Would like a recommendation for a mobile hotspot for international travel that will allow for SECURE communications. So many wi-fi sites these days are not secure and are an invitation to get hacked. My thoughts are that a mobile hotspot will insure the security of my devices. Thoughts? Thanks.
Posted by
Chicago
272 posts
You are at least partially correct. I would perhaps hesitate on the word "insure".
Your phone can serve as a hotspot in many cases (there is a setting, usually somewhere
under networks). In that situation, you are using your cellular data allowance, wherever
it is coming from (either your carrier back in the US, or a local data allowance based on
what Sim/eSim card you may have purchased in the country you are in.
You can definitely purchase a separate device, but it will need to be set up with a data
plan of some sort when you arrive in-country.
Finally, the last stage of the connection between the hotspot and the device is wi-fi, so
there is still some security risk.
Posted by
2331 posts
Some posters have recommended this in the past, but it ain't cheap -
https://hippocketwifi.com/en/pocket-wifi-europe-rental/
If it is for single country travel, I just purchase 2 data SIM cards 25GB each - 1 for the phone, 1 for the tablet.
Posted by
3 posts
Absolutely agree on needing your own mobile connection instead of wifi, especially when accessing to sensitive sites like banking.
I'm not entirely certain about other SIM/eSIM options, as I've heard that some Airalo plans do not allow hotspot sharing. However, I used Textr eSIM for my trip to Europe last year, and it worked perfectly with the hotspot sharing function. Like others have said, you could also consider getting separate eSIMs for each device if they support it. You might want to check out their black friday sale, some of the plans are on big discount now.
Posted by
2 posts
I agree with comments below, you can use esim so that you got data plans. Roaming is too expensive for me for a long time trip, and public wifi not safe at all. My friends used textr esim once, and shared their hotspot to me, that's why I started to be interested in esim and use textr esim every time I have an international trip, that saved a lot and the network is very stable.