If you don't require the VPN section, then no not really, failing that there is a multitude of options out there. You could look into something that is not as portable for the money if you don't require this.

Thanks @Pete_8550. I'd love to have the Wireguard VPN option but would settle for another VPN if necessary. Being able to power via USB would be great though, maybe that's possible with some of the Teltonika routers...

I've never played with the Teltonika stuff.  

 

I run a Draytek at home, and find it does what it says on the tin.  The only issue I have found is trying to log to USB, causes reboots.  

Interesting, thanks. Seems that the Draytek 5G routers are not available in Germany though, but I'll have a look.

The D-Link DWR-2101 seems to be comparable but only offers VPN passthrough.

  @Thirtified 

 

Passthrough being any router that can host as a client or server behind it, so nothing special.  do a price comparsion and see how it looks I suppose.  

  @Pete_8550 

 

While testing M8550 to M8550 would certainly be a good test, that is something TP-Link should have tested.  Hell, we can't even get them to test the proper import of a handful of config values from a test file.  If they didn't/can't/won't even test the simple import of a config file, how much time do you think they spent testing the VPN functionality at all?

 

These config files are extremely simple with very minimal data.  I am using a known good configuration which has been tested using the generic Wireguard client on my PC.  The CONF file works perfectly if imported into the PC Wireguard client.  The very same CONF data does NOT work if loaded into the M8550 by hand (cause TP-Link can't seem to figure out how to do this from a text file).  ...and yes, the MAC of my client PC is "authorized" on the M8550 VPN page.

  @Thirtified 

 

I've been looking for a portable 5G hotspot with VPN for years. 

 

I have the 4G Mudi from GLiNet (both the GL-E750 and the GL-750V2 variants).  At 4G it works fine but its not fast enough.  They have never released a 5G variant although folks have been continually asking for it.  I have been watching for something...

 

I also have a GL.iNet Puli AX (GL-XE3000) 5G Cellular Router with a huge onboard Battery.  It also promises an oboard VPN client but I couldn't even get it to reliably connect with 5G service at all.  They kept throwing firmware for the onboard modem at me but nothing improved very much.  If they can't get the 5G connection established I had little hope for the VPN.  It was also quite big and heavy.  The only thing that made it "portable" was this huge battery mounted under the device.  Not worth wasting my time...

 

I have a Netgear Nighthawk 5G (both the M1 and M6 Pro) but it doesn't have an onboard VPN client (only a VPN Server) - so check the fine print...

 

I have an Inseego MiFi X3000 Pro 5G hotspot but the onboard VPN simply work either.  (...and I wasn't inclined to try and work with a relatively unknown communications company to try and help them to fix their stuff)

 

So then came TP-Link.  I've always had good luck with their equipment so I thought this would be a good bet.  ...and they are a tier-1 cmanufacturer so I figured they would likely have good support for their products if I needed it. (and we obviously do)

 

I've been looking for a 5G hotspot with onboard VPN so I can simply have the configuration done once (at the hotspot) and then all my remote clients (phone, laptop, fireTV, etc) can use the same tunnel.  I've been looking for this capability FOR YEARS (while I was working in the data security/forensics industry) but now I am retired.  I originally wanted it for business use.  Now I'ld like it just to get a private link back to my home router.  I'm now much less motivated to waste my time BUYING and beta testing some product that should have been working in the first place.  I'll give TP-Link some time but I'm not going to waste it to help them import config data from a text file.  Being retired, I'm much less motivated to find a solution than I once was.  If they can't figure out how to import config data from a text file on their own, I'm certainly not going to waste my time with them...

 

For me, I would still like to find a portable 5G hotspot with VPN!   Seems like everybody is using some variant of open source router firmware but nobody is fully testing their implementations...

 

 

  @evanevery Thanks a lot for your insights – this is incredible helpful and saves me a lot of time! Especially your experience with the GL.iNet devices – shame that the 4G Mudi is not fast enough.

 

The LTE routers from Ubiquity look nice but only seem to support LTE CAT4 as well.

 

Did you happen to look into the Teltonika devices? Not exactly pocket devices but seem to be very powerful...

  @Thirtified 

 

Thanks for the recommendation but I'm looking for something small and battery powered.

 

(I also want to use it for the TV in my BMW i7 so I can use it to get "local" stations via Hulu on my FireTV on the road.  This requires a VPN connection back home so my FireTV thinks its inside my home network.  This would also allow me to get local stations with a fireTV stick on TV's while in a hotel.)