Product Review of the TRENDnet 300Mbps Wireless N Home Router TEW-731BR

I purchased the Router at Fry’s Electronics on sales for $19.99 (Regularly $34.99).  It was advertised as a 300N Wireless Router in the Fry’s ad and on the box.  This means I should have the capabilities of a data rate using a 300N or 600N wireless adapter of 300Mbps.  The specs state it is b/g/n capable.

 To make it short, the fastest data rate I have been able to attain is 72 Mbps with a Netgear 600N wireless USB adapter.  I have tried Netgear, TP- Link, IO Gear and Atheros 150, 300 and 600N wireless adapters.  I did not achieve any data rate above 72 Mbps.  Running         diagnostic software, it reports the maximum rate possible for this router is 144Mbps. 

I called tech support for three reasons:

1.  Not achieving the advertised data rate.

2.  Loosing connectivity to the Netgear DSL Modem.

3.  Not showing up on my network map regularly.

They were unable to help me.  After dealing with tier 1 and tier two, I hung up and within two minutes I had the wireless router connected.  Yes, I knew what they were doing wrong but let them do it anyway. It still will only show in the network map now and then. 

The signal strength is very weak.  Less than eight feet away with no obstructions, I am only getting four bars while I am getting five bars from four other wireless routers of my neighbors. 

I am not going into any other pros or cons of the router and there are several more cons.  I believe the less than half the advertised data rate is enough along with the very limited signal strength to give it a “NOT RECOMMENDED”.
 

Product Families» Wireless Networking » 300Mbps Wireless N » TEW-731BR

 

N300 Wireless Home Router TEW-731BR (Version v1.0R)

§  Overview §  Features §  Specifications §  Networking Solution TRENDnet’s N300 Wireless Home Router, model TEW-731BR, provides enhanced 300Mbps wireless n speed and coverage to share files, play games, and stream video wirelessly. Advanced encryption protects your wireless network, Access Control tools help block unwanted Websites and unknown users, and embedded GREENnet technology reduces power consumption by up to 50%. Advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology reduces wireless dead spots. Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) connects other WPS supported wireless adapters at the touch of a button. WMM® Quality of Service (QoS) technology prioritizes gaming, Internet calls, and video streams. LEDs on the front of the router convey device status. Network wired devices to the four Fast Ethernet ports on the back of the router.     §  4 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX LAN ports §  1 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX WAN port (Internet) §  One touch wireless connection to wireless clients using the WPS button §  Wi-Fi compliant with IEEE 802.11n and IEEE 802.11b/g standards §  High-speed data rates of up to 300Mbps with IEEE 802.11n* §  GREENnet technology reduces power consumption by up to 50% §  Compatible with most popular cable/DSL Internet service providers using Dynamic/Static IP, PPPoE, PPTP and L2TP protocols §  2 fixed external antennas support high speed performance and great coverage with MIMO technology §  Firewall features Network Address Translation (NAT) §  Virtual server and Application Level Gateway (ALG) services for special Internet applications §  Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for auto discovery and support for device configuration of Internet applications §  Dynamic DNS Client for dynamic Internet IP resolution §  Provides additional security with Internet Access Control (MAC Address, Domain, and IP Filtering) §  Static and Dynamic RIP V1/2 routing support §  Easy setup via Web browser using Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Firefox 2.0 or above, Chrome, Opera, Safari §  Advanced wireless security of up to WPA2-RADIUS §  Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) Quality of Service (QoS) data prioritization §  Indoor coverage up to 100 meters (330ft.)* depending on the environment §  Outdoor coverage up to 300 meters (980ft.)* depending on the environment §  3- year limited warranty  *Maximum wireless signal rates are referenced from IEEE 802.11 theoretical specifications. Actual data throughput and coverage will vary depending on interference, network traffic, building materials and other conditions.   Hardware Standards IEEE 802.3 (10BASE-T), IEEE 802.3u (100BASE-TX), IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n, IEEE 802.3az WAN 1 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX port (Internet) LAN 4 x 10/100Mbps Auto-MDIX ports WPS Button Enables Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) function (Hold for 3 seconds) Power Switch On/Off power switch Connection Type Dynamic IP, Static (fixed) IP, PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP Supported Web Browsers Internet Explorer 6.0 or above, Firefox 2.0 or above, Chrome, Opera, Safari Internet Access Control MAC Address Filter, Domain/URL Filter, Protocol/IP Filter, Virtual Server, DMZ host, UPnP, PPTP/L2TP/IPsec VPN pass through Management/ Monitoring Local/remote configuration, upgrade firmware, Backup/Restore configuration via Web browser, Internal System Log, Syslog, E-Mail Logging, SNMPv1/v2c, Ping Test Tool, Dynamic DNS Routing Static and Dynamic RIPv1/2 LED Indicators Power, Status, LAN1~LAN4, WAN, WLAN Power §  Input: 100~240V AC, 50~60Hz §  Output: 5V DC, 1A Power Consumption 3.0 Watts (max) Dimension (L x W x H) 158 x 109 x 34 mm (6.2 x 4.3 x 1.3 in) Weight 210 g (7.4oz) Temperature §  Operation: 0°~ 40°C (32°F~ 104°F) §  Storage: -10°~ 70°C (14°F~158 °F) Humidity Max. 90% (non-condensing) Certifications CE, FCC Wireless Frequency 2.412~2.484GHz band Antenna 2 x 2dBi fixed dipole antennas Modulation 802.11b: CCK (11 and 5.5Mbps), DQPSK (2Mbps), DBPSK (1Mbps) 802.11g: OFDM with BPSK, QPSK and 16/64-QAM 802.11n: BPSK, QPSK, 16QAM, 64QAM with OFDM Media Access Protocol CSMA/CA with ACK Data Rate §  802.11b: Up to 11Mbps §  802.11g: Up to 54Mbps §  802.11n: Up to 300Mbps Security 64/128-bit WEP (HEX/ASCII), WPA/WPA2-RADIUS, WPA/WPA2-PSK Output Power §  802.11b: 15dBm (typical) @ 11Mbps §  802.11g: 15dBm (typical) @ 54Mbps §  802.11n: 13dBm (typical) @ 300Mbps Receiving Sensitivity §  802.11b: -85dBm (typical) @ 11Mbps §  802.11g: -68dBm (typical) @ 54Mbps §  802.11n: -62dBm (typical) @ 300Mbps Channels 1~ 11 (FCC), 1~13 (ETSI) Information provided in this document pertain to TRENDnet products and is subject to change at any time, without notice.