give thier (my) TT you view box a connection to the Internet.
August 14, 2018 at 5:27 pm #24691
Drezha
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@drezha
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Well, it arrived before I finished on site so I collected it and I’m back in the hotel now.

Seemed relatively simple to setup! Created the second Wifi network and selected bridge mode. Seemed to work. Initially some issues with getting connected – it connected to the Wifi with no issues, but then had issues after it had taken my payment. I dug around a bit and unchecked the DNS rebind and that seemed to fix it.

Looks like it’s working for a number of devices as well – I’ve four connected and they seem to be able to access fine. Not tried the VPN settings yet though. However, logging on to my work VPN does appear to work, so I don’t know if they now accept VPN connections. Next time, I’ll bring a Pi W with me and have PiHole installed! Or setup my home VPN so I can tunnel through it and use the one at home.

Connected via cable to the router

Connected direct to Travelodge Wifi

Connected to the WiFi of the router and connected to the Travelodge Wifi

Doesn’t seem to be much in it.

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
August 15, 2018 at 8:49 am #24711
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
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I’m in a travel lodge at the moment (Tower Hill). I use a 3 Huawei E5573 these days then I know I can connect what I want in the way I want. £23 for 12gb sim that lasts up to a year (from my memory) but you can get contract too.
August 15, 2018 at 7:02 pm #24721
Drezha
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@drezha
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For whatever reason, the Travelodge I was at in Acton last night was in a black spot. I could only get 3G in the room and fairly poorly at that. Mind, I’ve also noticed that my network in Manchester is dog slow even when I have full signal (Tesco – so, O2) a lot of the time so I’ve grown weary of using 4G. Maybe Three is better. If I have to, I’ll tether my work phone and use that. They’ve sent me away, so they can pay for the data!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
August 15, 2018 at 11:32 pm #24727
The Duke
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@sgb101
Forumite Points: 5
I was in the Premier inn close to christies hospital earlier in the year, and I was getting 65meg over 4g. So never bothered upping the PI basic Internet.

I was in a renal flat in zaragoza last week, I wad getting 270 up and down (give or take), My ten year old girl was getting 380 up and down so last yeas P9 seems to have a faster wifi chip set than my P20pro!

Not that one Could tell any difference Between either in both upload and down load. But I condnt tell the difference between 76 (max my line can do) and 40 when we briefly downgraded at home. (the 1meg up down from 20meg up, we could feel l hense the brief downgrade to 40m

Now what Chris seems finished, I’ll now ask a question. I’m non the market for router, and would kile own that can serve the full 80mg to each device, and set a static address or a form of one. So it can host a Minecraft server. Also have Atleast one usb3 in put.

Asus would be good, as ive had a good ride with one the last 6 years, but it’s starting to wobble now.

I just need a router as my FTTC had the bt white box, that handles all the login stuff.

Ive never been give any username or login by TT since I moved to FTTC. 8ts all in the white box apparently.
August 16, 2018 at 1:23 am #24730
Bob Williams
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@bullstuff2
Forumite Points: 0
Full of Ads, but lots of reviews Steve:

http://tinyurl.com/y8hqlyke

I like TP-Link personally and will install my 3 yo VDSL 9980 on my FTTC service to replace the Plusnet Hub One when Plusnet get around to making Openreach connect my new cabinet (just around the corner from my Close) to my line, instead of the old one a mile away. Should get more Mbps then. If only….

Hub One is not bad, Gigabit to the Desktop and around 300 Mbps to the laptop, 72 to Wifi phones and tablet. But the 9980 will beat that.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.
August 16, 2018 at 7:31 am #24741
The Duke
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@sgb101
Forumite Points: 5
Cheers Bob, just got back for am airport run (tell I’m home), so gonna have a nap, (hopefully ) before th house wakes up. Luckily both the elder kids ar off work, so that should keep it quiet till 11 instead of 7.
August 16, 2018 at 7:32 am #24742
JayCeeDee
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@jayceedee
Forumite Points: 230
Sky have a different take on that, as I was expecting either a new router to replace the SkyHub that I’ve had for a couple of years, or another box ( white ) on the wall, but their latest hub can cope with both ADSL and fibre.

As I need to run a Cat5/6 lead into the loft to sort out my wifi isssues, I’ll either have to re-locate the hub to near the BT socket ( and boxed in pipes up the wall to the loft) or run in an extra lead from the hub ( through the boxed in pipes on the floor ) but needing a larger – or second – hole in a cavity wall. All good fun, so long as the wife doesn’t see any mess!!
August 16, 2018 at 12:24 pm #24746
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
Forumite Points: 7
Steve, any decent make xDSL ac1200+ WiFi will do what you want. You can junk the open reach white box too.

Asus still have a very good name.
August 16, 2018 at 1:21 pm #24748
blacklion1725
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@blacklion1725
Forumite Points: 2
Slight word of warning I had the Asus DSL-AC68U with built in modem. Perfect on paper for me but it was horrific. Got it from Overclockers whose forum had about a hundred page thread on it with most users returning it. I did too, despite numerous firmware updates it would still disconnect every hour or so.

I went back to the BT modem and am using the Asus RT-AC87U – which has been excellent. It runs many firmware variants, I’m running Merlin which has lots of nice tweaks like selective VPN (i.e. certain MAC addresses or IPs use the VPN while others don’t). Had it a couple of years so not sure what the current models are, but while I recommend Asus from my experience I wouldn’t go for one of their modem routers for FTTC.
August 16, 2018 at 2:14 pm #24749
Drezha
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@drezha
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I’m using one of the Nighthawk routes and have been pretty impressed with it. Might well have a few years left in it yet. I can’t recall why I binned off the BT Homehub, but there was probably a reason I dropped £100 on a router!

"Everything looks interesting until you do it. Then you find it’s just another job" - Terry Pratchett
August 17, 2018 at 2:52 pm #24768
Dave Rice
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@ricedg
Forumite Points: 7
Well there’s a review of routers in this weeks PC Pro and it’s confirmed my view that splitting the router and WiFi is the best way to go.

The best router there, costing £400, couldn’t match the WiFi capabilities of my £95 Ubiquiti AC1300 AP (although it came close). A £40 TP-LINK TD-W9970 router will do what most would want out of the broadband side, that is make a secure connection and provide local DHCP & DNS. Link them together with a £25 quality 5 port gigabit switch and you have a network to take on all comers and all flavours of internet connectivity.
August 17, 2018 at 3:45 pm #24769
The Duke
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@sgb101
Forumite Points: 5
My issue re the white box is it has my login and password info. Is there anyway for me to extract that without calling TT?

As my router where the pw and user names is I just leave blank atm. I’ve never been given my login info, as ive never needed it since I’ve been on FTTC.

Given the white box is as old as my connection, I have a feeling it may be that that’s giving me my issues, so I wouldn’t mind ditching it anyhow. Also it would free up a plug space, which are in high demand in that corner of my house.
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