GL.iNet has launched the Mango 2 (GL-MG1300), updating its entry-level pocket travel router with dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and dual Gigabit Ethernet ports for portable network isolation.
According to a September 25, 2026 announcement reported by TechPowerUp, pre-orders for the GL-MG1300 opened on September 22, 2026, through the GL.iNet online store for $39.90 ahead of a $49.90 regular retail price. The release overhauls the internal architecture of the first-generation Mango (GL-MT300N-V2), which combined a 580 MHz single-core processor and 300 Mbps single-band 2.4 GHz 802.11n wireless with 10/100 Mbps Fast Ethernet ports. According to GL.iNet's product specifications, the Mango 2 runs on an 880 MHz dual-core MediaTek processor paired with 128 MB of DDR3L RAM alongside 2 MB of NOR flash and 128 MB of NAND flash storage. Wireless throughput reaches AC1300 speeds across two internal dual-band antennas, delivering up to 400 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band and up to 866 Mbps on the 5 GHz band.
Housed in a yellow polycarbonate shell measuring 89 by 63 by 15 mm and weighing 100 g, the GL-MG1300 replaces the Micro-USB power port of its predecessor with a 5V/2A USB-C power input. Peak power draw remains under 5W, allowing travelers to run the unit directly from a USB-C wall charger or portable power bank without carrying a dedicated power adapter. Along the edges, the chassis provides one 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit WAN port, one 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit LAN port, a USB 3.0 port, a reset button, and a configurable physical toggle button.
The router supports four upstream internet connection methods: public Wi-Fi repeater, wired Ethernet, smartphone USB tethering, and compatible USB cellular modems. Automatic failover monitors the active uplink and switches traffic to a preconfigured backup connection whenever the primary link drops. When operating in Wi-Fi repeater mode on hotel or airport networks, built-in captive portal support lets an administrator complete the sign-in page once on the upstream gateway while client laptops and phones stay connected to the Mango 2's private SSID using saved credentials.
Encrypted tunnel throughput sees the largest generational gain from the dual-core MediaTek silicon. GL.iNet rates the GL-MG1300 for up to 184 Mbps using WireGuard and up to 95 Mbps using OpenVPN with Data Channel Offload (DCO), compared to 45 Mbps on WireGuard and 11 Mbps on OpenVPN on the original GL-MT300N-V2. The OpenWrt-based firmware supports both client and server operation for WireGuard and OpenVPN alongside configuration profiles for more than 30 commercial VPN providers, while built-in Tailscale integration provides remote access between authorized devices. Policy-based routing rules allow administrators to specify which connected devices or destination websites pass through the VPN tunnel and which route directly to the internet, extending encrypted connectivity to streaming sticks and game consoles that cannot run native VPN apps.
