Comparison
PacketMole vs Nomadeos
Nomadeos is a French product that does the same job: a box at home and a box that travels, so you keep your home IP address abroad. The boxes are a one-time purchase, but whether you also pay yearly depends on your home internet: without a public IPv4 address (usually the case on Starlink, 5G home internet, cellular and some apartment networks) Nomadeos needs its $92-a-year relay subscription. PacketMole has no subscription on any connection.
The short version
- Up-front price:Nomadeos is cheaper up front. Over three years it stays cheaper only if your home has a public IPv4 address. Their US store lists $227.99 plus $45US shipping (8–10 days), before import duties. PacketMole is $349 with free US shipping and no duties.
- Your home connection:Nomadeos's standard direct setup “requires a public (non-shared) IPv4 address” and its port forwarding will not work on CGNAT. Starlink, 5G home internet, cellular and some apartment networks usually use CGNAT; for those homes Nomadeos instead routes through its own servers, and its store lists an “Annual subscription” at $92 for homes without a dedicated IPv4. PacketMole is built on Tailscale, which can fall back to its relays when CGNAT blocks a direct path, with no extra charge from us.
- Setup at home:Nomadeos's guide has you add a port-forward (UDP 51820) on your own internet router. PacketMole needs no router changes: plug the Home unit into a spare port and sign in to your own Tailscale account.
- Hardware:Nomadeos lists a 650 MHz QCA9531 processor, 2.4 GHz-only Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) and 10/100 Ethernet, the same unit at both ends. PacketMole pairs a GL.iNet Brume 2 home gateway with a Beryl AX Wi-Fi 6 travel router; each has a 2.5 Gigabit WAN port.
- Where Nomadeos is stronger:live help. They offer WhatsApp chat and video sessions for the first 40 days (longer with a paid support plan), and they sell in Europe, the UK and Canada. PacketMole offers ongoing email support, and we ship within the US.
Detailed comparison
| Feature | PacketMole | Nomadeos |
|---|---|---|
| Price (one-time, US) | $349, free US shipping | $227.99 + $45 shipping + import duties |
| Subscription required | None | None with a public IPv4 at home; $92/yr relay without one |
| Home on CGNAT (Starlink, 5G home, cellular, some apartments) | Designed for it; Tailscale relays, no extra charge | Works only through their relay; “Annual subscription” listed at $92 |
| 3-year cost, public-IPv4 home | $349 total (one-time purchase) | $272.99 + duties |
| 3-year cost, CGNAT home | $349 total (one-time purchase) | $548.99 + duties |
| Router changes at home | None | Port-forward UDP 51820 + address reservation |
| Hardware: home unit | GL.iNet Brume 2 (GL-MT2500A) | Unnamed QCA9531 travel router |
| Hardware: travel unit | GL.iNet Beryl AX (GL-MT3000) | Same unit as home |
| Wi-Fi | Travel unit: Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), 2.4 + 5 GHz; home unit is wired only | Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), 2.4 GHz only |
| Ethernet | 2.5 Gigabit WAN + Gigabit LAN on each unit | 10/100 Mbps |
| Stated speed | No fixed cap stated; depends on both connections | “Up to 25 Mbps” |
| Tunnel | Tailscale (WireGuard), your own account | WireGuard, OpenVPN fallback |
| Account with the vendor | No account with us (you use your own Tailscale account) | No (support area uses order email) |
| Live support | Ongoing email support (fair-use limits) | WhatsApp + video for 40 days; paid plan after |
| Sells outside the US | No | Yes (EU, UK, Canada and more) |
| Vendor | Slick Engineering & Consulting, Inc. (USA) | NOMECOM SAS (France) |
| Returns | 30 days; full refund if unopened, $50 restocking fee if opened or used | 30 days if their technician confirms it can’t work; conditions apply |
The public-IP question, explained
Nomadeos's home box works as a server: your travel box connects straight to your home's public IPv4 address through a port you open on your internet router. That is simple and fast when your provider gives you your own public address, as many cable and fiber connections do.
Many connections don't. Starlink, 5G home internet (such as T-Mobile and Verizon), cellular, and some apartment networks usually put customers behind carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), so there is no port to open. Nomadeos handles that by sending your traffic through its own servers instead, which its store prices as a $92 annual subscription.
PacketMole never needs an open port. Both units connect out to Tailscale, which makes a direct link when it can and falls back to its relay servers when CGNAT blocks one, as long as both networks allow Tailscale traffic. Your traffic stays encrypted end to end either way, and there is no extra PacketMole charge. On a CGNAT connection the public IP that sites see is your provider's shared address, with either product. If you are not sure what your home connection has, that is the first thing to check before choosing either product.
When Nomadeos might be the better choice
- Your home has a public IPv4 and price matters most.On cable or fiber with your own address, Nomadeos costs about $76 less up front with shipping, before import duties.
- You want live, hands-on setup help.Their WhatsApp and video sessions are well reviewed. PacketMole offers ongoing email support.
- You're outside the US.They sell in euros, pounds and Canadian dollars; PacketMole ships only within the US right now.
When PacketMole is the better choice
- Your home internet is Starlink, 5G home internet, cellular, or otherwise behind CGNAT.PacketMole works there with no relay subscription, and over three years costs less than Nomadeos plus its annual subscription.
- You don't want to change your home router.No port forwarding, no address reservation.
- You want current hardware.A Wi-Fi 6 travel router (2.4 and 5 GHz) and a 2.5 Gigabit WAN port on both units, instead of 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi 4 and 10/100 Ethernet.
- You want a US seller.US price, free US shipping, no import duties, and terms in English (Nomadeos's legal pages are in French).
Ready to bring home with you?
$349 one-time. Free US shipping. Ships within 2 weeks. 30-day returns.
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Note on accuracy:Nomadeos details come from their own US store, product page, setup guides and policies, read on October 19, 2026: $227.99 for the two-unit pack, a $45 flat US shipping rate (8–10 days, quoted by their store for New York, Florida and California ZIP codes), import duties not included, “Annual subscription” $92, the public-IPv4 requirement and UDP 51820 port-forward from their setup guide, and the hardware specifications from their product page. The CGNAT three-year figure assumes the $92 annual subscription is paid each year ($227.99 + $45 + 3 × $92). 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 hello@packetmole.com.