Uniden, known for its two-way radios, dashcams and security cameras, recently brought out a range of Bluetooth speakers under the Looop banner (yes, with three “o’s”). What at first seemed a strange move suddenly made sense when I powered up the speaker range. I wasn’t expecting bold, rich sound from a product at these prices.
Each of these portable products has a Japanese-inspired name (Uniden is a Japanese brand), which reflects the speakers’ power levels, and helps you identify each speaker when connecting via Bluetooth.
Uniden Looop Range. Image: Angus Jones.
Going around the Uniden Looop
All varying degrees of portable, Uniden’s Looop speakers include four different models:
Ichi ($49): A compact 5W speaker and lantern with up to 10 hours’ playtime.
Ni ($99): 30W audio with waterproofing, floating capability, RGB lighting and power bank functionality with eight hours of playtime
San ($149): 50W sound with up to 10 hours’ battery life, waterproofing and floating capability.
Yon ($199): 100W of high-powered audio, up to 12 hours’ playtime, waterproofing, floating capability and party lighting.
When you compare these speakers to similar products available today, it’s clear that Uniden is trying to make a statement. It’s a brand known for other types of tech, bringing out premium-sounding speakers at cheaper prices than other well-known audio brands. By premium, I mean not an audiophile product, but one that suits the other 99% of the population. Essentially, the more you spend, the bigger the speaker and the louder it can get and the better it sounds.
Input panel with USB attached. Image: Angus Jones.
Except for the Ichi, the Looop speakers are water-resistant, and if they fall in water, they will float. This water resistance relies on a rubber plug inserted into the output socket section. These models (not Ichi) also support connection via a 3.5mm audio cable, a USB stick, or a microSD card (MP3 format) in addition to Bluetooth.
All models charge via USB-C; only the cable is included. Each model will sound a tone or light up when the charge drops below 25%. Using Bluetooth 5.3, you can stream music to any of the speakers from up to 10 metres away.
If you have two of these speakers, you can also set them up to deliver stereo sound. All models can be used as a speakerphone for your phone calls. If your smartphone is low on power, you can also Uniden’s speakers as a power bank to top up its charge at a low 5W via the USB-A socket.
Which speaker does what?
Starting with the baby (Ichi), which is actually splash-proof, it has lights that pulse in time with the music and is surprisingly loud. I really like the magnet on the bottom, which lets you stick it to anything metal. Charging time is two hours.
Magnetic Ichi speaker. Image: Angus Jones.
The next three models look similar but are different sizes. At the end of each side of the speaker, you have an expansion chamber that helps deliver deep bass to accompany your music. These models offer greater control, with volume control on the unit and the ability to select between different input sources.
The San model includes both a woofer and tweeter, so it can reproduce a wider range of higher and lower sounds, improving sound quality. This larger model increases charging time to five hours.
Yon, the largest and most expensive, plays additional music formats beyond MP3, including WMA, WAV and FLAC. An extra button allows you to emphasise bass or refined vocals. This model has one woofer and two tweeters, further improving sound playback. Charging time is six hours. At 2.6 kg, this model has a sturdy carry handle, while the other models are under 1kg.
Suitability depends on personal taste. For me, the San is the pick for quality versus size at a very reasonable $149, ready for me to carry on my next adventure. If you want volume, the extra $50 for the Yon will not disappoint, and if you simply want a speaker to extend your smartphone whilst on the move, the magnetic Ichi is a steal at $49.
With a built-in solar panel, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is designed to keep an eye on hard-to-reach places.
Wireless security cameras that connect to your Wi-Fi network make it easy to spread cameras around your home, inside and out. Of course, the trade-off is that they still need access to power, which is particularly troublesome in hard-to-reach outdoor locations.
That’s where solar-powered cameras come to the rescue, with a few hours of sunshine each day enough to keep them up and running 24/7. This way, it’s easy to keep an eye on things night and day.
First impressions
Most solar-powered cameras rely on a standalone solar panel connected via a cable, but the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera has the panel built into the top of the camera.
At $189, the Essential Solar Security Camera is more affordable than solar-powered rivals like the $249 Tapo C460 KIT and $599 Uniden App Cam Solo Pano.
The compact design also makes the Arlo easier to install, because you only need to mount the camera and don’t need to worry about a separate mount for the solar panel.
To be fair, the Tapo C460 KIT offers the best of both worlds, with the option to attach the solar panel to the camera’s mount or locate it separately.
The downside of the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera’s all-in-one design is that it’s harder to find the perfect place to install it.
It needs a spot that has both a good view of the surroundings and a good view of the sky to catch the sun. You probably don’t want to install it on the south side of the house, assuming you live south of the equator.
This could be a problem if your roof has overhanging gutters, eaves or an awning that will cast a shadow on the solar panel. Likewise, you’ll struggle if nearby buildings or trees will constantly block the sun.
All of this means you need to be absolutely sure it’s in the perfect spot before you go to the trouble of screwing the mount onto a wall. Remember, you can’t even tilt the panel to catch more sun without also changing the angle of the camera.
The Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is great for installing in awkward places, assuming it catches some rays each day. Image: Arlo.
Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera specifications
Resolution
2K – 2560 x 1440 pixels
Sensor
4 MP
Video
2k, 1080p, 720p at 24 fps (15 fps night mode)
Zoom
Digital 12x
Lighting
Spotlight
Night vision
Colour and IR B&W
Field of view
130° diagonal, 110° horizontal
Audio
Two-way audio with echo cancellation
Onboard storage
N/A
Power
Built-in solar panel + USB-C cable for indoor charging
Setting up the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is very simple using the Arlo Secure app on iOS or Android. A sync button connects the camera to your phone via Bluetooth, rather than requiring the camera to generate its own Wi-Fi network during setup.
Video tutorials walk you through installation and help you check for good Wi-Fi and sun coverage. Support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi reduces the likelihood of problems with connecting to your home wireless network.
The boxy shape is unusual for a security camera, but thankfully it’s not too bulky, so it shouldn’t look too out of place. You’ll want it up high to have a good view of the surroundings, but not so close to the eaves that it’s in constant shade.
The camera offers a 130-degree diagonal field of view, which works out at around 110 degrees horizontally. The 2K image quality produces a decent picture, with support for 12x digital zoom when watching the live feed or instant replays.
That said, if you really want to make out fine details in the distance, you might prefer to upgrade to a 4K camera.
The security camera features night vision, along with a built-in spotlight and siren. This is great for warning off strangers lurking in the shadows, but these features naturally chew through power.
Thankfully, the Arlo app lets you adjust these and other settings to ensure the battery doesn’t drain too quickly. There’s also an auto-low power mode that dials things back when the camera is running low on juice.
As part of the setup process, you get a 31-day free trial of the Arlo Secure subscription service. Like many security cameras, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is probably not worth using without the subscription.
Arlo Secure Basic ($8.33 p/m single camera, $12.50 p/m unlimited cameras) offers a 30-day video history in the cloud. Without it, you’re restricted to watching the live view from the camera.
Keep in mind, unlike some cameras, there’s no option to insert a microSD card for local storage.
The Basic subscription also enables activity zones, so you’re only notified if something occurs in certain areas of the camera’s view. This is great for reducing false positives, such as watching for someone climbing over the back fence without reacting to your pets wandering around the yard.
You also get thumbnail previews in notifications on compatible smartphones and watches.
Stepping up to Arlo Secure Plus ($16.67 p/m unlimited cameras) adds AI-powered facial, vehicle and package recognition, along with advanced audio and fire detection. Whether these are useful depends on where you’ll install the camera.
It’s worth mentioning that Arlo offers a range of indoor and outdoor cameras as well as video doorbells, all of which can be covered by the one subscription. It’s something to consider if you’re looking to simplify your smart home and reduce your subscription bills.
Quality
Put to the test, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is quick to respond when it detects something of interest. The 2K resolution and 12x digital zoom offer a decent amount of detail and are just enough to make out pixelated faces at a range of up to about 8 metres.
The view from eight metres and three metres, with 2K video and 12x digital zoom. Images: Adam Turner
While it’s important to think about placement to catch the sun, the good news is that the panel only needs around two hours of sunlight each day to top up the battery.
It’s more forgiving than you might expect. Even if it’s not in direct sunlight, ambient light on a sunny day is still enough for it to charge. It struggles more in overcast conditions, but should still manage to capture a few rays even on an overcast day.
In theory, the generous 14,790-mAh battery can run the camera for six months on a single charge. In practice it probably wouldn’t last that long, but it’s enough to ensure that it should make it through a few days of terrible weather in the middle of winter.
Who is the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera for?
If you’re looking for the convenience of solar charging on a tight budget, the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is a tempting option. The big question is whether you can find the right spot for it, considering that the solar panel can’t be mounted separately.
If you can’t make it work, keep in mind Arlo also sells the standalone $89 Arlo Universal Solar Panel, which is compatible with most Arlo cameras.
Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera
A built-in solar panel ensures the Arlo Essential Solar Security Camera is always watching.
How often do you vacuum your floors? Or perhaps a better question: how often do you vacuum and mop your floors? Odds are that the mopping doesn’t get done as frequently, which is fair. It’s time-consuming, laborious work. It’s why wet-dry vacuums are such a great invention.
Capable of vacuuming and mopping in one cleaning pass, wet-dry vacuums save a lot of time and effort. But not all floors are the same. Neither are messes; some require more effort than others. In the past, you’d often have to use potentially harmful chemicals to get the really crusty stuff off the floor. Not anymore.
It’s why Roborock has such an extensive range of wet-dry vacuums. Under the Roborock F25 banner are several appliances that cater to different budgets and types of cleaning. Combining powerful suction with a roller mop, there’s no need to reach for two separate appliances when it’s time to clean. Best of all, they hygienically leave your floor looking great and free of mess.
So, which Roborock F25 wet-dry vacuum is best for you? Let’s take a look at the latest range and see where each one shines.
One of Roborock’s most affordable wet-dry vacuums, the F25 LT Gen 2 is great for everyday cleaning to keep on top of your household chores. Fully capable of removing dry and wet messes, it comes in handy for homes with predominantly hard floors, like tiles, lino, and laminated wood.
With a strong 20,000Pa peak suction, picking up dust and dirt is just as easy as cleaning up freshly spilt orange juice. You can get plenty done in a single run, too, with a high-capacity pouch battery enabling up to 60 minutes* of use on a full charge.
Getting under furniture is effortless, with the F25 LT Gen 2 featuring a FlatReach 2.0 design — seen throughout the entire range — that lets the appliance lay completely flat without any impact on performance; the suction power remains the same, and clean and dirty water stay where they should. You shouldn’t have to do back-breaking yoga just to clean under the couch; that’s the vacuum’s job.
Like the rest of the latest F25 range, this model uses Roborock’s JawScrapers design to stop hair and pet fur from getting tangled in the roller mop. It works in tandem with a built-in scraper that actively helps keep the roller mop clean while running, so you don’t get any unsightly streaks left on the floor.
And, when you’re done cleaning, the F25 LT Gen 2 cleans itself with 90°C hot water and 90ºC hot air drying. It’s nice not having to do everything yourself, isn’t it?
*The vacuum runs for up to 40 minutes on auto mode, and up to 60 minutes on eco mode.
Including many of the same features as the F25 LT Gen 2, the Roborock F25 Pro Turbo adds deep scrubbing to the mix. Especially for family homes, where kids’ sticky messes mysteriously appear and set before you discover them, a bit of extra elbow grease is needed.
This model has an even stronger 25,000Pa suction rating, able to vacuum even more debris with the same maximum 60-minute battery life. But the real star of the show is the scrubbing power.
When a stubborn floor stain doesn’t want to go away, the F25 Pro Turbo has a HyperScrub feature that concentrates cleaning power on a single spot. Simply press the trigger on the handle, and the appliance ramps up the water flow, suction power, and roller mop speed to leave no traces of a mess. It’s like getting on your haunches and furiously scrubbing, without any of the physical exertion.
On that note, the F25 Pro Turbo doesn’t require elite upper body strength to use. Equipped with SlideTech 2.0 motorised wheels that respond to your movement within milliseconds, the wet-dry vacuum glides across floors, needing only a light touch. Independent wheel control makes turning corners easy, too, effortlessly swivelling around oddly shaped furniture.
There’s no guesswork, either, with the F25 Pro Turbo benefitting from Roborock’s DirTect Smart Sensor. This technology detects what type of floor you’re cleaning, and how dirty it is, automatically adjusting the cleaning power as needed.
As good as wet-dry vacuums are, most of them can only be used on hard floors. So, if your home also has carpets, what do you do? Return to using two separate appliances?
This is a situation perfect for the Roborock F25 Lite Combo. It’s a four-in-one appliance, bringing together a wet-dry vacuum and a stick vacuum, with two additional configurations for cleaning crevices and hard-to-reach heights. Not bad, huh?
Continuing the easy-to-use edge-cleaning performance of the F25 range, the Lite Combo comes with interchangeable parts that let you prepare for cleaning different parts of the home in an instant.
Need to clean the tiles? Bring out the wet-dry vacuum mode. What about vacuuming the bedroom carpet? Set up the cordless stick vacuum configuration and away you go. Then there’s a two-in-one crevice tool that helps you vacuum in between furniture and other tight spaces. Last but not least is the handheld vacuum mode with extendable height settings for reaching up to get rid of those pesky cobwebs on the ceiling. It’s everything you need for everyday cleaning, in one easy choice.
Some messes need a bit more than extra effort. Stains left for a while (no judgement here, it happens) can be a real pain to remove. You could reach for some cleaning chemicals and do the job yourself, but it’s not always the healthiest option.
Enter the power of foam, with the Roborock F25 ACE Pro. This wet-dry vacuum uses a specially formulated solution that penetrates stains and grime with a dense foam, removing tough messes and odours simultaneously. All you need to do next is run over it with the roller mop, and the mess is no more.
It’s a clever system, activated by holding down the trigger in the vacuum’s handle. Once you’ve covered the mess in enough foam from the front nozzle, just let the appliance handle the rest. This unique formula also contains anti-stain ingredients that form a nano-protective film on the floor after you’ve cleaned that prevents water and oil from easily sticking to the surface. So, in a single pass, your floor will stay clean for longer.
It sure beats getting out the cleaning gloves and harsh cleaning chemicals.
If you want a tough, chemical-free form of cleaning, then you want the steam-cleaning prowess of the Roborock F25 Ultra. But that’s not all: this wet-dry vacuum also has a hot water cleaning mode.
Made for dealing with hard-to-remove kitchen spills, like grease, the F25 Ultra blasts 180°C steam onto the floor, killing germs and sticky messes alike. There are no chemicals involved, providing a healthy and hygienic way to clean your home’s most trafficked areas.
For when you don’t need the power of steam, Roborock’s F25 Ultra can also mop floors with 86°C hot water, actively dissolving stains while you clean. If you want to use detergent, it’s still an option if that’s what’s best for your home.
A built-in light also helps you see the finest particles, ensuring you don’t miss anything while cleaning. This can be especially helpful for allergen-prone households, ensuring a thorough clean while the Steam Mode reduces allergens generated from pollen, pet dander, and dust mites by over 99.99%.
When the dirty water tank needs emptying, a simple pull-away compartment separates the solid and liquid waste for easy disposal.
Launching in November 2026, the Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Gen 2 takes steam cleaning to another level. With upgraded high-temperature steam power, 25,000Pa suction, increased downward force, and longer endurance, this is the ultimate home hard floor cleaner.
Capable of producing a higher volume of steam quicker, cleaning edges more comprehensively, with intelligent triple edge cleaning, and using a handy swivel design, Roborock’s flagship F25 appliance combines strong cleaning power with user friendliness. Once the cleaning is done, the upgraded 95°C steam self-cleaning and drying will return the vacuum to its standby state hygienically, making sure it is ready for its next big job.
It’s especially worth a look for households with large open-plan homes who want to do everything in one go. The F25 Ultra Steam Gen 2 lasts up to 100 minutes on a single charge, cleaning a lot of floor space without needing a break.
Oily, greasy, and sticky messes don’t stand a chance when this is coming for them.
I’ll be honest: I didn’t think I’d have much use for a travel router. Without putting much thought into it, I thought it’d just be another device to take up precious space in my luggage. Pretty much all of my devices can connect to the internet just fine, so why would I need to add a middleman, like the TP-Link Roam 7, into the process?
Had I actually sat down to consider what I could use a travel router for, I would’ve realised how misguided my first thoughts were. On multiple occasions, I’ve travelled interstate (usually for PAX Aus) with plenty of portable gaming gear on hand. As many Nintendo Switch gamers would know, you can only connect online via an SSID and a password. That’s fine if you stay at an Airbnb with direct access to a router. However, anywhere you need to access a webpage to log online, like most hotels, you’re out of luck.
It’s a hyper-specific example, but one that I’ve run into several times in recent years. A travel router can bridge the gap between public internet and devices that wouldn’t otherwise be able to connect. There are other benefits, too, like an added layer of security, more control over your connectivity, and so on. Those are arguably more important factors, but clearly my priorities lie elsewhere.
You might hear the phrase ‘travel router’ and think it’s a device that supplies internet access anywhere. A device like the Roam 7 isn’t a hotspot modem, not by itself, at least. There are no SIM card slots, so it’s not capable of being your source of internet away from civilised society. Instead, it needs to piggyback off an existing connection, which it can then use to create its own network.
At first glance, this seems a bit restrictive. But, as I found over the course of multiple interstate trips, the TP-Link Roam 7 was more useful than I initially gave it credit for.
TP-Link Roam 7 specifications and price
Wi-Fi technology
Wi-Fi 7
Network bands
2.4GHz (up to 688 Mbps) 5GHz (up to 2,882 Mbps)
Ports
One 2.5 Gbps WAN port One 1 Gbps LAN port One USB 3.0 type-A port
Operating modes
Router Hotspot USB tethering USB modem Access point Range extender Client
As it turns out, the TP-Link Roam 7 didn’t take up much luggage space after all. On my kitchen scales, the router hit 250g on the dot, and it’s small enough to fit in a large pocket. In fact, I snugly tucked the Roam 7 into Quad Lock’s large travel organiser with all the necessary cables and still had room to fit my DJI Osmo Pocket 3 alongside.
Image: Chris Button.
Everything you need to get started is included in the box, which is nice in a world of separate add-ons. TP-Link bundles in an Ethernet cable for wired internet connections, which yields the best results, if you can find a wall outlet wherever you’re staying. There’s also a USB-A-to-USB-C cable, used to support wired tethering with a mobile device. For example, I could use the internet from my phone’s data allocation, feed it through to the Roam 7 via USB, and then connect other devices to the router, rather than hooking everything up to my phone wirelessly.
Unlike various 4G or 5G modems, the TP-Link Roam 7 doesn’t have a built-in battery. It needs an external power supply, whether through a wall outlet or a power bank. Fortunately, TP-Link includes a power cable; one end plugs into the router’s USB-C port, while the other plugs into the wall. You can swap the wall outlet plug’s prongs between different regions, which is handy for overseas travel.
Image: Chris Button.
When in use, you can swivel the router’s antennae upwards. Once you’re done, simply swivel the antennae back and pack the router away. Under one antenna is a programmable switch that TP-Link calls the ‘action button’. Depending on how it’s set up, this switch can do a few things, like toggle the Wi-Fi on or off, or enable a VPN if you have one.
Along the back of the router are two Ethernet ports; one is a 2.5Gbps WAN port (for connecting to the internet), and the other is a 1Gbps LAN port (for connecting to other devices). In addition to the USB-C slot used to power the router, there’s a USB-A port for the tethered internet access mentioned earlier.
Image: Chris Button.
Let there be internet
I remember when configuring a router involved logging into a specific webpage and scrolling through the most bare-bones interface to make the most basic of changes. Man, I’m glad those days are behind us.
Setting up the Roam 7 is simply a matter of powering on the router and downloading TP-Link’s Tether app. From there, following the steps is easy-peasy. The app prompts you to choose how the travel router will connect to the internet (Ethernet, and existing Wi-Fi network, etc.).
Screenshot: Chris Button.
You can also customise the Roam’s SSID and password, which you’ll need so you can connect to it with other devices. This also includes guest networks for both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz network bands.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a hardcore networking expert. Plenty of the advanced settings in the Tether app are beyond my comprehension. The main thing is that there’s a lot to tinker with for those with the desire to do so.
Among them are three performance settings: Boost, Balance, and Eco mode. TP-Link recommends using ‘Balance’ as the default, which finds a middle ground between drawing more power and beaming the Wi-Fi far enough for good coverage. The Tether app warns you that using ‘Boost’ can make the router hot. Based on my experience, though, I had no need to switch over from the Balance mode.
Screenshots: Chris Button.
As a relatively cheap Wi-Fi 7 router ($249 at full price), the Roam misses out on the faster 6GHz band supported by more powerful routers. When relying on a wireless connection, you can get theoretical peak speeds of up to 688Mbps on the 2.4GHz band, and up to 2,882Mbps on the 5GHz band.
You won’t set speed records with this router, is the short story. But if you need something faster from such a small router intended for travel use, I’d suggest adjusting your expectations.
Some core Wi-Fi 7 features are here, though, including Multi-Link Operation (MLO), which lets compatible devices access multiple network bands simultaneously. However, accessing MLO requires setting up an additional network within the Tether app, as it’s not enabled by default. It’s another layer to consider, but one that likely won’t be high on many folks’ priorities, given phones and laptops are the main Wi-Fi 7-compatible devices so far.
Screenshot: Chris Button.
TP-Link also lets you set up your VPN of choice for another layer of privacy. This includes OpenVPN, which lets you use open-source VPN services, or other providers, like NordVPN and Surfshark. You can also tweak the router’s built-in network security settings, with support for WPA2-PSK and WPA3-Personal, for example. It’s good protection to have, especially when relying on internet from public Wi-Fi.
Performance
Over the course of two trips to Melbourne, I put the TP-Link Roam 7 to the test in various locations. First up was Adelaide Airport, where I tapped into the free public Wi-Fi.
Before I connected the Roam, I ran a speed test on my phone on the airport Wi-Fi. Anyone who expected lightning-fast speeds, prepared to be disappointed: it was 14Mbps up and down. In better news, after setting up the Roam with the airport Wi-Fi, and connecting my phone to the travel router, there was no speed loss whatsoever. A low bar, sure, but it passed.
Airport internet speeds connected directly to public Wi-Fi (left), and speeds when connected to the Roam 7. Screenshots: Chris Button.
Once at my Melbourne hotel, I plugged the Roam 7 into the available wall port via Ethernet. This time, I got 212Mbps download speeds, and 148Mbps upload speeds. Much better. For reference, connecting directly to the hotel Wi-Fi with my phone got 239Mbps down, and 173Mbps up. So, it was slightly slower via the travel router, but not by nearly enough to be an annoyance.
Screenshot: Chris Button.
In terms of real-world use, I experienced consistent Wi-Fi performance, even after connecting several devices. My phone, laptop, Nintendo Switch 2, and PlayStation Portal all coexisted peacefully. With the Roam 7 set up in a hotel room’s living area, speeds and stability remained solid, including through the adjacent bedroom’s walls.
Speeds aside, the main benefit was not having to connect my phone, laptop, and anything else to the airport or hotel Wi-Fi directly, which would’ve required filling out an online form each time. Instead, I only had to do it once via the Tether app. Then, all I had to do was connect each device to the router, something I could do at home ahead of time. Any time I visited a different place and used a different network, the router’s settings were all I touched. Better yet, it only took me a couple of minutes each time.
One exception
On a follow-up trip to Melbourne for PAX Aus, I bumped into an oddly specific issue. Staying at a different hotel this time, the included Wi-Fi constantly needed reauthenticating. If I went out for a few hours, I’d need to resubmit the web form upon my return to reactivate internet access. This occurred regardless of whether I used the travel router or a direct connection to the hotel Wi-Fi.
Most of the time, opening the Tether app and selecting the Roam 7 would force the webpage to open, letting me activate the hotel’s internet again. However, there were a few times when the app recognised acknowledged there was no internet access, but didn’t load the hotel’s web form for me to reconnect.
I tried refreshing the app, attempting to force the webpage to appear. Nothing. Closing and opening the app was a 50/50 bet at best. Reliably, the only way to ensure I saw the hotel’s internet connection page again was to disconnect the Roam 7 entirely, and then set it up again anew.
Clearly, this was an isolated incident specific to the hotel I stayed at (which was rich, given how much it charged). But my frustration came from being unable to force the appearance of the web form within Tether. Either there was no way to use the app to manually resubmit online forms, or it was buried deep within the settings somewhere I couldn’t find.
This is a long-winded way of saying that hotels with flaky Wi-Fi technology don’t always play nicely with travel routers.
Who is the TP-Link Roam 7 for?
Made for frequent travellers who use multiple internet-connected devices while away, the TP-Link Travel Roam 7 spreads Wi-Fi where you need it with an extra layer of security.
It’s a situational device: not one that you’d necessarily need for every trip. But for people away from home who need a reliable office-like environment, or an online home entertainment ecosystem, this is an easy solution.
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TP-Link Roam 7
The next time I travel with multiple internet-reliant devices, the easy-to-use TP-Link Roam 7 will be one of the first items I pack.
Features
8.5
Value for money
8
Performance
8.5
Ease of use
8.5
Design
9
Positives
A streamlined and secure way to manage internet access away from home
Compact design makes it easy to take on trips
Extensive settings and customisation within the Tether app
Negatives
Tricky to re-establish connectivity with internet that relies on webforms
