Travel Router Sure Is Slow

[easysurfer]

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but had a chance to take my RavPower travel router on it's maiden voyage.

I'm traveling the moment, in a hotel. Brought along the travel router and set up. As for connecting wirelessly to the router, that did work. But the router was crawling when loading pages.

I wonder are they usually that slow. I think my travel router only works at 2G. Maybe okay for phone but not on laptop? Which is what I'm using.

 

[candrew]

I'm assuming that you are accessing the hotel's WiFi network. I think the issue may have more to do with the strength of the hotel's WiFi signal than it does with your travel router. Although a travel router will in most cases extend the range of the WiFi signal, I don't think that it can increase it beyond original bandwidth. Additionally, the location of the hotel's router(s) may be hindering the ability of your extender along with obstacles like walls, ceilings, and other guests using the same network as you.

 

[easysurfer]

I'm assuming that you are accessing the hotel's WiFi network. I think the issue may have more to do with the strength of the hotel's WiFi signal than it does with your travel router. Although a travel router will in most cases extend the range of the WiFi signal, I don't think that it can increase it beyond original bandwidth. Additionally, the location of the hotel's router(s) may be hindering the ability of your extender along with obstacles like walls, ceilings, and other guests using the same network as you.

I see what you are saying.

I tried again this morning. Travel router was working fine then slowed down. Then I tried hotel wifi alone. Same thing.

So much for that. Good to know at least.

The router still is a keeper in my mind and seemed to work fine with the smartphone.

 

[candrew]

The router still is a keeper in my mind

+1.

DW & I have traveled almost full time since ER 5-1/2 years ago. Our Netgear WiFi range extender accompanies us everywhere we go.

 

[OldShooter]

It seems that these days most lodgings have WiFi. I have even had it in the African bush with the lodge equipment on solar power. When I do need to connect with WiFi unavailable but cell service available, my Google Fi/Pixel 4a works beautifully as a hot spot. Also courtesy of Google Fi, we have free data-only SIM cards in our two Nexus 9 tablets, so they can connect to either WiFi or cell data. I have never seen the need to carry a separate piece of hardware.

Re speed, that is the usual problem with lodgings' WiFi. Early evening when guests are returning to their rooms is pretty much hopeless. Other times, less of a problem, but there are still many properties who proudly advertise "Free WiFi" but its speed is inadequate to the point of being almost useless.

 

[walkinwood]

Not sure if I'm doing something wrong, but had a chance to take my RavPower travel router on it's maiden voyage.

I'm traveling the moment, in a hotel. Brought along the travel router and set up. As for connecting wirelessly to the router, that did work. But the router was crawling when loading pages.

I wonder are they usually that slow. I think my travel router only works at 2G. Maybe okay for phone but not on laptop? Which is what I'm using.

What are you trying to accomplish? Most hotels have wi-fi now, so what's your travel router's function for you?


If you can use your smartphone as a 4G hotspot, it may be a good option when the hotel wifi crawls. The ability to use the smartphone as a hotspot & the kind of speeds you'll get will depend on your data plan.

 

[braumeister]

If you can use your smartphone as a 4G hotspot, it may be a good option when the hotel wifi crawls. The ability to use the smartphone as a hotspot & the kind of speeds you'll get will depend on your data plan.

+1
I do that a lot when traveling. It's free with T-Mobile and fast enough for my casual needs.

 

[OldShooter]

+1
I do that a lot when traveling. It's free with T-Mobile and fast enough for my casual needs.

Our Pixel hotspot really only gets used when we don't have WiFi and need it on our laptops. We rarely travel with those, though, so the free data-only SIMs in our tablets end up doing most of the work. That's a very nice feature from Fi and it works as well outside the country as in.

 

[easysurfer]

What are you trying to accomplish? Most hotels have wi-fi now, so what's your travel router's function for you?


If you can use your smartphone as a 4G hotspot, it may be a good option when the hotel wifi crawls. The ability to use the smartphone as a hotspot & the kind of speeds you'll get will depend on your data plan.

What I'm trying to accomplish instead of just tinkering ... .
My mobile plan is the cheapest one on Consumer Cellular. I forget how much data. I do have it set up as hotspot enabled. But I figured if I used it as a hotspot do do internet access like I would, say on a trip, browsing, youtube and the like, I'd probably exceed my data's plan.

Also, some hotels have wifi but not secured. The travel router then would come in handy with the router's SSID and pass code for access instead of being snoop ready.

 

[Sunset]

Aren't travel routers also handy for having 1 device in the room according to the hotel, but you can actually share the connection with other devices ?

OP - Does your travel router plug into the hotel network ? , I've been in some hotels where they had both wired and wifi available.

 

[easysurfer]

Aren't travel routers also handy for having 1 device in the room according to the hotel, but you can actually share the connection with other devices ?

OP - Does your travel router plug into the hotel network ? , I've been in some hotels where they had both wired and wifi available.

My travel router does have the ability to plug into a wired network if the hotel has that in the room. I haven't seen many with in room wired connections though. Mostly wireless.