GL.iNet routers

Preinstalled OpenWrt is the whole pitch

Every GL.iNet router in this catalog ships with GL.iNet's own OpenWrt-based firmware out of the box — see the OpenWrt guide for why that's a different, safer proposition than flashing a mainstream brand's router yourself. You get a package manager, VPN client and server support (WireGuard and OpenVPN, both directions), and a vendor UI layered on top for people who don't want a terminal. Because it's a fork rather than stock upstream OpenWrt, the vendor build lags the project and the app-store UI hides some depth the CLI still exposes — trade GL.iNet's warranty and easier setup against a mainstream router you flash yourself and own outright.

Three shapes, one firmware

• Travel routers (Slate, Beryl, Opal) are the pocket-sized line: USB or battery power on some models, a physical VPN-policy switch on the higher tiers, and a WAN port that'll take hotel Ethernet or double as a repeater off hotel Wi-Fi.
• Home routers (Flint) look and perform like a normal Wi-Fi router but keep the same OpenWrt base and VPN server/client support as the travel line — the pitch is a router you can actually configure, not a compact form factor.
• Cellular routers (Puli, Spitz) add a SIM slot for LTE/5G failover or as a primary connection, aimed at RVs, job sites, and anywhere wired internet isn't an option.

Sold to enthusiasts first, everyone else second

GL.iNet doesn't compete for shelf space at big-box retailers the way ASUS or Netgear do. New models launch direct-to-consumer, get reviewed by the networking-and-VPN corner of YouTube before most buyers have heard of the brand, and build word of mouth from that community rather than from storefront placement. That's consistent with the product itself: a router that assumes the buyer already cares about firmware and VPN configuration is naturally marketed to the audience that already watches videos about firmware and VPN configuration, not to someone comparing boxes at a big-box store.