TL-WR1502X AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router

Hey guys, So the speed test above is over Ethernet straight to my PC (no WiFi card). I’m in a student dorm that has both WiFi and Ethernet. I use Ethernet for my PC and WiFi for everything else (phones, laptop, tablet, etc.). The wired connection is rock solid and fast, but the WiFi is absolute garbage. It’s all over the place! Sometimes super slow, sometimes drops completely, even when my PC is flying on Ethernet. It works 60% of the time every time. There’s like 40–50 people sharing the same dorm WiFi at any given time, and everyone’s complaining about it. I’m guessing the Ethernet and WiFi come from the same connection, but no clue why the WiFi sucks this bad. I’ve only got one Ethernet port in my room, and I’d really like to have my own private WiFi setup so I can stop dealing with this dorm nonsense. My plan is to plug the dorm Ethernet into my own router, then connect my PC back to that router with another Ethernet cable and basically create my own private network that still keeps my PC wired. Is that possible? And if yes, can anyone recommend a decent router that can handle 1Gbps, has 5GHz, and doesn’t cost like $200? I do not require any ultra high end security or theoretical speeds. Just something that works. Main uses are gaming (FPS), video streaming, regular browsing, and some light torrenting. My wireless stuff is a laptop, tablet, and two phones. Sometimes a couple of friends come over with their laptops too, so it should be able to handle that without dying. I also don't have the login details for ISP, if that matters. I only have the password to connect to the WiFi connection. Please help! Update: 23/10/2025 I have since opted for the TP-Link AX1500 Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router! The GL-iNet routers were suggested several times but proved to be quite difficult to get where I'm at. The TP-Link router was available for pick-up across the street so I just picked that one up. Thanks to every who've contributed, I've set up the router as an Access Point and now have near-gigabit wifi speeds, as well keeping my PC connected via Ethernet!

Thanks for the link. Unfortunately it looks that the MT6000 is not available in my area. But I did just discover that the Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) being available (with Prime one-day too!) It's a bit cheaper and I do quite like the size. Having looked at the manual, it says I can do what I am seeking. If I'm understanding it correctly, what I need to do during setup is: 1. Set to DHCP 2. Enable DMZ (to mitigate Double NAT) Is this correct? There's something else I'm reading about setting it up as an access point, but I'm not so sure what that means

Wow, thanks for the response! This is all so new to me! I have checked with the IT department. They said it is fine as long as long as it is configured like the way I described it. The Slate 7 looks like a perfect fit. Regarding the double NAT, what does disabling DHCP and setting it as an access point mean? Does disabling SSID broadcast fix this issue? I just need it to feed my PC an Ethernet connection and for my wireless devices to be connected wirelessly to the same line.

So to be clear, AP basically turns a router into an extender of an existing network? I just Googled it and it seems to constantly refer to wireless only, with not much about having both a wireless network and a wired one. Regarding SSID broadcasting, does setting up the router as an AP mean I cannot set a username and password? Thank you both! u/zelda_zell and u/Interlined

This is a good idea. I have found a nearby retailer that sells the TP-Link AX1500 WiFi 6 Travel Router WR1502X. I will pick it up tomorrow and attempt to turn the broadcasting power down.

https://preview.redd.it/bq34pawavrwf1.png?width=2371&format=png&auto=webp&s=4b88fa9db9bee53fc0e30efcfa7353a48e0a4467 This thing is not much bigger than my wallet. And quite surprised at the range. It’s setup in AP mode so I can’t modify any settings except the name and password.

I use the TP-Link TL-WR1502X when I travel, which works well for my Portal. However, it depends on the internet you are connecting to for the speed. I was at a Resort in Hilton Head last month, they had great fiber speeds so I used their wifi and broadcast my SSID. It helped because I have an Anker Prime 250W Charger that needs wifi for the clock to work right (and I didn't want to Bluetooth to my phone).

People here aren't suggesting affordable. Affordable at $50 is an TPLink AX1500. Affordable mesh would be $85/node TPLink Deco XE75 (6Ghz WiFi 6e is much better than anything 5Ghz). As soon as you go above those price points Ubnt makes sense. People overpaying for stuff like Flint2 are being fleeced. Buying yesterdays tech at yesterdays prices!

TPLink routers are the "best performance per dollar" on average. I have an AX1500 I bought for $55 that is still going strong. But these days 6Ghz is more important and intelligent mesh also. So the DECO XE75 is amazing for the price ($85/node when buying two) as most people with bigger houses or plaster walls can see big performance improvements with a mesh setup. Once you go above those price points, consider Ubiquiti all the way!

Do you need WireGuard VPN? Honestly most people even if they love DDWRT just want to setup a router and have it work. I used DDWRT for years. Honestly these days the TPLink stuff is hard to beat for the price. The AX1500 is $50 and for the average smaller home or apartment with 500mbps or slower Internet it will be just as rock solid and reliable as DDWRT on average as long as you don't need crazy features (like WireGuard VPN @ 900mbps or whatever they claim). If you have a friend who needs a "wireless router" right now but really a mesh router will work for that also ... the TPLink Deco XE75 is a great piece of kit for $85 (off Amazon when bought in a 2-pack) that does 5Ghz & 6Ghz and routes 1Gbps fiber Internet at full speed on wifi and wired. *(the upgraded XE75+ that has 2.5Gbps Ethernet gets me 1.6Gbps via wifi to my cellphone on 2Gbps fiber).* The whole point is WiFi 6 is old at this point, 6e or 7 (find one w/6Ghz radio) is a much better buy for he same or little bit more money.

Mesh is the way to go, I have TP link AX1500 and it’s done a great job eliminating poor speeds and coverage

Grab a Wi-Fi 6 router. TP-Link AX1500 or ASUS RT-AX55 are solid picks. They're a bit cheap, reliable, and handle a ton of devices. Put it central in the house and you’re golden.

Not sure what model you had, but are you certain you weren't trying to set the WAN DNS instead of the DHCP DNS? I've used Pi-Hole with the TP-Link AX1500 and currently TP-Link AXE75 with no such issues. Additionally, I've set a friend up with a TP-Link BE3600 which also allows for setting the DNS server.

GL.Inet 100% as it runs relativley pure OpenWRT and has a bunch of nice features that while you might not use them this time are great for other times, like you can connect it to public wifi and then your devices to it to isolate them, and as mentioned above setup a VPN service on it to send all your traffic though the VPN. i'm pretty sure TP link dosnt have these features or if it does they are way more basic. I deff know it dosnt let you connect to public Wifi's and use that as a wan connection cuz iv had to reaseach it recently due to moving to an appartment with shared wifi.

TP-Link AX1500 or AX1800 are within your budget and are excellent routers. Before that though, check your wireless nic on your device when connected. It'll show you the connected speed, and see the brand/model of it to see what your max theoretical speeds are.

Deco WiFi6 from TP Link. Three wired to base over 1gb. Three WiFi satellites over mesh. Running great now a couple years. Connected to VZ Fios 1gb service. 35 ish devices in all the rooms. Finally, nothing drops, everything is fast and solid, the devices themselves are now the bottleneck.

I switched from eero to TP deco and I like it more. Assigning 2.4 for IoT stuff is a great improvement. At one stage I was literally walking 100 feet outside to make my phone get to 2.4 because the eero cannot manually switch between bands. Deco WiFi 6 is great so far as long as you’re willing to fiddle with a few settings.

Lots of IOT stuff only connects at 2.4, and it can be pain to try and run the connection app on, for example, your new vacuum cleaner, if your phone cannot switch to that 2.4 band. Unlike the eero, with TP deco, you can make a 2.4 band network called “wieezzzy’s Internet of things”. It’s also pretty easy to force something to connect at a particular band or to connect to a particular hub like if you want your TV to always connect to the living room hub or something.