Cheapest according to CamelCamelCamel.
The GL.iNet Slate 7 (GL-BE3600) is a dual-band Wi-Fi 7 travel router designed for high-speed, secure, and portable connectivity. It features a compact design measuring 130 x 91 x 34 mm and weighing 295 grams, making it highly portable for travel. The router delivers speeds of up to 688 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and 2882 Mbps on the 5 GHz band, ensuring smooth 4K video streaming and low-latency performance for gaming and video conferencing.
It is powered by Wi-Fi 7 technology, incorporating advanced features like Multi-Link Operation (MLO), refined OFDMA, 4K QAM, and preamble puncture to enhance connectivity in crowded environments.
The Slate 7 includes dual 2.5G Ethernet ports for high-speed wired connections, capable of 2500 Mbps throughput, and supports Power Delivery (PD) via a USB-C port, allowing flexible power options from wall adapters to portable power banks.
It comes with a lightweight adapter and includes four regional plug options (US, EU, UK, AU) for international use. The router features an innovative touchscreen interface that allows users to scan QR codes for quick Wi-Fi connections, monitor real-time network speeds, toggle VPNs on/off, and switch between preferred VPN providers directly on the display. The screen provides color-coded status indicators for Ethernet, Tethering, Repeater, and Cellular modes.
Security is a core feature, with integrated support for over 30 built-in VPN services, including OpenVPN and WireGuard, enabling secure access to public Wi-Fi and bypassing geographical restrictions. It supports OpenVPN (up to 100 Mbps) and WireGuard (up to 540 Mbps), and can be configured as either a client or server for remote network access. The router runs on OpenWrt 23.05 (Kernel 5.4.213), offering extensive customization with 1 GB of DDR4 RAM and 512 MB of NAND Flash storage, allowing users to install plugins for ad-blocking, traffic monitoring, and enhanced security.
It can connect over 120 devices simultaneously, making it suitable for teams, families, or multi-device users.
It seems good but to me is still pretty expensive.
I saw that the gli.net Brume 2 router was $87 minus whatever discount amazon has this month ($5 off for me on prime). That seemed a pretty good price for an introduction to gli.net if you don't need the wifi of the slate 7. I run unifi so wanted to see how their routing worked, and makes a good vpn gateway if I don't like it as much as my current router.
I have a beryl for travel as I don't know many situations where I need ultrafast wifi or vpn on the road.