Comparison
PacketMole vs KeepYourHomeIP
Both products solve the same problem: keep your home IP address when you travel. Both ship two routers, one for home and one for the road. They differ in hardware, in pricing model, and in which company's account and services the tunnel depends on.
The short version
- Total 3-year cost:PacketMole is $349 one-time (assuming Tailscale's free personal plan, see below). KeepYourHomeIP's “Business” kit is $468 plus a subscription of $8/month or $96/year (first month free) = about $756 over 3 yearson the annual plan. That is about $407 more. KeepYourHomeIP ships from the Netherlands, and its shipping policy says any US import duties and taxes are the buyer's to pay on top.
- Hardware:PacketMole pairs two different GL.iNet routers: a wired-only Brume 2 at home and a Wi-Fi 6 Beryl AX for travel. KeepYourHomeIP's Business kit ships two of the same router, the “Maui MA-B256”, which its FCC filing shows is a relabelled GL.iNet Slate Plus (GL-A1300, Wi-Fi 5, Gigabit Ethernet). Its cheaper Economy Light kit ships the “Capri CP-EL128” (2.4 GHz-only Wi-Fi, 10/100 Ethernet).
- Connections without a public IP (CGNAT):Both vendors say no port forwarding is needed. KeepYourHomeIP's FAQ says no public IP address is required and that it works behind NAT and firewalls. PacketMole uses Tailscale, which connects directly when it can and falls back to Tailscale's DERP relay servers when CGNAT blocks a direct path, provided both networks allow Tailscale traffic. On a CGNAT home connection (Starlink, 5G home internet, some apartments) your home's public IP is the carrier's shared address and can change; PacketMole still makes you appear to be on your home connection.
- Accounts:KeepYourHomeIP setup starts in your KeepYourHomeIP account. Their setup instructions say: “Log in to your KYHIP account page, scan the QR codes from the bottom labels of the routers, and unlock the auto-configuration.” PacketMole needs no account with us. You sign in to your own Tailscale account (currently free for personal use).
- What the tunnel depends on:KeepYourHomeIP says an active KeepYourHomeIP subscription is required for the VPN to work. PacketMole has no subscription; the tunnel runs on Tailscale, and the units also check updates.packetmole.com nightly for firmware updates. The routers are standard GL.iNet hardware with a PacketMole software overlay.
Detailed comparison
| Feature | PacketMole | KYH Economy Light | KYH Business (Maui) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardware (one-time, US price) | $349 | $328 | $468 |
| Subscription | None | $8/mo, $48 per 6 months or $96/yr (first month free) | $8/mo, $48 per 6 months or $96/yr (first month free) |
| Account with the vendor | No account with us (you use your own Tailscale account) | Yes, KeepYourHomeIP account | Yes, KeepYourHomeIP account |
| 3-year total (annual plan) | $349 total (one-time purchase); uses Tailscale's free Personal plan | ~$616 + any import duties | ~$756 + any import duties |
| Home unit | GL.iNet Brume 2 (GL-MT2500A), wired only (no Wi-Fi), released 2022 | Capri CP-EL128 | Maui MA-B256 (relabelled GL.iNet GL-A1300, FCC-certified 2022) |
| Away (travel) unit | GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000), released late 2022 | Capri CP-EL128 (same model both ends) | Maui MA-B256 (same model both ends) |
| Travel-unit Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 + 5 GHz) | Wi-Fi 4, 2.4 GHz only | Wi-Fi 5 (2.4 + 5 GHz) |
| Ethernet | Both units: 2.5 Gigabit WAN + 1 Gigabit LAN | 10/100 Mbps (1 WAN + 1 LAN) | Gigabit (1 WAN + 2 LAN) |
| Memory | Home 1 GB DDR4 / 8 GB eMMC; Away 512 MB DDR4 | 128 MB DDR2 / 128 MB NAND | Not stated on their product page |
| Vendor-stated VPN speed | Not stated; limited by your home upload speed | Up to 50 Mbps | Up to 170 Mbps |
| Tunnel | Tailscale (WireGuard); direct when possible, else Tailscale's DERP relays | WireGuard | WireGuard |
| Behind CGNAT / no public IP | Works via direct path or DERP relays if both networks allow Tailscale | Vendor says no public IP needed | Vendor says no public IP needed |
| Service dependencies | Tailscale, both internet connections; nightly update check | Active KYH subscription, both internet connections | Active KYH subscription, both internet connections |
| Shipping to the US | Free US shipping (ships within the US only) | Free standard, 7–10 business days, from the Netherlands; import duties/taxes paid by recipient | Free standard, 7–10 business days, from the Netherlands; import duties/taxes paid by recipient |
| Returns | 30 days; $50 restocking fee if opened or used | 30 days, free return label | 30 days, free return label |
| Hardware warranty | Sold as is; no separate voluntary warranty | 2 years, free replacement of a faulty device | 2 years, free replacement of a faulty device |
| Support | Ongoing email support (support@packetmole.com) for as long as you own it; we aim to reply within one business day (not guaranteed); fair-use limits | Email, 7 days a week; subscription lists 2-hour ticket response | Email, 7 days a week; subscription lists 2-hour ticket response |
| Vendor | Slick Engineering & Consulting, Inc. (USA) | IPlumVPN B.V. (Netherlands) | IPlumVPN B.V. (Netherlands) |
About the hardware
KeepYourHomeIP's Business kit ships a router they call the “Maui MA-B256.” That's their own label. FCC filing 2BCSZ-MA-B256 is a change-of-identification of GL.iNet's 2AFIW-A1300 (granted September 2022), so the hardware is a relabelled GL.iNet Slate Plus (GL-A1300): a Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) travel router with Gigabit Ethernet.
PacketMole's travel unit is the GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000), released late 2022: Wi-Fi 6 (2.4 + 5 GHz), a 2.5 Gigabit WAN port plus a 1 Gigabit LAN port, 512 MB DDR4 and a MediaTek MT7981B processor.
For the home side, PacketMole ships the GL.iNet Brume 2 (GL-MT2500A), a wired-only gateway (no Wi-Fi) with a 2.5 Gigabit WAN port, a 1 Gigabit LAN port, 1 GB DDR4 and 8 GB eMMC, released 2022. KeepYourHomeIP ships two of the same travel router and uses one as the home server. Both designs work; ours uses a home unit built for sitting on a wired connection.
When KeepYourHomeIP might be the better choice
We'll be honest about it. KeepYourHomeIP makes more sense if:
- You're outside the US.They ship to the EU, UK, Canada, Australia, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Mexico. PacketMole only ships within the US.
- You want a warranty and a support commitment.KeepYourHomeIP offers a 2-year hardware warranty with free replacement, and its subscription lists a 2-hour ticket response, with support seven days a week. PacketMole is sold as is with no separate voluntary warranty, and offers ongoing email support with no guaranteed response time.
- You want the same single router model at both ends,or a kit with two travel routers sharing one home server, which they sell as an option.
When PacketMole is the better choice
- You want one-time pricingwith no ongoing billing relationship with us: about $407 less than the Business kit over 3 years on the annual plan, using Tailscale's free Personal plan.
- You don't want an account with the router vendor.PacketMole needs no account with us. The tunnel runs under your own Tailscale account; we don't host your configuration and can't see your traffic.
- You want faster hardware for the price— Wi-Fi 6 and a 2.5 Gigabit WAN port at $349, vs Wi-Fi 5 and Gigabit Ethernet in KYH's $468-plus-subscription Business kit.
- You'd rather buy from a US vendor.Free US shipping and no import duties to pay on delivery.
- You want hardware that isn't tied to a subscription.PacketMole uses standard GL.iNet routers with a PacketMole software overlay. If we ever went out of business, the routers remain reusable, including by reflashing them. KeepYourHomeIP says its VPN needs an active KeepYourHomeIP subscription to work.
Ready to bring home with you?
$349 one-time. Free US shipping. Ships within 2 weeks. 30-day returns ($50 restocking fee if opened or used).
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Note on accuracy: Everything about KeepYourHomeIP here was read from their own site on October 19, 2026. Prices are the US-dollar prices their store and subscription page show US visitors: Economy Light $328 and Business $468 (each with one travel router), then $8/month, $48 per 6 months or $96/year, with the first month free. Three-year totals use the annual plan (three payments of $96: $328 + $288 = $616, $468 + $288 = $756); monthly billing (35 paid months) comes to about $8 less. Shipping times and import-duty terms come from their shipping policy; returns from their refund policy; warranty, support hours and the no-public-IP statement from their FAQ; the setup quote from their April 1, 2025 “Plug & Play VPN” post; hardware specs from their product pages. The Maui MA-B256 = GL.iNet GL-A1300 identification comes from FCC filing 2BCSZ-MA-B256. Import duties vary and are not included in the totals. PacketMole's $349 total assumes Tailscale's free personal plan. Prices and policies change; we update this page when we notice or when told.
Have a correction or want to flag something we got wrong? Email support@packetmole.com.