Rant: My portable wifi modem died during a client call in Morocco

I was sitting at a cafe in Marrakech last Tuesday, about to present a final design to a client, when my GL.iNet modem just stopped working. No lights, no signal, nothing. I had to pack up fast and walk 15 minutes to a coworking space I knew about, hoping they had open seats. The client was understanding, but I lost an hour of work time and had to buy a backup modem that same afternoon. Has anyone else found a reliable travel router that doesn't quit on you mid-month?

3 comments

3 Comments

karen_carter16d ago

Actually a travel router dying usually means the battery or power circuit failed, not the modem itself - those GL.iNet ones are actually pretty solid, just cursed with small batteries that swell up after a while. If you unplugged it right as it died that might have been your cafe's outlet killing it, not the device.

colethomas15d ago

Wait, the battery can actually swell up in those things?

sean_barnes2415d ago

Nah, but you're all missing the real issue here. Those GL.iNet routers get hot as hell when you're running them off USB power in a cafe. I've seen the casing get almost too hot to touch after a few hours. That heat kills the battery way faster than normal use. And when the battery swells, it puts pressure on the power management chip underneath it. So what you think is a dead router might actually just be a swollen battery pressing down on a tiny component. Have any of you tried cracking one open to check before tossing it?