Do travel routers work with hotel captive portals?

Yes, but with a trick. You first connect the travel router to hotel WiFi, then connect a device to the router. Open a browser to trigger the captive portal login page. Once authenticated, all devices on the travel router can use the internet. Some routers (GL.iNet) have dedicated captive portal modes.

Can I use a travel router as a VPN?

A travel router is not a VPN itself — it runs VPN client software that connects to a VPN server (NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or your home VPN). Once configured, all devices on the router's network route through the VPN. You need a separate VPN subscription.

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