TP-Link TL-WR3002X Review (vs. TL-WR1502X): An Excellent Travel Router

The TL-WR3002X is TP-Link’s worthy upgrade to the previous  TL-WR1502X that came out less than half a year ago. The new travel router shares the same design but has practically double the hardware specs.

Here’s the bottom line: While not perfect, the TP-Link TL-WR3002X is an excellent router for connecting multiple devices on the go. The little router has everything to justify its $100 friendly cost. If you can’t wait for the Wi-Fi 7 version, the TL-WR36002BE, which is due out later this year, get the TL-WR3002X today for your upcoming summer travels. You likely won’t be disappointed.

Dong’s note: I first published this post as a preview on March 12, 2025, and updated it to an in-depth review after hands-on testing on April 5, 2025.

TP-Link TL-WR3002X vs. TL-WR1502X: The same physical size but double in almost everything else

Out of the box, the TL-WR3002X shares the same physical size and looks as its older cousin, the TP-Link-WR1502X. At a glance, you can’t tell them apart, considering the only visible difference is the former’s microSD card slot.

However, specs-wise, the new router is quite different.

On the Wi-Fi front, the TL-WR3002X now supports the 160MHz channel width on the 5GHz band and Wi-Fi 6 on the 2.4GHz (instead of Wi-Fi 4), allowing it to double the theoretical bandwidth.

While that sounds great, in reality, chances are the two will have similar real-world Wi-Fi bandwidth, considering the availability of the 160MHz channel width can get complicated due to other uses of DFS. Additionally, the performance of the 2.4GHz band has remained relatively the same since Wi-Fi 4.

What will have more impact on the real-world performance, however, is the fact that the TL-WR3002X features a 2.5Gbps WAN port, allowing it to handle broadband beyond Gigabit. Addtionally, it comes with a USB 3.0 port for cellular tethering. So, it’s ready for much faster broadband intake.

Finally, there’s a microSD slot to host storage space for a mobile network-attached storage (NAS) feature, even when the USB port is already used for cellular tethering. That said, the new TL-WR3002X is undoubtedly an improvement over the previous TL-WR1502X.

The table below shows the hardware specs of the two.

TP-Link TL-WR3002X vs. TL-WR1502X: Hardware specifications

Full Name	TP-Link TL-WR3002X AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router	TP-Link TL-WR1502X AX1500 Wi-Fi 6 Travel Router
Model	TL-WR3002X	TL-WR1502X
Dimensions	4.09 × 3.54 × 1.10 in (104 × 90 × 28 mm)
Weight	5.4 oz (153 g)
Wi-Fi Technology	Dual-Band AX3000	Dual-Band AX1500
2.4GHz Band (channel width)	2.4GHz 2×2 AX: Up to 578 Mbps	2×2 Wi-Fi 4: Up to 300Mbps
5GHz Band (channel width)	2×2 Wi-Fi 6: Up to 2.4 Gbps (20/40/80/160MHz)	5GHz 2×2 Wi-Fi 6: Up to 1.2 Gbps (20/40/80MHz)
Backward Compatibility	802.11a/b/g/n/ac
Wireless Security	WPA, WPA2, WPA3
Built-in Cellular Modem	None
Mobile App	TP-Link Tether
Web User Interface	Yes
Networking Features	VPN (Server and Client) Device-based QoS, Dynamic DNS
VPN Server Support	OpenVPN WireGuard L2TP/IPSec PPTP	OpenVPN
Operating Roles	Router Mode (supporting broadband and USB cellular tethering) Client Mode Hotspot Mode (WISP Mode) Access Point/Repeater/Client Mode
Firmware Version (at review)	1.0.3 Build 20250221 Rel. 47347(5553)	1.0.0 Build 20240109 Rel.69467(5553)
USB Port	1x USB-C (power) 1x USB 3.0 (cellular tethering and storage)	1x USB-C (power) 1x USB 2.0 (cellular tethering and storage)
Card slot	1x microSD (up to 512GB)	None
Gigabit Port	1x LAN	1x LAN, 1x WAN
Multi-Gig Port	1x 2.5Gbps WAN	None
Dual-WAN	Yes (broadband with cellular backup)
Link Aggregation	No
Power Intake	USB-PD via USB-C (9V minimum)
Power Consumption (per 24 hours)	≈ 140 Wh	≈ 105 Wh
US Launch Price (Check street prices)	$99.99	$59.99

A familiar TP-Link router

Other than the better hardware specs, the new TP-Link TL-WR3002X will be pretty similar to the previous version in terms of features, settings, and overall experience.

Like all TP-Link’s Archer routers, the travel router comes with a web user interface, accessible via the default 192.168.0.1 IP address. In other words, you can handle the TL-WR3002X the way you would any standard router. Optionally, there’s also the TP-Link Tether mobile app for the initial setup and ongoing management for those more comfortable with a phone’s small screen.

Designed for mobile usage, the TL-WR3002X has a few operating modes:

1. As a router: In this case, it can host a standard internet connection via its 2.5Gbps WAN port, or a cellular modem/cellphone via the USB port. You can also use both at the same time, with the latter being the backup. It’s basically Dual-WAN with failover.
2. As a hotspot: The router can connect to an existing Wi-Fi network and use it as the broadband source for its network. This mode is often known as the WISP mode, a.k.a. public Wi-Fi mode.
3. As an access point, an extender (repeater), or a client (bridge).

That said, the TL-WR3002X offers virtually any hardware function you want from a Wi-Fi router, as is generally the case with most travel routers, including the previous TL-WR1502X.

Flexible and advanced VPN

What the TL-WR3002X decidedly outdoes its predecessor in terms of features is the VPN support. While both routers can work as a VPN client (which allows the entire network to be part of a remote network) or a server, the TL-WR3002X is much more powerful as the host of VPN servers.

The router features all popular VPN protocols instead of just OpenVPN in the older model and can handle all of them simultaneously. It also allows you to view the number of connections each has in real time. Each server can handle up to 16 clients.

That said, if VPN is on the required list, the TL-WR3002X checks all the boxes.

TP-Link TL-WR3002X: Excellent performance

I tested the TL-WR3002X for almost a week in all different scenarios, and it worked as intended. It’s worth noting, though, that in most cases, the router proved to be quite cluttered when in use. That’s because you’ll need to connect a few extra cables or devices to it besides the power cable.

For example, in the cellular weather mode, you’ll need to attach a modem (or a smartphone) to its USB-C port. The modem (or phone) can be as big as the router itself, if not larger. Things could be much leaner if the router had a built-in modem and a SIM slot or was battery-powered.

Other than that, as a Wi-Fi 6 broadcaster, the TL-WR3002X is quite excellent. For a tiny router, the TP-Link TL-WR3002X proved impressive in performance thanks to its 2.5Gbps WAN port.

In my testing, it was the fastest at close range compared with other compact, mobile, or travel routers of similar specs, with consistent Gig+ sustained speed. Since it’s a travel router, a range of 20 feet (6 meters) or closer is all you’ll need. Still, farther out, the router wasn’t exactly slow, sustaining at around 600Mbps.

The router proved to be reliable, too, passing my 24-hour stress test without disconnecting once. In terms of range, it was about the same as its older cousin. It’s always tricky to measure Wi-Fi coverage, and your mileage will vary. However, when placed in the center, the TL-WR3002X can blanket around 1000 ft² (92 m²) of residential environment, which is more than enough for an RV, a boat, or a hotel room.

Impressively, the TL-WR3002X also worked quite well as a mini NAS server. I tested it with a portable SSD connected to its USB port, and its sustained copy speed generally saturated the Gigabit connection. In addition to hosting shared storage space, the router can even work as a DLNA streaming server.

So, put your media on a large portable SSD and you likely won’t need access to Netflix or any streaming services on the go. By the way, the router’s USB port has enough power to host all portable SSDs I’ve tried it with, and it can charge a connected smartphone, too.

Conclusion

The TP-Link TL-WR3002X Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6 AX3000 Travel Router is an excellent accessory for connecting a group of devices on the go. It’s a clear better alternative to the TL-WR1502X. Still, if you already have the older model, there’s no need to upgrade. In many cases, both will give you a similar experience. Wait until the Wi-Fi 7 version is out.

However, if you want a travel router today, the TL-WR3002X is an excellent buy. It is more than enough to justify the extra cost of TL-WR1502X. So, get one today!