If you’ve stayed at a hotel or spent some time in a coffee shop recently, you’ve probably used a public Wi-Fi hotspot to check your emails and get some work done. We’ve all done it. However, there’s a genuine risk to your computer of phone security when using an unprotected public Wi-Fi hotspot. Ricks include exposure to Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks, packet sniffing, malware injection and even sidejacking.

To stay safe online, especially if your laptop or phone has sensitive work data on it, use your own Wi-Fi mobile router or Mi-Fi as they are sometimes called. Back in February of this year, I looked at the new Netgear Nighthawk M7 Mi-Fi and the D-Link 5G NR AX1800 Wi-Fi 6 mobile hotspots and now it’s the turn of the recently launched GL.iNet Mudi 7 . This new and innovative 5G travel router uses the latest and fastest Wi-Fi 7 technology as well as 5G NR cellular connectivity.

The Mudi 7 is a pocket-sized and come with a color touchscreen for accessing settings and controls. It also has dual physical SIM slots, eSIM capability and a user-swappable battery. This is a 5G travel router that’s been designed to tick all the boxes.

GL.iNet is a Hong Kong-based tech brand that designs and makes a range of secure and portable networking products, like the Mudi 7, which is designed to offer ultra-fast 5G NR cellular connectivity at speeds up to 4.67Gbps. It combines this connectivity with the latest-generation tri-band Wi-Fi 7 technology and 2.5Gbe Ethernet, all in a pocket-sized device that’s powerful, private and secure.

The Mudi 7 includes support for using eSIMs as well as having a couple of physical slots for Nano SIM cards with Dual Standby capabilities. This feature ensures seamless network switching and automatic traffic backup, enabling users to stay connected even if one of the connections goes down. To configure the SIMs and other settings, the Mudi 7 has a 2.8-inch LCD touchscreen providing access to menus and offering real-time monitoring of the Mudi 7’s performance.

The new Mi-Fi router is powered by a removable and high-capacity 5,380mAh rechargeable battery that can operate for up to 13.5 hours on a single charge. It has 24W PD fast charging capability. There are two dual USB-C ports on the Mudi 7, one for power in and out, so it can be used to charge a smartphone, plus another for 10Gbps tethering or plugging in a USB drive.

The 5G networking is powered by Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Gen 3 mobile broadband platform. This means the Mudi 7 can deliver 5G NR cellular connectivity at speeds up to 4.67Gbps. The Wi-Fi function is based on tri-band Wi-Fi 7 and offers the flexibility to choose networks using either 2.4GHz, 5GHz or 2.4GHz and 6GHz as the default dual-band modes.

Whether tapping into a cellular network or creating a local Wi-Fi hotspot with a fixed internet connection, the Mudi 7 can provide fast and stable bandwidth for holding video meetings or backing up and transferring large project files without compromising on the network speeds.

To make alterations to the Mudi 7’s operation, there’s a 2.8-inch LCD touchscreen with all the menus and settings necessary for customizing network management and monitoring data consumption. There is no need for a separate smartphone app to control the Mudi 7 and the menu can be used to manage SIM cards, toggle VPN clients or manage any of the devices connected to the router.

A full charge of the Mudi 7’s battery provides up to 13.5 hours of continuous operation thanks to some innovative hardware optimization. The long battery life makes the Mudi 7 suitable for use in situations where there might not be any power outlets, such as on a hike, an outdoor sales event or at a trade show booth where there may not be a spare outlet. It can also be used as a power bank, for charging a smartphone or other device.

The Mudi 7 has an advanced Multi-WAN Failover system that can switch to a backup connection using its Ethernet port, Wi-Fi repeater, USB tethering or cellular connection. To maintain a stable connection in challenging environments — such as an RV, a basement or in fringe reception areas — the Mudi 7 has two TS-9 ports for plugging in optional external antennas that can boost cellular reception.

For wired setups, the Mudi 7 comes with dual USB-C ports. One of the ports is used exclusively for powering and charging the device. The second port is USB 3.1, that’s capable of transfer speeds of up to 10Gbps, making it suitable for tethering to a laptop or plugging in a USB thumb drive.

Wired networking built into the Mudi 7 is 2.5GbE Ethernet, which means it can keep up with high-speed gigabit internet or the fastest 5G NR cellular speeds. The Mudi 7 is also capable of advanced VPN performance with maximum speeds of 700Mbps using OpenVPN-DCO and 600Mbps using WireGuard.

For anyone who is concerned about security vulnerabilities when using public Wi-Fi hotspots, the option of using a portable Mi-Fi wireless 5G router makes a lot of sense, especially for business or travel use.

Pricing and Availability:

The GL.iNet Mudi 7 (GL-E5800) is available now through the GL.iNet official website and from authorized retailers worldwide. The Mudi 7 is offered in specific regional variants priced at is $419.99 / £369.99 . The Mudi 7 will also be available from Amazon in June 2026.

  • Interface: 1 x 2.5G WAN/LAN Ethernet Port.
  • Display: 2.8” color LCD touchscreen.
  • Nano SIM card slots: 2.
  • Ports: 1 x USB Type-C (power input/output) / USB Type-C 10Gbps; power input / USB tethering, USB OTG.
  • TS-9 ports: 1.
  • 5G platform: Qualcomm Dragonwing MBB Gen 3 (X72).
  • CPU: Qualcomm Quad-core 2.2GHz.
  • Memory/storage: LPDDR4X 2GB / 8GB eMMC.
  • Protocol: IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be.
  • Wi-Fi speed: 688Mbps (2.4GHz), 2,882Mbps (5GHz), 5,764Mbps (6GHz).
  • Antenna: 8 x Internal Antennas (6 x cellular antennas, 2 x 2.4GHz & 5GHz & 6GHz Wi-Fi antennas).
  • Ethernet speed: 100/1000/2500Mbps.
  • eSIM: 1 x onboard eSIM.
  • Battery: 3.85V/5380mAh / 20.72Wh.
  • Power input: USB PD/PPS 5-12V, 30W Max.
  • Power consumption: <30W.
  • Dimension: 157 x 75 x 22.8mm.
  • Weight: 300g.