How to turn a cheap travel router into a portable VPN device with OpenWrt and WireGuard
By
Umair Khurshid
Summary
The author details how they transformed a cheap GL.iNet travel router (GL-MT300N-V2, ~$25) into a powerful portable VPN device for secure remote access to their home network. The setup involves flashing the router with OpenWrt firmware, configuring a WireGuard VPN server on a home Raspberry Pi, and connecting the travel router as a VPN client. The result is a pocket-sized device that, when plugged into any hotel or public network, creates a secure Wi-Fi hotspot that tunnels all traffic through the user's home network — bypassing geo-restrictions, avoiding insecure public Wi-Fi, and enabling access to local home network resources. The article provides step-by-step instructions including flashing OpenWrt, installing and configuring WireGuard, setting up firewall rules, and troubleshooting common issues.
Source
bskyHow to turn a cheap travel router into a portable VPN device with OpenWrt and WireGuardhowtogeek.comKey quotes
· 5 pulledRemote access to your home network doesn't require expensive gear—here's what I did with a travel router
The GL.iNet GL-MT300N-V2 (also known as Mango) is a tiny travel router that costs around $25. It's not powerful, but it's cheap, small, and runs OpenWrt.
Once configured, the travel router becomes a VPN client that connects to your home server. Any device that connects to the travel router's Wi-Fi will have its traffic routed through your home network.
The beauty of this setup is that you don't need to install any VPN software on your laptop, phone, or tablet. Just connect to the travel router's Wi-Fi, and you're automatically protected.
With this setup, I can access my home network from anywhere in the world, bypass geo-restrictions, and browse securely on public Wi-Fi — all for around $25 plus the cost of a Raspberry Pi.
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