Netgear WGR101 Cable/DSL Wireless Travel Router Review

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(More customer reviews)I applaud Netgear for being first to market with this device (the only other I know of is the Apple Airport Express), designed for geeky business travellers. There've been many times when I've been in a hotel with wired Internet access but wanted to use my laptop across the room in bed, or in a conference room with one wired network drop and a handful of people who wanted to use it. Travelling with a 30-foot cable and/or a multi-port switch is no fun. This device is light and tiny, has a modest-sized power adapter, and even comes with a short cable for connecting to a wired port and a zippered carrying case for all of that plus your pc-card NIC.
If you're not concerned with security and have your wireless NIC set to do DHCP basically all you do is plug it in and you're all set. Configuring the device is kind of a pain though: you can only connect to it wirelessly, so if you forget the SSID after setting it not to broadcast, or forget the WEP key, you have to use the reset button and start over (make sure you hold it down a good 10 seconds, just pressing it once quickly doesn't work).
It doesn't act quite like a typical router despite some product literature I've read: on a hotel network it doesn't provide firewall or NAT security--keep in mind if the hotel assigns you a public IP you're bare naked on the Internet.
Although the physical switch on the unit that puts it in config or single-/multi-user mode is a neat idea for security, it gave me a lot of problems having to reassociate or power cycle the device after changing settings. Given that in its default state it's a pass-through device like a bridge and has no IP address, there may not be a significantly better way though.
I had little to no luck using this device with my home router or cable modem, but on a hotel wired access point it was seamless including VPN connectivity (unlike my Netgear MR814 at home). Range is very good even through walls and floors/ceilings. I got mine for about half price after rebates which, I think, just barely makes it worth it. If you like to have the latest gadget, and especially if you travel, this is less of a pain and certainly niftier than carrying around a 30-foot cable and/or hub.

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Have you ever felt like using a wired Ethernet connection in your hotel room was not much fun?Was the desk or chair uncomfortable, and sitting on the bed or soft chair preferable while accessing the Internet wirelessly?Have you ever wished to have convenient wireless access for a group of people in a conference room?NETGEAR has the perfect solution for your wireless Internet access needs away from home.The WGR101 54 Mbps Wireless Travel Router is as small as a deck of cards, yet provides 54 Mbps wireless Internet access as well as routing functionality and security.Use an external switch to select configuration, or to enable either single or multi-user access.A convenient carrying case is included in which to carry the traveler's router along with other essentials.

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D-Link DAP-1350 Wireless N Pocket Router Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been looking for something like this for a long time, something to carry in my laptop bag when I travel and something to carry in my IT toolkit.
This device has 3 operational modes with different uses. I wouldn't recommend this device unless you need to switch between these modes with the same device, but that feature has good uses.
There is a Client mode. This will allow you to join the device to a wireless network, and bridge it to the ethernet port. This means you can connect a wired device to a wireless network. The downside to this mode is that one must first manually configure an IP address in the subnet of the Dlink default IP (192.168.1.50) so one can get to the configuration, then reset their IP back to dynamic or an IP in the wireless network you're connecting to.
This is useful for when someone moves a wired only computer or printer where there isn't a wire yet, and you need to just get it working for a while until the cabling happens or a more permanant device is ordered. You can also use it to connect your Xbox over at a friend's house. They may have wireless, you may have wired like in my case. Just configure it for their network and plug it into your xbox and bring it over. There's other potential uses for this mode too.There is a Router mode. This will let you share an internet connection on the wired port with wireless devices. This puts them behind a NAT router as well, with all the usual settings. This is the easiest to setup and understand, just like your typical router but missing wired ports. You can get in on the default dlink wireless network, go to the default IP (192.168.1.50) and then change any settings, setup security, setup a static WAN address etc.
This is useful for when you want to share a dsl modem with a group of laptops, or join a laptop to a wired network but have it behind the NAT firewall, isolating it from incoming access from that network. I really won't use this option much, but as an IT guy, it's helpful to have in my laptop bag a spare router that could be setup for wireless clients in a pinch.
There is a Access Point mode. This will let you bridge a wired network into a wireless network. This bypasses any firewall/router and will share the wired network's DHCP and all that. This works out of the box with no configuration, but I'd recommend connecting to the wired port with a static ip to connect to the 192.168.1.50 and changing the name/setting up security. You don't want to have rogue access points allowing people unsecured access to your wired network usually, even temporarily.
This is the most useful mode for me. You can use this at locations that don't have a wireless. Just plug it in, and then you can connect your laptop and roam around without having to cable your laptop in. You can connect multiple devices as well. This is good for taking a hotel with a poor or no wireless connection but a wired one, and still using your iPhone/Android wifi for example. Most of my clients don't use wireless on the corporate lan, so I can use this to jack in and use my tablet without dragging the cord around.It comes with a nice zipper case for cables, AC adapter and the device, though it is slightly larger than it needs to be.
It has a USB cord to power the device off the laptop instead of the AC adapter, but it seems like the range is reduced in this mode.
The range isn't as good as a larger wireless N device with larger antenna (internal or external)
There is no antenna jack for an external antenna.
There is a USB port to share with the Shareport utility or use a 3G modem with it, only in router mode.
Each mode switch has it's own config, passwords, defaults and so on. I suggest using a labelmaker to record the important settings on the device for each switch mode if they are changed.
It supports WPS and has a WPS button even, but I didn't test that since I dislike automagic wizards.The only way I can imagine this being improved is the external antenna jack, a second LAN port for LAN router mode and maybe a battery (ala mifi devices) to run for a few hours without having to find a power cord.

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One Device, Three Wireless Functions
The D-Link Wireless-N Pocket Router/Access Point (DAP-1350) features multi-mode functionality you can utilize as a wireless router to create a Wireless-N Wi-Fi network (802.11n), or easily use as an access point to add Wi-Fi to an existing wired network to provide a wireless connection anywhere desired. The DAP-1350 also functions as a wireless client to easily connect an Ethernet-ready device (such as a desktop PC or Xbox 360) to a Wi-Fi network for increased flexibility and added convenience for your Wireless-Networking needs (see examples of the DAP-1350's three functions).
Front view.

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TRENDnet 300Mbps Wireless-N Travel Router Kit TEW-654TR (Black) Review

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I travel a lot and spend way too much time in hotels where the only internet connection they have is a short wired connection sitting near some uncomfortable desk. I used to carry around a longer wire and a connector so that I could sit wherever I wanted in the room, but it is just a pain to do so.
A few years ago I found a solution in a small wireless AP sold by Asus (the WL-300 and later the WL-330g) which I used for a number of years with lots of success. However, I finally decided it was time to upgrade to 802.11n.
A bit of searching/comparing brought me to the TrendNet 654TR. Ordered one from Amazon and had it in my hands in a couple of days.
The device is much smaller and sleeker than the Asus model. Setup was easy to follow and configure (though I would enter a small complaint that I had to configure the "router" mode settings and the "AP" mode settings individually -- when I switched from "router" to "AP" it was as if I had gone back to factory defaults -- even the encryption keys & wireless configuration had to be configured again). This is just a minor complaint, easily dealt with and for many people, one they would never run into.
I've used the device at home and in several hotels on the road to great success. Rather than lugging the included AC power adapter, I simply use my iPhone USB charging block along with the included USB power adapter and I can power the unit with my little white apple block.
So now I carry this device with me on all my trips and use it here/there.
Very satisfied. If you're looking for a portable AP to carry around with you, this is it!


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The TRENDnet 300Mbps Wireless-N Travel Router Kit features a compact router that is ideal for travel. The kit gives you everything you need to plug in and enjoy the benefits of reliable 300 Mbps wireless Internet coverage on the go. This kit includes a convenient travel case and an energy-efficient adapter cord.
TEW-654TR Wireless-NTravel Router KitAt a Glance:

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