Transforming a Raspberry Pi Into a Portable WiFi Hotspot
Lucas Hall built a reliable private internet access point and portable local network using a Raspberry Pi with a cellular HAT.
A mobile hotspot is a great way to stay connected on the go, but it’s not always reliable. As soon as you hit a dead zone, you lose signal. And you can’t always depend on public access WiFi, especially if the networks aren’t available. In looking for a more reliable way to stay connected while out on the road, Lucas Hall turned a Raspberry Pi into a portable WiFi hotspot with standalone internet connectivity.
Housed in a rigid Pelican 1200 case with foam to keep everything in place, the device uses a Raspberry Pi 4B 2019 as the baseboard, along with a Raspberry Pi 4G/LTW HAT Kit to build the cellular HAT. It’s also equipped with a TP Link AC750 to act as the portable router, a Wyze Cam 1080p camera, the Journeyman Pro AC Pass-through for power, and an Anker PowerPortCube USB Cube for accessible outlets.
For WiFi, the unit runs RaspAP to create an access point. It also offers more control over networking with options for advanced DHCP settings, OpenVPN client support, SSL, security audits, themes and multilingual options. The Pi can connect to Hall’s nebula network as well, which allows the device to reach other nodes that are linked to the network.
It’s not the prettiest looking build, and it’s kind of bulky, but according to Hall, it gets the job done. It’s a handy way to have more reliable internet access and a private network on the go.