GL.iNet MUDI 7 GL-E5800 5G Wi-Fi 7 Travel Router | eSIM, Dual SIM, 2.5G

The GL.iNet MUDI 7 (GL-E5800, North America version) is a battery-powered 5G tri-band Wi-Fi 7 travel router with two nano-SIM slots, an onboard eSIM, one 2.5 Gbps Ethernet port, and a 2.8 inch color touchscreen. Its Qualcomm X72 5G modem is rated for up to 4.67 Gbps on sub-6 GHz 5G, Wi-Fi 7 is rated at 688 Mbps (2.4 GHz), 2882 Mbps (5 GHz), and 5764 Mbps (6 GHz), and the 5380 mAh battery runs up to 13.5 hours. It is for RV and van travelers, remote workers, and anyone who wants a 5G hotspot that runs OpenWrt with WireGuard and OpenVPN at up to 600 Mbps and 700 Mbps instead of a locked carrier puck. The NA model carries the 5G and LTE bands used by US carriers; it also works on hotel Wi-Fi, a wired jack, or a tethered phone.

Who the MUDI 7 is for

• RV, van, and boat travelers who want 5G internet from a data SIM with external antenna ports for weak-signal areas
• Remote workers who need a VPN tunnel at 600 Mbps or more on a cellular connection, with failover to hotel Wi-Fi or Ethernet
• International travelers who want to switch between a home SIM, a local SIM, and an eSIM data plan without swapping hardware
• Households that want a 5G backup for outages on a cable or fiber plan, with a 2.5 Gbps wired handoff to the main router
• Privacy-focused users who want ad blocking, encrypted DNS, and a VPN kill switch on the router, not on each device

Key features

• 5G NR sub-6 GHz modem (Qualcomm Dragonwing MBB Gen 3, X72, 3GPP Release 17) rated up to 4.67 Gbps, with LTE Cat 20 download / Cat 18 upload fallback
• Dual nano-SIM slots plus an onboard eSIM with dual SIM dual standby, so a second plan is ready as a backup
• Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 320 MHz channels, 4K QAM, and Multi-Link Operation, rated 688 + 2882 + 5764 Mbps
• One 2.5 Gbps WAN/LAN Ethernet port (100/1000/2500 Mbps) for a wired uplink or a wired handoff to a home router
• 5380 mAh removable battery, up to 13.5 hours on a light workload, 24 W PD fast charging; GL.iNet says to remove the battery for permanent in-vehicle use
• 2.8 inch color LCD touchscreen for signal, SIM, battery, and connection status
• WireGuard up to 600 Mbps and OpenVPN (DCO) up to 700 Mbps, client and server modes
• Qualcomm quad-core 2.2 GHz CPU, 2 GB LPDDR4X RAM, 8 GB eMMC storage running OpenWrt 22.03
• Two USB-C ports: one power-only, one 10 Gbps with power in/out, USB tethering, and OTG
• Eight internal antennas (6 cellular, 2 Wi-Fi) plus 2 x TS-9 ports for external cellular antennas (not included)

Specifications

Provider compatibility

The NA model's band list covers the 5G and LTE bands used by T-Mobile (n41, n71, n25, B2/4/12/66/71), Verizon (n2, n5, n66, n77, B2/4/5/13/66), and AT&T (n5, n77, B2/4/5/12/14/17/29/30/66). GL.iNet lists FCC certification (RF, EMI, SAR) but does not publish a T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T device certification, and it says it does not recommend using an NA unit outside North America. The router is unlocked and uses standard nano-SIM data plans or an eSIM profile. US carriers often restrict data-only plans to approved hotspot or router devices by IMEI, so confirm that your plan allows an unlisted 5G router before you buy a SIM. The 4G-only sibling is the MUDI V2.

Why a 5G travel router with a VPN beats a carrier hotspot

A carrier hotspot gives you one network and no control; the MUDI 7 gives you a full OpenWrt router that happens to have a 5G modem and a battery. Every device behind it shares one WireGuard or OpenVPN tunnel at up to 600 or 700 Mbps, which is fast enough that a VPN from Proton VPN or Mullvad does not become the bottleneck on a 5G connection. A kill switch stops traffic if the tunnel drops; see our kill switch explainer. Ad blocking and encrypted DNS run on the router. Multi-WAN failover lets you stack the SIM, the eSIM, hotel Wi-Fi, and Ethernet in priority order so a dropped connection switches over without you touching anything. Our travel router comparison covers how it fits next to the Wi-Fi-only GL.iNet models.

Why the 2.5 Gbps port and TS-9 antenna ports matter

The 2.5 Gbps port lets the MUDI 7 hand a fast 5G connection to a home router or mesh system without a gigabit cap, so it can serve as a backup WAN for a wired home network. The two TS-9 connectors let you add an external or roof-mounted cellular antenna, which is the single biggest upgrade for RV and rural use where the internal antennas cannot reach a tower. For whole-home VPN routers that stay plugged in, see the VPN router collection.

Common questions

Does the GL.iNet MUDI 7 work with T-Mobile, Verizon, or AT&T?

The NA model supports the main 5G and LTE bands all three carriers use, and GL.iNet lists FCC certification but no carrier-specific certification. Whether your plan activates depends on the carrier's device policy for unlisted routers, so check with the carrier before buying a SIM or eSIM plan.

Does the MUDI 7 support eSIM?

Yes. It has one onboard eSIM plus two nano-SIM slots, and it supports dual SIM dual standby so a second line can act as a backup.

How long does the MUDI 7 battery last?

GL.iNet rates the 5380 mAh battery for up to 13.5 hours on a continuous light workload. Heavy VPN use, 5G in weak signal, and many devices will shorten that. It charges at 24 W over USB-C PD, and the battery should be removed for permanent RV or in-vehicle installs.

Is the MUDI 7 a modem or a router?

Both. It has a built-in 5G/LTE cellular modem and a full Wi-Fi 7 router, so it needs only a SIM or eSIM to get online. It can also act as a router behind hotel Wi-Fi, a wired jack, or a tethered phone.

Can I add an external antenna to the MUDI 7?

Yes. It has two TS-9 ports for external cellular antennas. Antennas are not included.

Does the MUDI 7 need a power adapter?

The box includes a 10 Gbps USB-C cable but no wall adapter. Any USB PD or PPS charger from 5 to 12 V at up to 30 W works, including most laptop and phone chargers.