GL.iNet Beryl AX (MT3000) review
Who is this for? Travellers who want a VPN router for hotels and public networks, or home users looking for an affordable privacy-friendly router. The Slate 7 is the newer Wi-Fi 7 option; the Beryl AX is the proven choice for those who don’t need Wi-Fi 7.
GL.iNet Beryl AX (MT3000) review
Who is this for? Travellers who want a VPN router for hotels and public networks, or home users looking for an affordable privacy-friendly router. The Slate 7 is the newer Wi-Fi 7 option; the Beryl AX is the proven choice for those who don’t need Wi-Fi 7.
The GL.iNet Beryl AX is a compact travel router with Wi-Fi 6, full OpenWrt support and WireGuard VPN built in. Small enough for a travel bag, powerful enough for daily home use. Tested in both scenarios.
Specifications
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Processor | MediaTek MT7981B (ARM Cortex-A53, 1.3 GHz, dual-core) |
| RAM | 512 MB |
| Storage | 256 MB NAND |
| WiFi | Wi-Fi 6 (AX3000), dual-band (2.4 GHz + 5 GHz) |
| Ethernet | 1× 2.5G WAN, 1× Gigabit LAN |
| Operating system | OpenWrt (customisable) |
| USB | 1× USB 3.0 |
| Power | USB-C (5V/3A) |
| Dimensions | 88 × 68 × 22 mm |
| Price | Paid |
WireGuard performance
GL.iNet claims WireGuard throughput up to 300 Mbps. Measured with a Mullvad WireGuard connection and iperf3.
Our results:
- WireGuard download: 260–290 Mbps
- WireGuard upload: 240–275 Mbps
- Without VPN: full Gigabit WAN speed utilised
Excellent results for a travel router. Hotel networks and holiday rentals rarely offer more than 100–200 Mbps — the Beryl AX is not the bottleneck in most cases. If you need WireGuard on a 500+ Mbps home connection, look at the Flint 2.
USB-C power: the travel difference
Any modern laptop or phone charger can power the Beryl AX. No separate adapter needed — one USB-C port from your GaN charger is enough. In practice: one plug in the wall socket, Beryl AX on the charger, phone and laptop too.
OpenWrt and web interface
The Beryl AX runs the same GL.iNet firmware as the Flint 2. What you can configure:
- WireGuard and OpenVPN client directly via the web interface
- DNS-over-TLS and DNS-over-HTTPS for the entire network
- AdGuard Home as built-in DNS ad blocker
- Guest network isolated from the main network
- Repeater mode: connect to hotel Wi-Fi, share secure connection with all your devices
The web interface is more accessible than standard OpenWrt. Those who want to can dig into the full OpenWrt CLI.
Use cases
Travelling: Connect the Beryl AX to hotel Wi-Fi (or an Ethernet port), set up WireGuard with your VPN provider, and all your devices — laptop, phone, tablet — automatically go through VPN. Configure once, not per device.
Captive portals: Hotels and airports use a login page for Wi-Fi access. The Beryl AX has a built-in captive portal mode: temporarily enable it, log in through the router, re-enable VPN. No hassle logging in on every device separately.
As home router: The Beryl AX works fine as a small home router for apartments or smaller households. One WAN port is the only limitation compared to the Flint 2.
Caveats
One LAN port: For a wired home network with multiple devices, you need a switch. As a travel router, one LAN port is rarely a problem.
512 MB RAM: Sufficient for standard use including AdGuard Home and WireGuard. Less than the Flint 2 (1 GB) for those wanting to run multiple heavy services simultaneously.
LAN port limited to Gigabit: The WAN port is 2.5G, but the single LAN port tops out at Gigabit. The Flint 2 has two 2.5G ports plus four Gigabit LAN ports.
Comparison with other GL.iNet models
| Model | Price | WireGuard | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| GL-SFT1200 Opal | cheaper | ~100 Mbps | Travel router, simple |
| GL-MT3000 Beryl AX | mid-range | ~280 Mbps | Travel router, powerful |
| GL-MT6000 Flint 2 | mid-range | ~850 Mbps | Home router, recommended |
| GL-BE9300 Flint 3 | premium | ~680 Mbps | Home router, Wi-Fi 7 |
Pros and cons
Pros
- WireGuard throughput of 260–290 Mbps measured — more than enough for hotel and holiday rental connections
- USB-C powered — works from any GaN laptop or phone charger, no separate adapter needed
- Built-in captive portal mode handles hotel Wi-Fi login pages without per-device configuration
- AdGuard Home, DNS-over-TLS/HTTPS and guest network isolation available in the web interface
- Compact size (88 × 68 × 22 mm) — fits in any travel bag
Cons
- Only one LAN port — a switch is needed for wired home networks with multiple devices
- 512 MB RAM — sufficient for standard use, but less than the Flint 2 (1 GB)
- LAN port limited to Gigabit — only the WAN port is 2.5G
- If you want the newest travel-router platform, the Slate 7 is the more modern option
Conclusion
The Beryl AX is the best choice if you want a compact router to take everywhere that also works well at home. Wi-Fi 6, WireGuard at a real ~280 Mbps, USB-C power and a usable web interface make it a strong travel-first option.
Those looking for a fixed home router and wanting higher WireGuard speeds should choose the Flint 2.
See also:
- Setting up a GL.iNet travel router — step-by-step VPN, DNS-over-TLS and AdGuard Home configuration
- GL.iNet Flint 2 review — the home router from the same family
- Which network setup fits your profile? — how much router do you actually need?
- Profile: IT professional / sysadmin — why your home network is organisational security