Every cellular router and hotspot gets a score from 0 to 100% built from nine factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating.
Routers and hotspots are two types of one category. Buyers weigh a pocket 5G hotspot against a wired 4G router for the same van, and the factors apply to both, so they are ranked on the same scale, in separate lists. Only the price scale differs: a router’s price is scored from $900 (zero) to $150 (full marks), and a hotspot’s from $500 (zero) to $100 (full marks). Factors a type rarely has, such as antenna connectors on a hotspot, simply score low.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Price | price of the unit | 20% |
| Modem speed | peak cellular downlink | 15% |
| SIM slots | SIM slots and eSIM | 8% |
| Antenna ports | external cellular antenna connectors | 15% |
| Multi-WAN | failover, load balancing and bonding | 10% |
| 12 V input | direct DC input for a vehicle | 10% |
| Power draw | published power consumption | 10% |
| WiFi | WiFi generation | 5% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 7% |
Where the numbers come from
Every figure comes from the maker’s product page, datasheet, manual or quick start guide, as listed on each product page. Prices are checked at Amazon and the maker’s own store, and the lowest price at a store the page links to is used. Prices of Peplink and Cradlepoint units on Amazon are often from resellers and may include a cloud subscription. No independent measurement set has been added yet, so nothing here is a test result.
The factors
Price is the current price of the unit on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same.
Modem speed is the maker’s peak cellular downlink, on a log scale: 100 Mbps scores zero and 4,000 Mbps full marks. Where the maker doesn’t publish a peak, a 5G modem is given 0.8 and a 4G modem 0.25, and the product page marks the score as estimated.
SIM slots counts physical slots plus a built-in eSIM: one scores zero and three full marks. A second line lets the device fall back to another carrier.
Antenna ports is the number of external cellular antenna connectors: none scores zero and four, enough for a full 4x4 MIMO roof antenna, full marks.
Multi-WAN scores what the maker publishes for combining connections: no failover scores zero, WAN failover 0.4, load balancing across connections 0.7 and bonding (Peplink SpeedFusion) one. Bonding on Peplink and failover on some Cradlepoint models require a paid license or subscription, noted on the product page.
12 V input is whether the device has a direct DC input that covers 12 V: a 9 to 30 V input scores full marks, USB-C power 0.3 because a vehicle needs an adapter, and a mains-only adapter zero.
Power draw is the maker’s published figure in watts, whichever kind the maker gives (typical, nominal, or maximum, stated on the product page): 15 W scores zero and 3 W full marks. Hotspots rarely publish one, so most score the neutral middle.
WiFi is the generation: WiFi 4 scores 0.2, WiFi 5 0.45, WiFi 6 0.7, WiFi 6E 0.85 and WiFi 7 full marks; no WiFi scores zero.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: 1 year scores zero and 3 years full marks.
What isn’t scored
Bands, carrier certification, mmWave support, Ethernet port count and speed, battery capacity, connected-device limits, operating temperature, weight and release date are listed but not scored. Carrier coverage and plans vary by location and aren’t part of the product.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each type. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.