Portable hotspot for international travel: any recommendations?

I’ve been jumping between countries a lot lately and relying mostly on local SIMs and eSIMs but I’m starting to think it might be time to invest in a good portable hotspot. I’ve had a few situations where the airbnb wifi was unreliable, and tethering from my phone drains the battery way too fast when I’m working all day.

Ideally looking for something that works well internationally (not just in the US or Europe), has decent battery life, and won’t cost me a fortune in data. Oh, and of course needs to be easy to set up and lets me manage data usage or switch providers easily.

Anyone here using a device they love (or hate)?

Would love to hear what’s working for you and what to avoid. Thanks in advance guys!

2 upvotes3 replies

Replies

Luca Mussari

Totally feel you on this. I’ve been in the same spot, hopping around and praying the Airbnb Wi-Fi holds up 😅 And yeah, tethering drains phones like crazy too....

I’ve personally tried a few hotspots over the years. The Netgear M6 has been decent for me as they don't have their own eSIM system like many do, and you can use your own (you just buy a cheap local SIM and you're done).

The Solis Lite (used to be Skyroam) is another solid one for global use, but data can get pricey if you're not careful.

In case you are interested, we actually wrote a guide on the best mobile Wi-Fi hotspots we came across, what works, what sucks, and what to avoid.

Curious what others are using too. Has anyone found others that are worth trying?

3 upvotes

TinyInsurgent

I have the Netgear M6, but didn't know about using it without the SIM card. How???

0 upvotes

Luca Mussari

Sorry my bad, meant eSIM! Many of these hotspots have their own eSIM-based system so you are locked in and you cannot use a cheap local SIM for instance. That's why I like the Netgear over many others as I personally buy local SIMs when I travel to places.

If you don't want to use a SIM card, SIMO Solis have their own plans so you can just charge it from their app, but, as I said, it's not cheap. It's super seamless to use though so sometimes it's worth avoiding the hassle of buying and charging local SIMs and I bring the Solis with me.

What's your experience with the M6? Do you use it often? And did you have any problems with it?

1 upvotes

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