That $200 travel router was a scam for coffee shop work

Bought a $200 travel router thinking it'd save me from sketchy cafe wifi, but it barely boosted anything and kept dropping signal in downtown Seattle. Spent a whole morning troubleshooting instead of coding before a deadline. Anyone found a portable hotspot that actually works in busy shops?

2 comments

2 Comments

mason_knight1mo ago

Did you check if that router supports the 5GHz band or was it stuck on 2.4GHz? I read on a tech forum that a lot of those travel routers get crushed in busy downtown areas because they can't handle the interference from dozens of other devices. For coffee shop work, a proper USB-C phone tether with a decent cable has been more reliable for me than any battery-powered box.

patriciamoore1mo ago

Did you actually test the 5GHz band in THAT specific coffee shop or just assume it was working? I've seen people buy those travel routers and then complain about dropouts only to realize later the 5GHz range is terrible through two walls. Phone tethering is fine but it eats through battery like crazy if you're there for hours.