GL.iNet Flint 3 (GL-BE9300) Review: The Value Wi-Fi 7 Router for Tinkerers

**Verdict: The Flint 3 is the value Wi-Fi 7 router for people who want control.** For around $210 it gives you tri-band 802.11be with MLO, five 2.5GbE ports, and OpenWRT-based firmware with built-in WireGuard and OpenVPN — a combination that costs a lot more from the big-name brands, if you can get it at all. It's not the fastest VPN router GL.iNet makes, and it has no 10G port, but for privacy-focused, tinker-friendly homes it's the most capable router you can buy at the price.

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Key Specs at a Glance

| Spec | Detail | |------|--------| | Wi-Fi Standard | Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) | | Class | BE9300 (tri-band) | | Bands | 2.4 GHz (688 Mbps) + 5 GHz (2882 Mbps) + 6 GHz (5765 Mbps) | | Wi-Fi 7 Features | MLO (Multi-Link Operation), 4K-QAM, 6 GHz band | | Ethernet | 5× 2.5GbE (1× WAN, 4× LAN) — every port is 2.5G | | 10G Ports | None | | USB | 1× USB 3.0 Type-A | | SoC | Qualcomm quad-core @ 1.5 GHz | | RAM / Storage | 1 GB DDR4 / 8 GB eMMC | | Firmware | OpenWRT-based (GL.iNet UI + LuCI) | | VPN | WireGuard & OpenVPN (client + server), 30+ VPN providers | | Cooling | Internal fan | | Power | <25 W (12V/4A) | | Dimensions / Weight | 240 × 157 × 74 mm / 848 g | | Price | ~$190–$219 street (MSRP $209.99) |

What the Flint 3 Is For

Most routers in this price range make you pick one thing: fast Wi-Fi, or an open platform, or good VPN, or lots of ports. The Flint 3's pitch is that you don't have to choose. It's a genuine tri-band Wi-Fi 7 router **and** an OpenWRT box **and** a VPN appliance **and** a five-port 2.5G switch, in one $210 chassis.

That combination is what makes GL.iNet routers a cult favorite. The Flint 3 runs OpenWRT under the hood, so you get an approachable GL.iNet admin UI for everyday use and the full **LuCI** interface underneath when you want to go deep — VLANs, custom firewall rules, ad-blocking, scripting, the works. Compare that to the locked-down apps on most consumer routers (or the paywalled features on an Eero) and it's a different philosophy entirely.

If you want a router you configure once and forget, this is more surface than you need — buy something simpler. If you like knowing exactly what your network is doing and being able to change any of it, this is the router.

The Ports: Five 2.5G, No 10G

Every wired port on the Flint 3 is 2.5GbE — one WAN and four LAN. That's the headline for wired setups and it's genuinely generous: most routers near this price give you one or two 2.5G ports and pad the rest out with old gigabit. Here, a 2.5G ISP handoff, a 2.5G NAS, a 2.5G desktop, and a 2.5G switch uplink all get full-speed ports with room to spare.

The trade-off is the ceiling: **there is no 10G port.** If you have 5-gig or 10-gig fiber, or you move large files between 10G-connected machines, the Flint 3 caps your wired backbone at 2.5 Gbps per link. For that you'd want a router with a 10G port — the ASUS RT-BE88U is the obvious step up, with dual 10G plus quad 2.5G.

For the far more common case — gigabit or 2.5-gig internet and a mostly-2.5G LAN — five 2.5G ports is exactly right, and you're not paying the 10G tax.

There's also a single **USB 3.0 Type-A** port for a shared drive or a cellular modem, which OpenWRT handles well.

Wi-Fi 7 Performance

The Flint 3 is a true tri-band BE9300 router: 688 Mbps on 2.4 GHz, 2882 Mbps on 5 GHz, and 5765 Mbps on 6 GHz, for roughly 9.3 Gbps of aggregate radio capacity. Unlike dual-band Wi-Fi 7 routers that drop the 6 GHz band, the Flint 3 keeps it — so 6 GHz-capable clients get the clean, low-congestion spectrum and wide channels that are the best part of Wi-Fi 7.

**MLO (Multi-Link Operation)** is supported, letting compatible Wi-Fi 7 clients bond bands for lower latency and steadier throughput. In practice, a nearby 6 GHz client easily saturates a gigabit or 2-gig internet plan, and the 5 GHz band delivers strong whole-home coverage rated for roughly 2,000 sq ft and well over 100 connected devices.

The Qualcomm quad-core SoC is tuned for Wi-Fi throughput and port density rather than raw single-thread grunt, and it shows: wireless performance is competitive with pricier tri-band routers, and the router stays composed under a full house of devices. An internal fan keeps it cool under sustained load — worth knowing if you're sensitive to fan noise in a bedroom or office, though it's generally quiet.

VPN: Strong, But Read the Fine Print

VPN is the reason a lot of people buy GL.iNet, so this deserves a clear-eyed look.

- **WireGuard:** GL.iNet rates the Flint 3 at up to ~680 Mbps on WireGuard, and independent testing lands close to that. That's fast enough to run your *entire* network through a VPN and still outrun most home internet plans. - **OpenVPN:** With OpenVPN-DCO acceleration, throughput is in the same neighborhood. But if your provider or setup relies on **classic OpenVPN**, plan for closer to ~140 Mbps — a big gap worth knowing before you buy. - **Convenience:** The firmware supports client and server modes for both protocols and has built-in profiles for 30+ commercial VPN providers, so pointing your whole network at NordVPN, Mullvad, Proton, etc. is a few clicks.

The honest caveat: if peak WireGuard speed is your *only* reason to buy, the Flint 3 is not the fastest option in GL.iNet's own lineup. The older **Flint 2 (GL-MT6000)** actually posts higher WireGuard numbers (~850 Mbps), and the Brume 3 gateway is faster still. The Flint 3's SoC prioritizes Wi-Fi 7 and five 2.5G ports over VPN silicon. For nearly everyone, ~680 Mbps of whole-network WireGuard is far more than enough — just don't buy it expecting it to beat the Flint 2 at VPN.

Setup and Software

Setup is quick through the GL.iNet mobile app or the web admin panel. The everyday UI is clean and beginner-friendly — SSIDs, guest network, VPN toggles, parental controls, and ad-blocking are all front and center.

The depth is what sets it apart:

- **OpenWRT + LuCI:** the full open-source stack is one click away for VLANs, custom firewall/NAT rules, static routes, and packages from the OpenWRT repo. - **AdGuard Home** is built in for network-wide ad and tracker blocking without a separate Pi-hole box (though you can still run Pi-hole if you prefer). - **Network-wide VPN policy routing** lets you send specific devices or domains through the VPN and everything else direct. - **No subscriptions:** every feature is included. There's no paywalled security tier.

The one rough edge is updates: GL.iNet firmware updates tend to be **manual** rather than silent-automatic, so you'll want to check for new builds periodically. For a router this configurable, that's a fair trade — but it's the opposite of the set-and-forget experience of a mesh app.

Who Should Buy the Flint 3

**Buy it if:** - You want real tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (with 6 GHz and MLO) without paying flagship prices. - You value control — OpenWRT, LuCI, VLANs, custom firewall rules — over a locked-down app. - You want whole-network WireGuard/OpenVPN and built-in ad-blocking with no subscription. - Your LAN is 2.5G-based and gigabit-to-2.5-gig internet fits your plan.

**Skip it if:** - You have 5-gig or 10-gig internet or a 10G LAN — you need a 10G port; look at the ASUS RT-BE88U. - Peak WireGuard speed is your single priority — the Flint 2 (GL-MT6000) is faster at VPN for less money. - You have a large multi-story home where coverage matters more than features — a Wi-Fi 7 mesh will serve you better than any single router. - You want a router you never think about — the depth here is wasted on set-and-forget users.

Pros and Cons

**Pros** - True tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (2.4 + 5 + 6 GHz) with MLO at a value price - Five 2.5GbE ports — every wired port is multi-gig - OpenWRT-based firmware with full LuCI access for serious control - Built-in WireGuard/OpenVPN, 30+ provider profiles, network-wide policy routing - AdGuard Home ad/tracker blocking built in, no subscriptions - 1 GB RAM / 8 GB storage and a quad-core SoC keep it responsive under load - USB 3.0 port for storage or a cellular modem

**Cons** - **No 10G port** — wired backbone caps at 2.5 Gbps per link - WireGuard throughput (~680 Mbps) is *lower* than the older Flint 2 - Classic (non-DCO) OpenVPN is slow (~140 Mbps) - Firmware updates are largely manual, not automatic - Feature depth is overkill for anyone who wants simple set-and-forget - Internal fan can be audible under sustained heavy load

Flint 3 vs. Flint 2 vs. Mainstream Wi-Fi 7

| | GL.iNet Flint 3 (BE9300) | GL.iNet Flint 2 (MT6000) | Typical Big-Brand Wi-Fi 7 | |---|---|---|---| | Wi-Fi | Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 (6 GHz) | Dual-band Wi-Fi 6 | Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 | | 2.5G Ports | 5 | 2 | 2–4 | | 10G Port | No | No | Sometimes 1 | | Firmware | OpenWRT + LuCI | OpenWRT + LuCI | Vendor app (locked) | | WireGuard | ~680 Mbps | ~850 Mbps | Varies, often slower | | Price | ~$210 | ~$130–160 | $250–$400+ |

The read: get the **Flint 3** for Wi-Fi 7, 6 GHz, and more 2.5G ports; get the **Flint 2** if you're on Wi-Fi 6 and want the fastest cheap WireGuard; skip the big brands unless you specifically need 10G or their ecosystem.

Bottom Line

The GL.iNet Flint 3 is what happens when a router is designed for people who actually run their network instead of just using it. Tri-band Wi-Fi 7 with 6 GHz and MLO, five 2.5GbE ports, OpenWRT with full LuCI, and whole-network VPN — all for around $210 — is a stack of capabilities the mainstream brands charge far more for and lock down anyway.

Go in knowing the two real limits: there's no 10G port, and its WireGuard speed trails the cheaper Flint 2. Neither matters for the target buyer — a privacy-minded, control-hungry home on gigabit-to-2.5-gig internet. For that person, this is the best value Wi-Fi 7 router on the market.

**Rating: 4.4 / 5**

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