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Old May 20, 2012, 3:14 pm
  #1  
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Travel router for iPad?

Sorry if this has been asked before. I'm not much of a traveler, especially compared to everyone here.

I'm looking for a small, compact wireless router that I can use with my iPad. Most of the hotels I stay at when traveling offer free internet- wired only. Rather than pay upwards of $20 for wifi, I'd like to make my own wifi with the free wired connection. Any recommendations?
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Old May 20, 2012, 3:21 pm
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Travel router for iPad?

I've been using a refurbed Airport Express for a couple years without much trouble.
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Old May 20, 2012, 3:47 pm
  #3  
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Originally Posted by konoyaro
I've been using a refurbed Airport Express for a couple years without much trouble.
+1
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Old May 20, 2012, 3:59 pm
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Originally Posted by poetnyouknowit
Sorry if this has been asked before.
It has. Search for travel router and you'll find numerous answers to this questions. However...

Originally Posted by poetnyouknowit
Rather than pay upwards of $20 for wifi, I'd like to make my own wifi with the free wired connection. Any recommendations?
I think you'll go a long way to find a hotel that has free wired internet, but charges for Wifi. It's either both free, or neither free. Travel routers definitely have their place, but this isn't it...
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Old May 20, 2012, 7:18 pm
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I agree with you about the wired/unwired issue. They are both free or pay. A travel router, however, may be more important for a different reason -- the wifi on an iPad isn't as strong as on my notebook. I've had a harder time latching on to hotel wifi with my iPad. When I take a laptop, I use Connectify. When I don't have it, I'll use a travel router.
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Old May 20, 2012, 7:52 pm
  #6  
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Funny, if you head over to the Hilton forum you can find people who insist there are many Hiltons that charge for wireless but wired is free.

Just about any travel router would work for you, though the Airport Express makes it real easy.
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Old May 20, 2012, 8:06 pm
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the d-link di-505 just started shipping. it has 802.11n and a usb port to share a usb stick or charge your ipad (although not at the full 2 amps).
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Old May 20, 2012, 8:09 pm
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Originally Posted by cordelli
Funny, if you head over to the Hilton forum you can find people who insist there are many Hiltons that charge for wireless but wired is free.

Just about any travel router would work for you, though the Airport Express makes it real easy.
I'll have to look. I get free wifi with Hilton and haven't scrutinized as much as I should have.
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Old May 20, 2012, 9:30 pm
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Does anyone use the small TP-Link one:

http://www.tp-link.sg/products/detai...odel=TL-WR702N
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Old May 20, 2012, 9:44 pm
  #10  
 
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Originally Posted by docbert
It has. Search for travel router and you'll find numerous answers to this questions. However...



I think you'll go a long way to find a hotel that has free wired internet, but charges for Wifi. It's either both free, or neither free. Travel routers definitely have their place, but this isn't it...
What I've run into is properties that have wired internet in the rooms, but wifi only in the lobby.
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Old May 20, 2012, 9:46 pm
  #11  
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A title search on "Travel Router" will net 20 threads with discussion/recommendations.
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Old May 20, 2012, 10:09 pm
  #12  
 
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Originally Posted by planemechanic
+1
+2
Now that there are AirPort Utility app, it's even better than in the past.
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Old May 20, 2012, 10:18 pm
  #13  
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Originally Posted by kkjay77
+2
Now that there are AirPort Utility app, it's even better than in the past.
+1 to that too!
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Old May 20, 2012, 11:39 pm
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Originally Posted by aster
Does anyone use the small TP-Link one:

http://www.tp-link.sg/products/detai...odel=TL-WR702N
I've got one of the TL-MR3020. Previous post with my earlier comments is http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/17719558-post15.html

Since then I haven't used it much as a gateway/router/AP/etc, but I have installed a custom OpenWRT build on it to use as a wireless sniffer and a few other things.

Seems like a reasonable device for the price, and the physical mode-change switch is nice if you use it for different purposes, but I'd still prefer my WL-330gE for general use.
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Old May 21, 2012, 6:57 am
  #15  
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While not what you were asking for, the one thing I would really think about in buying a travel router is what will you be using it for.

Most all of them, if not all of them will take a wired connection and rebroadcast it.

Not all of them will do the same with a wireless connection should you want to connect multiple devices in a hotel room to one wireless signal from the hotel. It may or may never be an issue, and may never be a needed feature for you, but I think that is the one thing that differentiates some of the products out there.
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