Which Peplink router do I need? A 2026 buying guide

Peplink makes over 50 router models. The range is a strength — there is a product for nearly every use case — but it makes choosing difficult if you are not already familiar with the line. This guide cuts through it with a straightforward decision process.

The four questions that narrow it down: What is your use case? How many users? How many WAN links do you need? What is your budget?

Start here: use case

Mobile worker / vehicle / in-car

You need: a MAX series router. MAX stands for Mobile Access Router. These are designed for 12V/24V DC power, cellular WAN (built-in modems), compact enclosures, and optionally IP67 water and dust resistance.

The decision tree within MAX:

• One or two users, single modem, low budget: MAX BR1 Mini 5G (£509 RRP). Single 5G modem, Wi-Fi 6, 1x Gigabit Ethernet WAN. Ships in a compact plastic housing. Good for a van, a small boat, or a remote worker on 5G.

• Small team (3-10 users), one modem, need SpeedFusion: MAX BR1 Pro 5G (£939 RRP). Single 5G modem but SpeedFusion bonding capable, hardware-accelerated, with an Ethernet WAN port for Starlink or hotel Wi-Fi-as-WAN. The most common choice for lone-engineer deployments and OB vehicles.

• Small team, two modems, active/active bonding: MAX BR2 Pro 5G (£2,719 RRP). Dual 5G modems plus two Ethernet WAN ports. SpeedFusion bonds all four simultaneously. For OB vans, maritime vessels up to 30 users, or any mobile deployment where session continuity is critical.

• Large vehicle / broadcast OB truck / vessel: MAX HD2 MBX or HD4 MBX. The MBX chassis takes modular WAN expansion cards. HD2 MBX takes two modem modules; HD4 MBX takes four. These are rack-mount, enterprise-grade, and priced accordingly (HD2 MBX from £5,629; HD4 MBX from £7,499 RRP). For production broadcast, superyacht, or military mobile.

• Outdoor / IP67 required: MAX BR1 IP67 (£659 RRP). The IP67-rated version of the BR1. Designed for cockpit installs, outdoor cabinets, and anywhere that sees spray, rain, or dust ingress.

Branch office / fixed site

You need: a Balance series router. These are mains-powered, rack or desktop form factor, with multiple GbE WAN ports and optionally a built-in cellular modem.

The decision tree:

• Small branch, 1-20 users, one WAN plus cellular backup: Balance 310 (£879 RRP). Three WAN ports, one cellular slot. No SpeedFusion bonding (failover only on this model without a separate licence). Solid all-rounder for a small office with fibre primary and 4G backup. Note: the Balance 310 is in our Bluechip tier; pricing may vary; contact us for current rates.

• Branch needs SpeedFusion bonding (not just failover): Balance 310 5G (£1,879 RRP). Same chassis as the 310, but with a built-in 5G modem and SpeedFusion bonding hardware. The right choice if you need active cellular+fibre WAN bonding, or if your branch needs live video upstream.

• Medium business, 20-100 users, multi-WAN: Balance 580X (£3,519 RRP). Six WAN ports, SpeedFusion hardware acceleration, suitable for multi-ISP setups with active bonding. Three expansion module slots allow modem cards to be added. In our Bluechip tier.

• Enterprise, 100+ users, data centre WAN aggregation: Balance SDX (£4,699 RRP) or Balance SDX Pro (from £5,999 RRP). These are high-throughput SpeedFusion appliances. SDX handles up to 10 Gbps with NVMe-backed SpeedFusion buffering. SDX Pro adds M.2 NVMe expansion for high-volume bonding scenarios.

Maritime (vessel-specific)

Maritime adds requirements that standard routers do not meet: 12V/24V DC tolerance, IP67 protection for cockpit installs, and the need to manage satellite + multi-band cellular simultaneously as the vessel moves between coverage zones.

• Sail / motor yacht, 1-5 users: MAX BR1 Mini 5G (£509) with a Mobility 22G external antenna. Total kit around £900. Single modem with Wi-Fi 6 onboard. Add Starlink on the Ethernet WAN port for satellite failover.

• Charter yacht / commercial vessel, 5-20 users: MAX BR2 Pro 5G (£2,719). Dual modems + dual Ethernet WAN for Starlink integration. SpeedFusion bonds all links; session continuity across cellular zones.

• Superyacht / vessel with crew and passengers, 20+ users: MAX HD1 Dome Pro 5G (£2,619). The HD1 Dome Pro is an all-weather maritime unit with a built-in IP67 dome housing, single 5G modem, and Wi-Fi. Pairs with an inshore Balance router for fleet management. Alternatively, MAX HD2 MBX with a dome antenna array for maximum throughput.

See our Maritime connectivity page for a full breakdown by vessel type.

Enterprise / multi-site SD-WAN

If you are building a multi-site SD-WAN with centralised management, the architecture is typically:

• Edge routers at each site (Balance 310/310X or smaller MAX units depending on user count)
• A SpeedFusion hub at your data centre or on-prem (either a Balance SDX at the data centre, or SpeedFusion Cloud hosted by Peplink)
• InControl 2 for fleet management and policy push

For SD-WAN deployments with 5-50 sites, the Balance 310X (£2,719 RRP) is the typical edge appliance. It has three WAN ports, cellular expansion slots, and hardware SpeedFusion. For larger sites, the Balance 580X.

Spec comparison: key models at a glance

All RRP figures are UK, GBP, ex-VAT, from the Peplink ESTORE pricelist. Bluechip-tier products (Balance 310, 580X) are available on request; contact us for current pricing.

What PrimeCare is and whether you need it

Most Peplink hardware ships in a PrimeCare bundle. PrimeCare is a support subscription that includes:

• Warranty extension (typically to 3 years with ongoing renewal)
• Access to firmware updates
• InControl 2 cloud management licence
• Technical support from your partner (us)

For most deployments, buy the PrimeCare variant. It is not optional if you want firmware updates beyond the first year. The annual renewal is typically 10-15% of hardware cost.

Still not sure?

If your use case does not fit cleanly into one of the categories above, start a conversation with us. We do not use a sales script. Tell us what you are trying to do, and we will tell you exactly which model fits and what it will cost. No slides. Fifteen minutes.

We also do pre-purchase configuration consultations for complex deployments: multi-site SD-WAN, maritime SpeedFusion, broadcast OB. The engineering team has deployed these in the field; we can tell you what works in practice, not just what the spec sheet says.