TL-WR902AC

I had a Hootoo Tripmate but they stopped supporting the app which was required to configure it, and it was slow(er) 802.11n. I considered buying a tplink or GL.iNet wifi 6 router, but carrying another PD QC power adapter was a deal breaker. There's USB power outlets 'everywhere', like hotel TVs+lamps, battery banks, laptops, etc. The fact that the TP-Link TL-WR902AC could run from 5v 500ma USB (no ext drive) was the clincher. Being 25% smaller and 75% lighter than my old Hootoo made it a slam dunk purchase. The fact that it fits in my travel electronics accessory bag speaks volumes. I intend on using the TP-Link travel router primarily in hotspot mode to share one hotel captive registration with multiple devices to avoid ridiculous charges. I might stream to a Roku or Fire Stick, work from my laptop, and read email or browse the internet with one or two phones. Initial testing indicates that the router delivers about ~110Mbs down and ~20Mbps up as an access point hotspot from my 300Mbps home wifi 6 router, whether you use a 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz channel. When I tested two simultaneous downloads, it didn't balance well. One connection got most of the bandwidth. I didn't spend the time to investigate QOS settings (yet). Regardless, hotels/public wifi rarely offers more than 20Mbps, so bandwidth speeds over that is a don't care. I dinged a star because tplink didn't include a case, not even a cardstock sleeve... and for the funky tplinkwifi.net configuration procedure. 1 month update: Finally got to try it with a hotel captive portal... very interesting experience, going through "Quick Setup"... very non intuitive but only took about 5min of trial and error. I was able to connect 2 phones, a laptop, and my Amazon fire stick simultaneously. And I charged two phones and powered the router with one 3x USB power adapter. All in all a successful 1st run. 2Y Update (Changed to 5*) Things have changed a lot in the last 12 years since I purchased and carried my first HooToo travel router. Free hotel wifi with enough bandwidth to support streaming is more the norm vs charging per device for slow wifi. Cell service is cheaper and phones now support wifi and cell network hotspotting. Streaming services (eg Netflix) support downloaded content for viewing offline. The need to carry a laptop for work, in addition for downtime or holiday entertainment has become less and less, replaced with casting to a hotel Google TV, or streaming to a Fire/Roku Stick. In rare cases, hotels tried to force Pay-Per-View on guests by providing closed TVs without casting or hdmi ports, but Eff that; then I'd resort to peering at my tiny phone screen and torching the hotel with a bad review. --- PUNCH LINE --- For those who have a substantial media library, the TL-WR902AC, serves as a good, affordable, media server when used with a large USB Flash Drive (eg SSK 1TB USB SSD Flash Drive). However, there are quirks-constraints to heed. 1. The TL-WR902AC is power spec'd at 5V/2A (10W). 2. The USB-A port is spec'd at 5V/1A (5W), which also implies the router component may consume up to 5W. 3a. A *mechanical* usb external 2.5" HDD will typically draw 0.35-0.45A when reading/writing, but may draw *1.2A* at spin-up. And continuously draw ~0.3A to keep the disk spinning. 3b. A USB flash drive (eg SSK 1TB USB Flash Drive SSD ) may draw 0.8A (typical)-1A (peak). I can stream 2x 480p (DVD resolution) videos simultaneously. Although a 1080p video was streamed successfully, I haven't tested it extensively. 4. Underpowering a connected USB drive runs the risk of corrupting the data or damaging the drive. 5. NOTE(!!): The TL-WR902AC appears to have a >folder< indexing limitation ~120 files. If you have a large media library (eg 300 files), the workaround is to split files across subfolders like 0-H, I-Q, R-Z. 6. NOTE(!!): The TL-WR902AC has 64MB of RAM which limits the indexing to ~950 files<before the media server craps out. :-( 7. The TL-WR902AC supports FAT32 and NTFS USB drive formats. Verify file size and client compatibility. Other: A. Confirm the lowest common denominator codec for your client devices. My 'older' Roku 4K stick doesn't support MKV video containers or AV1, so I had to transcode my videos to MP4, h.265 (using ffmpeg and handbrake). B. FAT32 doesn't support >4GB files C. Android Phones don't natively support NTFS D. Very pleased that VLC on Amazon Firestick plays h.265 mp4 subtitled videos. E. I'm switching back to h.264 videos. H.265 was right on the edge for the Firestick, and I learned that when VLC crashed, it crashed the media server also and VLC both needed to be reset or rebooted. The point is, using a TL-WR902AC & 'SSK 1TB USB Flash Drive SSD' to serve up mp4 h.265 videos to either a VLC/Amazon Fire Stick 4K or Roku Media Player/Roku 4K Stick works well. Reduce the risk of damaging the drive by using the TL-WR902AC solely as a media server reading data from the USB drive; write your media directly with a PC.

I travel for work. So I am in hotels often. I LOVE the ability to plug a gadget in, and point it to the access point, and have all my devices automatically connect up. This was necessary to satisfy the problem of Google chromecast, where it requires a phone to operate, and they must be on the same wifi network. (Most hotels isolate devices to keep guests secure from each other) I bought the small nano first. And I later purchased the larger version (TL-WR902AC). So I will provide the pros and cons of each here. Please also note that I am EXCLUSIVELY using this in hotels in wi-fi only (never plugged in the RJ-45 ethernet) as a wi-fi access point for all my tech, I've not used it for anything else. There are many other features and capabilities that are not accounted for here. Nano: + simple setup, great wizard. + SOOOOO tiny + Works great with Marriott/SPG hotels (and everywhere else I've tried it) - Struggles with multiple devices, the single band antenna seems to be a big restriction in speed and multiple devices. - Slow speeds Big brother (AC902 model) + Much cleaner and more stable connections - handles all my devices brilliantly. + Far more features (that I don't use) + Larger than the nano (picture for reference) but still so small that it's perfect for travel - Setup is not so streamlined. Additional hardware toggle on the device makes it more confusing. (I use the middle setting, "Share Hotspot") Side-notes: I used this exclusively at a single hotel before upgrading, so the differences noticed between the two models were all at the same property. Both devices get a bit warm, but nothing concerning, and it's not at all surprising given how tightly they are packing them. Both are small enough that the only reason I would recommend the nano over the big brother is if you need something to fit in your pocket, or purse, and don't have high expectations in terms of speed.

What a piece of junk. I bought this because I wanted a media server for my VR headset. There is a USB port for this exact purpose. First, you need to know that this reviewer is a computer guy of 40+ years. Setup was a bit difficult, but after an hour it was up and running. After a week, the nightmare began... Fail#1: One evening, I went to watch a movie and EVERYTHING was gone -- all 300GBs just vanished into thin air. The drive had been wiped out. After days of data recovery attempts, I recovered a small portion of the content. Fail#2: I decided to use my expensive USB SSD to store the media. All went well for a few days ...until I wanted to add some more movies to the SSD. After removing it from the router, it would no longer work properly on the laptop. I could only move about 1.5GB at a time before it would lock-up the SSD. After several hours of messing with the destroyed SSD, I gave up on it. Fail #3: I had an old 300GB USB HDD that I filled completely with content. And guess what? The router wouldn't locate the movie folders on the USB HDD drive. After wasting even more time, I guessed that it might have failed to locate my data because there was a small 9GB empty non-active partition on the drive in addition to the main partition. What a dumb limitation. Arrg! Windows had no issue recognizing this USB HDD drive, but the router could not. So now I'm sitting here writing this review while I'm reformatting and reloading the entire 300GB of data on the third drive yet again. If this router eats this third drive, I will update this review. The lessons I learned are that you should NEVER connect non-backed-up data to this router, and never connect an expensive SSD drive to this router. I honestly wish I had never purchased it. UPDATE: My 300GB drive is going to be too small for future use, so I purchased a new 2TD USB HDD. I formatted it and loaded the 300GB of data, and the router did NOT see the data. Really!!?? After some more experimentation, I decided to reformat the USB HDD with the 4096 format allocation unit size (which is crazy inefficient for large media files), and the router DID find the files! So, I writing this update while yeat again moving the same 300GB of data yet another time! To save YOU some time, here a quick tip: **Do NOT format any USB drive with any other allocation unit size than 4096 if you expected this router to be able to see the data. Or at least, format your drive with a test folder to see if this router can see it before dedicating all the time to load the content. ** Here's hoping this is the final saga in this sad story. (not so) FINAL UPDATE: Well, everything was great - was able to watch some movies!! ....until this morning, when the media server "just quit" in mid-movie. The WiFi bridge was still working just fine, but the media server magically disappeared. So, I was faced with the difficult decision of either returning the router to Amazon or experiencing the massive joy of taking a sledgehammer to it. But alas, I took the responsible route and am returning it to Amazon. After all that has happened, I didn't want it to damage my sledgehammer also! In all fairness, if you don't need a media server, and NEVER intend to connect any USB drive, you should be very happy with this product -- the Wifi was rock-solid. (another no so) FINAL UPDATE: Well, I THOUGHT the media server "just quit", but actually after moving the USB drive back to the computer I realized that this absolute POS router killed a BRAND NEW $70 USB DRIVE at the hardware level. It no longer spins up. Arrrg! It just gets worse... THE FINAL UPDATE! The nightmare is over! Just received my RavPower (ironically, the same exact model number, scary, aye?) and got everything set up and running as a bridge and media server in under 10 minutes! Super happy again!

Im pretty techy so took me 30-1hr to setup but once i figured it out it was easy. I used a xfinitywifi to create a private network with 2.4ghz so i could connect my security camera.

**TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router (TL-WR902AC)** **Compact and Versatile Travel Router with Multiple Modes and Reliable Performance** I recently purchased the TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router for an upcoming trip, and it has proven to be an essential gadget for staying connected on the go. This tiny device offers a lot of versatility in a compact form, making it perfect for travel or boosting WiFi connectivity in various settings. **What I Like:** - **Multiple Modes and Versatility**: The TL-WR902AC supports several different modes, including Router, Hotspot, Bridge, Range Extender, Access Point, and Client modes. This flexibility allows me to use it in various situations, whether I’m setting up a private WiFi network in a hotel, extending the range of an existing network, or connecting multiple devices to a public hotspot. It’s incredibly versatile, making it useful for both travel and home use. - **Compact and Portable Design**: The router is small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, making it easy to slip into a pocket, backpack, or laptop bag. Its portability is one of its best features, as it doesn’t take up much space and is light enough to carry anywhere. Despite its small size, it’s packed with features that rival larger, more expensive routers. - **Dual Band WiFi**: The router supports dual-band WiFi, offering both 2.4GHz and 5GHz connections. This allows for better flexibility depending on the environment and devices being used. The 5GHz band is particularly useful for faster speeds and less interference, which is great when streaming videos or making video calls. I’ve found the connection to be stable and reliable across both bands. - **Easy Setup and Use**: Setting up the router was straightforward, even for someone who isn’t particularly tech-savvy. The instructions were clear, and the setup process was quick. The web interface is user-friendly, making it easy to switch between modes and adjust settings as needed. - **USB Port for Charging and File Sharing**: The inclusion of a USB 2.0 port is a handy feature. It can be used to charge devices, which is useful when outlets are scarce, or to share files across the network from a USB drive. This added functionality makes the router even more valuable, especially in situations where you need to quickly transfer files between devices. **What I Don’t Like:** - **Limited Range**: While the router works well in smaller spaces, its range is somewhat limited compared to full-sized routers. It’s perfect for a hotel room or small apartment, but if you’re trying to cover a larger area, you might notice some drop-off in signal strength. This is expected given its size, but it’s worth considering if you need extensive coverage. - **USB Port is Only 2.0**: The USB port is USB 2.0, which means it’s slower for data transfers compared to USB 3.0. While it’s sufficient for charging and basic file sharing, it might be a bit slow for transferring larger files or streaming media directly from a USB drive. A faster port would have been a nice addition, but this is a minor gripe given the router’s overall performance. - **No Battery**: The router needs to be plugged into a power source to operate, as it doesn’t have a built-in battery. While this isn’t a major issue, it does mean you’ll need to ensure you have access to power when using it on the go. A built-in battery would have made it even more convenient for travel. **Bottom Line:** The TP-Link AC750 Wireless Portable Nano Travel Router is an excellent choice for anyone in need of a compact and versatile router for travel or home use. Its multiple modes, dual-band WiFi, and easy setup make it a powerful tool for staying connected wherever you go. While the range is somewhat limited and the USB port is only 2.0, these are minor drawbacks compared to the overall utility and performance of the device. If you’re looking for a reliable and portable router that can handle a variety of tasks, the TL-WR902AC is definitely worth considering. It’s been a valuable addition to my travel tech gear, and I’m very satisfied with its performance.

If this can work in the very specific situation I want it to, then it'll be great. But when this thing hits one little snag, it'll completely dump you. I started with regular "Share ETH" mode, setup via browser. This is not a very convenient interface. Changed the name of the signals and set my own passwords. Then checked out the app, which is a better interface. But at some point the signal names reset to default (but kept my passwords). Each time you change settings - you disconnect. Any time you leave the app - it resets to the start page/search for router. Tedious and time consuming. Difficult to actually complete something (and hope it doesn't undo itself). I tried "Share Hotspot" mode, and really thought this was a defective item for a long time. My first several attempts, it would take forever to show up in the connections list, the app wouldn't recognize it, then did recognize it but said I should check the compatible routers list. Went back to browser setup. A few steps into it and the signal would drop. Browser would ask me to login again, and then tell me only one admin can login at a time. Finally, eventually, it decided to behave completely differently, and just work. Unbelievable. During this process, the interface and the amount of technical babble on the screen is overkill, when essentially all you're doing is picking a source signal and inputting its password if needed. All of that aside - apparently it's supposed to be able to auto-switch between the two bandwidth/signals. This option was nowhere in any settings or in the app, and both signals are always broadcast separately. Out of the box it didn't seem perfectly clean... and anywhere there is a port, there is a single line/scratch at one of the corners. Mode switch is flimsy, and doesn't stay straight when switching between the three slots. Oh, and the power port is micro usb... I'll try it out next time I travel. I'm a little concerned that the included power and ethernet cables will be too short. And I'm wary of it resetting signal names and passwords. Ideally this would be plug and play, but based on its behavior so far, one hiccup could mean hours of fighting through setup again.

....verify that your ethernet port is active!!! I am at an extended stay hotel and the wifi signal is very week at the end of the hallway where my room is. OK for texting and basic email, but my Roku took forever to connect and Netflix was a no-go. (Believe it or not, there are still hotels with "dumb" TVs.) Since I'm going to be here for a month, I figured this would be a great purchase. I had it sent to a locker (super great feature BTW) and it arrived next day no problem. Super easy instructions.... got it all ready to go..... and.... nothing. No signal. Nothing. Restarted everything, did all the trouble shooting....nothing. Finally called the front desk. They had no idea what I was talking about. Tried to sell me on the $4.95 per day enhanced wifi. They agreed to send engineering up..... guy takes one look... "Oh, I don't think any of those wall things work anymore. Well I'm not sure." So my next idea was to test in a different room.... he radios to the desk and we walk down the hall to an empty room. Take the router and my tablet with me...... plug in.... two clicks.... PRESTO !!!! works like a charm. So I arrange to switch rooms and all is good. Super strong full signal and running tablets and Roku no problem. Phones all connected as well. Super tiny and will always be in my travel bag from now on. Great product.

I bought this device to keep my home ethernet and wifi working during PG&E power outages after my Xfinity connection goes down. I have a small generator that I power my fridge and things like routers with. Usually within a couple of hours of losing PG&E power Xfinity goes down, even though all my equipment is still powered by my generator. I configured the TL-WR902AC in Client mode. I turn on Personal Hotspot on my iPhone, to send cell data through a wifi signal to the TL-WR902AC. I unplug my cable modem ethernet cable from my router and plug the TL-WR902AC into it with an ethernet cable. When I plug in the power to the TL-WR902AC, it finds and connects to my iPhone wifi and bridges that connection via the ethernet cable into my router. Every device in my house then has internet access through my iPhone's cell data. I can use my entire home network as usual, except of course for devices that aren't plugged into the generator. I looked into using a bridge that required a SIM card but found that AT&T wanted to charge me monthly for an extra phone line even if I wasn't using it. This approach using the TL-WR902AC avoids that. The TL-WR902AC remembers the password for my iPhone hotspot so now that I set it up it's as simple as plugging things in and waiting a couple of minutes any time I need it. The downside is that if I want to leave the house with my phone the house network loses it's connection. Small price to pay, IMHO. I'll also have to keep my phone charging, ideally, to avoid draining the battery. Configuring the TL-WR902AC was pretty easy, but I took a star off because the instructions are not crystal clear and I had to figure things out for myself a bit. I have electronics and computer experience so I managed but novices might have a bit more difficulty setting it up. P.S. I'm told AT&T fiber does not go down in power failures, unlike Xfinity cable.

Very disappointed with TP Link quality. You can go thru to change the password but you cannot log into the router. Changing settings for the router is a complete pain and take hours. I bought this because I thought this will be like other TP Link products I bought and will be easy to set up. Instead it is just a useless box.

Very useful for captive portal WiFi sharing..

Fabulous little device. Easy setup and works perfectly.

This modem is perfect for travel. It connects easily to the hotel's host server and is impressively compact. The iOS app makes setup quick and hassle-free. I also appreciate the added security features, which provide extra protection while browsing the web. Highly recommended for frequent

The product is made in quality material and very small in size. It works as it claims. One thing I noticed that if I use my own Cat 5e Ethernet cable, it will not connect. I have to use the Cat 5e Ethernet cable provided. I didn't try more Ethernet cables. Also the micro USB cable is a bit too short, which is not a big problem, as every body has a lots of them in stock I guess.