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World's Smallest Wireless Router for Hotel Rooms

Old Dec 5, 2013, 1:09 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: nkedel
Some of the popular routers in this thread:

Edimax 6258NL (or via Amazon)

Asus wL-330nul

TP-Link WR702N

TP-LINK TL-WR710N (out of production, but superceded by similar models)

Edimax BR-6258n

Hootoo Tripmate Nano (TM-02)

GLi GL-AR300M

GL.iNet GL-AR750 Travel AC Router - a higher-powered dual band option; probably bigger than most people want, but if you need it... (has its own thread here)
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World's Smallest Wireless Router for Hotel Rooms

Old Aug 6, 2018, 6:11 pm
  #601  
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 2,298
Originally Posted by chx1975
Yeah small dual band dual RJ45 is the Holy Grail, it doesn't exist.
It almost does if you live in Japan
https://translate.google.com/transla...03&prev=search
At least if you don't need dual gigabit eth, micro SD, and openWRT
https://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%82%A8%E.../dp/B00V9DYOAY
https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00LEZB7..._t2_B00V9DYOAY

I came across Elecom & Buffalo travel router casings with single RJ45 earlier this year and was surprised at how small they are even compared to the Edimax BR-6258n. The Buffalo WMR-433W isn't that much bigger than some men's smart watches, bluetooth adapter, or an oversized SD card reader. I'm quite tempted get one for ~ $15 USD on a future trip except I want one with 1GB eth, microSD slot, and OpenVPN support. Yes, I'm being picky about the Holy Grail. Google Translated reviews also state the Buffalo's admin UI password can't be changed. Some of the reviews for smaller units note instability due to heat issues. I don't know how to get around overheating - fill a small ziplock with ice & some water, zip shut, double bag, and sit the router on top?

GL iNet is adding external antennas to the AR750. $65 + shipping and Estimate Delivery: Late August 2018
https://www.gl-inet.com/products/gl-ar750s/

Last edited by freecia; Aug 6, 2018 at 6:23 pm
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 9:28 pm
  #602  
 
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Originally Posted by freecia
The Buffalo WMR-433W isn't that much bigger than some men's smart watches, bluetooth adapter, or an oversized SD card reader.
Hmm.. I didn't realize that they supported 5Ghz. Guess I'm heading over to Yodobashi after work today...
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 6:50 am
  #603  
 
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OK, so I picked up a Buffalo WMR-433W from Yodobashi on the way home from the office. My expectations dropped a little when I noticed that it had a 2.4Ghz/5Ghz switch on the side of it, implying (correctly) that it can only do one band at a time, but for US$13 I still had to buy it...

First impression on opening it is that it's tiny, and light (they claim 19g, and I'd believe it).

In the box was the router and a very short USB/MicroUSB cable - no actual power adapter. As the box promised, it also included a quick-start guide in English, although it's very "quick" in that it only covers using it as a wired router and nothing more.

The quickstart guide is the ONLY thing that's in English. The slightly more complete manual that comes with it is in Japanese, as is the GUI, with absolutely no option to change that, which makes configuring it somewhere between difficult (for someone that knows how these devices normally work) and impossible (for anyone else).

With some trial and error, I was able to get it working in WISP mode (or what the GUI calls, according to Google Translate, "Wireless One" mode) on 2.4Ghz. I flipped the switch to 5Ghz, which changes the SSID ("Buffalo-A-xxxx" rather than "Buffalo-G-xxxx"), and not surprising it lost the WISP link, however I was able to go in and reconfigure it again (thankfully the Hilton Osaka does have 5Ghz!), at which point Speedtest gives me :


Remember, that's WISP mode, so it's doing both up and down over wifi!! Apparently in WISP mode you can use the Ethernet port as a LAN connection, but I didn't actually try.

The GUI is very clunky. Not only is it in Japanese, but everything is wizard-style based with limited options. For example there's no option to set the SSID when configuring it in WISP mode. Instead you need to configure it in router mode and set the SSID there, then reconfigure it into WISP mode at which point it will keep your old SSID. You can't change IP addresses (defaults to 192.168.13.1), DHCP scopes, or basically anything else.

I did manage to find a firmware upgrade (from 1.51 to 1.52), but even that was still Japanese only and nothing seems to have changed.

Next I configured it in "ルーターモード​​​​​​" (which according to google translate is "router mode", for those of us that don't read Japanese) using the hotels wired internet, and the performance was about the same as for WISP mode.

At this point the only really issue is that my Chromecast doesn't work with it - simply because it's 2.4Ghz only. I'd been looking for an excuse to buy a new Chromecast, so this is probably it. Everything else I travel with is 5Ghz. Of course, you can only use 5Ghz for the client side if the hotel has 5Ghz, or if you're using wired upstream. If you're trying to WISP a 2.4Ghz network, then you're stuck on 2.4Ghz for your network too.

So basically
Pros : Small, light, 5Ghz, fast, cheap (US$13!), seems stable, but it's really too early to tell.
Cons : 2.4Ghz OR 5Ghz only. Feature poor (no USB, OpenVPN, etc). WAN or LAN port (depending on mode), but not both. Difficult to use (due to language) but very simplistic GUI. Can't change config on most anything.

All up, given the size, I'm pretty sure this stay in my travel kit. Only time will tell if I prefer it over my GL-AR300M, on basically a function v's speed curve...
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Last edited by docbert; Aug 8, 2018 at 12:21 am Reason: typo
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 5:16 pm
  #604  
 
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Thanks for the initial review! I was thinking of getting a just-in-case GLiNET USB router to throw into my tech kit but the Buffalo is half the price and 70-80% of the function for solo travel. Client VPN still works?

This looks like the English manual for WMR-433 W http://cdn.cloudfiles.mosso.com/c850...ser_manual.pdf
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 8:38 pm
  #605  
 
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Originally Posted by freecia
This looks like the English manual for WMR-433 W http://cdn.cloudfiles.mosso.com/c850...ser_manual.pdf
Yeah, looks like they used to have a US model, and that's the manual for that. I did manage to find a Taiwan firmware file, but it refuses to use it. I suspect if I could find a US firmware it'd have the same problem.

The manual is helpful in that the menu options are the same, with the exception that mine has a 4th "Operating Mode", so you could use it to walk through setting it up using the manual as basically a translator.
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 9:45 pm
  #606  
 
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I would say the WRH-583BK2-S pretty much looks like the Holy Grail to me? And it's available on eBay but also the white model is 35 USD (? for real?) via ZenMarket? https://zenmarket.jp/amazonproduct.aspx?itemCode=B0725RD51D&variationIt emCode=B00ZFLKCCK I am insanely tempted to go via ZenMarket because I could throw in a few of those cables freecia shown before (I am looking at this Moenegallet replacement or this one, this extension cord, this power strip -- swinging plugs for the win)


Only disadvantage is it's not OpenWRT compatible https://forum.openwrt.org/t/solved-s...881a-m/11876/3

SoC & 5G - PHY: RTL 8881AM,
2.4G - PHY: RTL 8188ER,
RAM: ESMT M14D 5121632 (64MiB),
NOR: MXIC 25L64 (8MiB)

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Crq6x3PUEAA58NW.jpg info from http://twisave.com/ysks/2016/9/p:5 The presence of a heatsink makes me cautiously optimistic about stability and maybe those other little metal pieces are antennas?

I checked two other Japanese routers (WRH-733GBK, WN-AC583TRK) but they aren't much smaller than the OpenWRT running GL-AR750 so those are not really interesting. This thing here is third the size (65*35*20.5 mm) of the GL-AR750 (88*68*24mm). To compare better, the BR-6258n was 51 * 42 * 17 so it's only 28% bigger by volume than the smallest dual RJ45 router I know of and it only takes 6.2% more desk space -- practically the same. The 17 vs 24mm thickness will matter less -- it's still thin enough to pack easily.

Last edited by chx1975; Aug 8, 2018 at 1:03 am
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 10:07 pm
  #607  
 
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I can't tell from what I'm reading. Can this WRH-583BK2-S take a Wifi connection, add a NAT layer, and provide Wifi to clients?

That's what I do with my Hootoo. Is there a name for that? I don't think it's really Wifi Repeater Mode, which is what this says it has.
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 11:25 pm
  #608  
 
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The Amazon JP reviews mention Elecom WRH-583BK2-S unit gets pretty hot
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 12:56 am
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Looking at http://www2.elecom.co.jp/network/wir...img/chukei.jpg I'd say that's one of the functions of this device. I think it's sloppy to call it wifi repeater yes but that's what it is.

I will definitely buy one if Zenmarket approves my cart and see for myself.

Last edited by chx1975; Aug 8, 2018 at 1:04 am
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Old Aug 15, 2018, 10:50 pm
  #610  
 
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Probably too late for most, but...

Newegg has the GL.iNet GL-AR300M-Lite on sale for $12.99 for the next 3 hours...

https://flash.newegg.com/Product/9SIAFN26UP6339
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Old Aug 15, 2018, 11:30 pm
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Eh, WTHN. Got one.
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Old Aug 16, 2018, 8:44 am
  #612  
 
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Thanks for the link. Missed it, but I decided to get one on Amazon for $17.99. Will post back after I check it out.
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Old Aug 16, 2018, 11:23 am
  #613  
 
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Originally Posted by docbert
Probably too late for most, but...

Newegg has the GL.iNet GL-AR300M-Lite on sale for $12.99 for the next 3 hours...

https://flash.newegg.com/Product/9SIAFN26UP6339
Still available; I just got one. Website shows 15 days remaining...
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Old Aug 16, 2018, 11:30 am
  #614  
 
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Strangely, this is back, but it's in the category "Automotive Tires - from $67.99 Shipped "
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Old Aug 16, 2018, 3:01 pm
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So now Newegg is becoming Amazon-ish with these categories :/
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