TRENDnet 300Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-633GR (Piano Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Final verdict on the Trendnet TEW-633GR and its routing problem. (See Final Update below for the end results.)
Summary: When I connect my systems (Red Hat, Windows, Palm OS, OS/2 (Warp/Server)), PS2, etc to the Internet using this router, I'm unable to reach various Internet addresses. Doing a trace route finds the packets go so far and then get "Destination Network Unreachable."
NOTE: This also occurs from the router's administration page's ping page not just from various machines on the network.
The problem does NOT occur under two circumstances.
1) I connect a system directly to my Comcast cable modem.
2) I use my Linksys router (WRT54G or WRT600N).
Hook the Trendnet back up and the problem returns 100% of the time.
After calling Trendnet support, I began to become hopeful in finding a solution. Level one sent me almost immediately to level two, who called me back and worked through various possibilities. Follow-up phone calls from level two, though, required I contact them.
During the last session level two agreed something "interesting" was going on for two reasons.
1) They were unable to ping to these sites from their location using DSL. Their trace routes failed at the same point.
2) They connected into my router and verified mine failed by using the ping feature under Administration.
NOTE: I'm avoiding using the term web site, as I use various Internet protocols into these sites (e.g. sftp, ssh, smtp, dns, imcp, and yes http).
They gave me a choice to send them the unit or send it back to Amazon.com for a refund. I decided this unit is still my first choice as a replacement for the Linksys. Getting a RMA number, I send the unit back. This is where we are today. Trendnet has the unit (USPS tracking) but has yet to contact me.
The TEW-633GR works great otherwise and the gigabit wired interfaces do improve system to system speed for various protocols (e.g. ftp, sftp, large http requests, etc.).
Can I recommend it to you? If the Internet addresses you try to reach doesn't hit this routing issue the answer is yes! But I'm not sure what Internet addresses have problems with this router. You might go a lifetime without hitting this problem or one day you need to connect to your new employer's site and can't. Fortunately, Trendnet does seem interested in solving this issue.
I'll update this review as I get more information. The verdict is still out and hopefully this router will get a five by five rating and be with me for a very long time.
Final update:
According to the router's developers the problem is with the ATHEROS chip set they use.
I'm using Comcast and tried both a RCA and Motorola modem. We also tried DOCSIS 1.1 and 2.0 before I ended up returning the router. Trendnet said they are ** NOT ** going to fix the issue for a couple of reasons.
(1) They don't have cable access at their headquarters. They have T-1 and DSL.
(2) They don't believe cable users are a large percentage of their business.
(3) We agreed not all cable users will see this issue. Yet, those who do will be out of luck, period.
I'm now using a Linksys WRT600N with a Broadband chipset with no routing issues. I returned the Trendnet TEW-633GR to Amazon.com because of this design / software defect (per Trendnet assessment).

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The 300Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Gaming Router incorporates the latest wireless and Gigabit networking technology to increase speed, range, security and reliability. The router provides unsurpassed gaming and network experience and performance. Advanced antenna and 802.11 N technology increases wireless data range and coverage. Enjoy lag-free gaming and file transfers on your wired Gigabit computers via the built-in Gigabit switch.This router features a powerful firewall and advanced wireless encryption for secured transmissions. Quality of Service (QoS) prioritization provides a seamless gaming and multimedia streaming experience. Increased speed, throughput and range make it the perfect solution to fulfill your gaming needs.

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Cisco-Linksys HPN100 HomeLink Phoneline Network Card Review

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(More customer reviews)Installed the Linksys HomeLink PhoneLine Network Cards on Win 95 and XP operating systems with the Linksys HomeLink Phoneline 10M cable/dsl router. The phoneline NIC's work great, easy to setup, and not a single problem with them. If you have a Linksys HomeLink Phoneline 10M cable/dsl router, this is the NIC to get for it.

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The Linksys HomeLink Phoneline network card lets you connect up to 25PCs over a home's existing phone lines without having to buy extra hardware.Using AMD's PCnet-Home technology, this card allows phone lines to carry data ata 1 Mbps transfer rate without interrupting regular telephone service or feedsfrom a cable or DSL modem. You can talk on the telephone, download files fromthe Internet, and share resources over a network all at the same time. Everystandard telephone jack in the home is capable of hosting a PCI-equippedcomputer, thus transforming the home's telephone wiring into an easilyexpandable network. With a 10Base-T port on the card as well, you can migrate toa 10 Mbps Ethernet whenever you want.
The Linksys HomeLink Phoneline network card comes with a five-year warranty.

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2PORT CAT5 RJ45 Manual Switch Beige Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought one of these 5 years ago to disconnect myself from the cable modem when I wasn't surfing (I have a cable phone service so it is always is on). I have never had one problem with it. I was looking for another today because I now have a wireless network with my wife's laptop and a printer on it. So now we have to leave the wireless router on for my wife to print her many photographs. I still like taking my system off our network while she surfs but now I also want to separate the router from the Internet so she isn't exposed while just using our network printer. So I am getting another one. This unit has little suction cup feet and stays where you put it. This is a good quality item and is well made. You may say I'm paranoid, but when I throw my switches no one can get into our system(At least online). Just a note it takes about 30 seconds or less when I reconnect to the router to get back on the net.

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TRENDnet 450 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router TEW-691GR (Piano Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've spent the last few months dealing with a horrible wireless n router so I decided to go with this one. I also have a TREDNnet wireless n gaming adapter and it's been fantastic so far. Anyways, this router runs cool even though I've been using multiple connections at the same time and using tons of traffic. My PC shows that I average 250Mbps and I see it peak at 300 constantly so the speed is as advertised. I have it running in mixed mode. It only took about 10 minutes to set the router up out of the box. Once I plugged in my cable modem and my pc it automatically configured the connection and I just had to log in and configure the wireless portion and security. In the 10 minutes I also configured my DDNS and my wireless IP Cameras to work with the router. It's a super easy interface.....pretty much the same as any other router you can buy. When saving settings the reboot only took a few seconds and always went back into the setup. Most routers clunk out and you have to reset and log back in manually. I could go on and on but to keep this short I'd have to say that this router is awesome and it does EXACTLY as advertised. I've used most of the major brands of routers and I can't say much for most. It's very difficult to find a good reliable product but I think I've gotten lucky with this one. Don't believe hype or buy something because you've heard the name before. The only other router I've ever been happy with was a Viewsonic believe it or not. That thing was rock solid and never gave me a single problem. If anything changes I will post it....otherwise you can count on this router. I love how people here are claiming they have advanced knowledge but can't set this router up. It's really very very simple just follow the quick setup in the manual.
*UPDATE 1/17/10*
Still no reset needed! I've been using tons of data with multiple devices. As a matter of fact Netflix is streaming to my living room right now. I have a torrent downloading on this pc @ 500kB/s and there are no hiccups. Just solid lightning fast connections!
*UPDATE 3/14/10*
Still no reset needed. I'm running in Mixed Mode and you MUST run 20/40 on the Bandwidth to get full speed. That must be the problem with others but this is standard with any N router.

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TRENDnet's 450 Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router, model TEW-691GR, redefines wireless router performance. This router's raw horsepower seamlessly streams HD movies to your entertainment center, transfers content from countless users, and generates record wireless coverage. Gigabit Wide Area Network and Local Area Network ports transfer wired data fast. An Energy Star certified power adapter and embedded GREENnet technology reduce power consumption. Advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology with three spatial streams per antenna generates a maximum theoretical wireless throughput of 450 Mbps. Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) integrates other WPS supported wireless adapters at the touch of a button. The latest in wireless encryption and a secure firewall protect your digital network. WMM Quality of Service (QoS) technology prioritizes gaming, Internet calls, and video streams. LEDs on the front of the router convey device status.

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TRENDnet 4-Port Broadband Router TW100-S4W1CA (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this Trendnet to replace an old Netgear router, which was still working fine, except it couldn't keep Outlook connected to its remote Exchange server. I suspected that the old router was too slow to handle the RPC over http (Exchange Proxy) connection that Outlook uses, but I wasn't sure. So I was looking for a new and ultra-low-cost router to see if it would fix the problem. This router solved the problem immediately - in fact Outlook connects faster from home now than it does at the office.
This router was easy to install and set up. At first I was reluctant to switch brands because I was already familiar with configuring Netgear routers (I also have a Netgear wireless router configured as an access point.) But I didn't have any trouble navigating the admin screens for the Trendnet. I connected my Netgear wireless router to one port of the Trendnet as a wireless access point and it works perfectly.
(Why two routers? My home office with its several computers is located at a corner of the house - a poor location for the wireless router. So the Trendnet router stays in the office. A cable runs from the Trendnet to a centrally located closet, where the Netgear wireless router lives. Some special configuration of the routers is required for this setup - it's explained on the Netgear web site.)
My only complaint about the Trendnet is the red flashing status light. According to the documentation that came with my router this light was supposed to be green, so I was trying to figure out what problem was causing it to flash red. Eventually I discovered that "OK" is now flashing red, not green. Personally I'd prefer a green light for OK - the flashing red can be distracting.
I hope that this router will prove as reliable as my Netgear routers have been.

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TRENDnets TW100-S4W1CA 4-port Cable/DSL Modem Internet Station provides the easiest and securest way to share your high-speed Cable/xDSL Internet connection. It has four 10/100Mbps half/full duplex switch ports that directly connect to workstations or uplink to another hub or switch. The TW100-S4W1CA also functions as a firewall for your PC, protecting your computer from hackers. It allows up to 253 users to access the Internet using a single ISP account. By sharing just one TW100-S4W1CA, one IP address, and one Cable/xDSL modem, dozens of network users can surf the Internet simultaneously. TREND-nets Cable/DSL Modem Internet Station is a feature-rich product that provides cost-effective functionality and an easy configuration.

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TRENDnet 56K USB Data/Fax/TAM Modem TFM-560U (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)Bits & Bytes, S I Business Trends, August, 2008. Bill Dubovsky.
Situation: It seems that almost everyone has ubiquitous connections with the world via their Smartphone, iPhone, FiOS, cable, WiFi, WiMax or other broadband alternative. Why should we be thinking about 1980's modem technology in 2008?
The fact is that fewer laptops come with built-in modems and some of us mobile and rural users still need modems connected to our laptops for business reasons. Sensitive governmental, utility, security, financial and medical organizations, require staff to log into their systems and networks via special toll-free numbers for good reason - they don't trust Internet security and need to minimize the risk of being hacked.
Some users need a high speed modem for Internet access in rural parts of the country that don't have broadband access. A number of ISPs offer "high speed dial-up" or "DSL speeds over regular phone lines," for these customers. Other users need to send and receive faxes occasionally when they're out of the office and don't want to pay a monthly fee for an Internet fax forwarding service, and still others want the ability to broadcast voicemails and faxes to colleagues and to have their own answering machine/voicemail when they are on the road. Others just want to upload and download data from their "home system" to their remote pc on occasion. If you're a mobile or rural business person - you may still need a modem attached to your pc, and you may need a more versatile (fax, voice, data) modem than normally comes with most laptops today.
What is it?
A modem (MOdulator-DEModulator) is hardware which allows digital devices such as computers, fax machines, etc., to communicate with each other over analog phone lines or special modems that connect with other long distance media such as DSL, cable, FiOS, satellite or radio. The modem I will be reviewing is the TFM-56OU by TrendnetTRENDnet 56K USB Data/Fax/TAM Modem (V.92, Kflex56), about $30.00 on Amazon.com, and is used to connect your pc to analog POTS lines (Plain Old Telephone Service). This USB connected modem can be used with a pc or a desktop machine and is a data, fax, and voice modem which is video phone ready. Check with amazon.com for complete technical specs.
How it works:
After installing the drivers that come on the CD-ROM, simply plug this device which is about the size of the original iPod nano into any USB port on your pc. The next step is to install your fax/voice/data software or use what comes with the device. I am a long-time user of Cheyenne Bitware (now CA Bitware) and the software quickly identified the modem and installed the appropriate drivers. You can get updated Bitware software from many sources on the Internet. The main difference I noticed is that the new modem is much faster and more reliable than the one built-into my aging Sony Vaio, plus it has voice capabilities!
What you need:
A pc with a CD-ROM drive, 300 MHz CPU or above, 256 MB memory, 4 MB hard drive space and a USB port 1.1 or 2.0 and Microsoft Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP/2003/Vista. The Trendnet TFM-56OU comes with all software, hardware and cables you need to connect to your computer.
How hard is it to use?
I installed it to my MacBook Pro, using the Windows XP partition and got it working within 5 minutes. Note that this modem does not work with Mac OSX or Linux, only with Windows as mentioned previously.
Findings:
The modem worked as advertized. I always like to check the users' comments and reviews in Amazon before I buy anything, as they seem to be an honest assessment of what you can expect.
Pros: The device was a good value for about $30.00. It is small, light, comes with a cap to protect the USB connector and is easy to install if you follow the simple directions. It turns out to be much faster than my older pc installed modem, has the added voice capability which I didn't have, can be used for "high speed dialup," and seems to have fewer errors when sending faxes to lists of recipients. I also liked the fact that the modem is self-powered via the USB port - there is no need for another external power cord to plug in.
Cons: The modem is one-piece and has to be plugged into the USB port directly. It probably would have been better to connect it via a USB cable which would give you more flexibility in how to position and install, especially if you're using it in a desktop system. I was also disappointed that it couldn't be used with the Mac side of my MacBook Pro. The Apple modem is very simple and doesn't have the functionality I need. I would hope that Trendnet would develop and make Mac OSX drivers available for Mac users.
Bottom-line:
Well worth the money. I just needed a simple modem for the pc side of my MacBook Pro as a back-up fax device and was pleasantly surprised that Bitware recognized the device and gave me the voice capabilities that I have done without for so long. For more information and other user's reviews, check on the Trendnet modem by visiting www.Amazon.com. This device is not commonly available in electronic retail stores.

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TRENDnet 5-Port Ethernet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S5 (Blue) Review

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(More customer reviews)I found this product while looking for a way to split the LAN at my job into two. We get one ethernet cord running to our desk and that's it. I was worried that my company would have some kind of block to not allow this to happen (they don't allow streaming video, audio, etc... so they block a lot of things). I found the unit on sell (about half price) and decided it was worth the price to try it. I tried it at home at first and it worked great (I have a router at home, so don't really need this at home, but just wanted to make sure it worked at home so if it didn't at the office, then I'd know it wasn't the device). I unplugged the ethernet from one computer, plugged this in and plugged in two computers. So, basically, there was one ethernet cord going from the router to the TRENDnet box and two computers branched off from there. Worked great - no set up needed, just plug-n-play. So, now for the big test: I took it to work. Worked with no big problems - same plug-n-play. The only thing is that when I plug my computer directly to the work LAN, it says the connection at 1 GBPS, but through this device, it shows up as 100 MBPS. I can't really tell any problems so far with speed - everything is working as normal, but now I have online access on both my work computer and my laptop. So, for me, this device works as advertised and meets my needs.
PS - sorry for my non-technical review, but I'm no tech expert!
PPS - don't forget you'll need an additional ethernet cord to make this connection. I didn't think of it at first, but luckily remembered before I finished my transaction and was able to pick up a cheap 3-footer.

Click Here to see more reviews about: TRENDnet 5-Port Ethernet Switch (5 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX RJ-45 Ports) TE100-S5 (Blue)

TE100-S5 is an Auto-MDIX switch designed specifically to boost network performance by eliminating network congestions and unnecessary network traffics. Each port on the Switch provides dedicated bandwidth and can negotiate between 10/100Mbps network speeds and half/full duplex modes. Plug and Play provides cost-effective and high performance solutions.

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