4 x 10/100Base-TX LAN, 1 x 10/100Base-TX WAN - IEEE 802.11b/g - 108Mbps - MPN: TEW611BRP
Strengths: Theoretical speed and price; features like traffic shaping for managing traffic; flexible virtual server setups for making inside machines and services accessible on the outside.
Weakness: Ships with buggy firmware and latest rev does not fix all bugs. Some bugs render router configuration inaccessible. Terrible VOIP and VPN performance.
I see why there's a rebate on these. The 1.04 firmware was released in Dec. 2005... my router arrived with rev 1.00 firmware. Must be a lot of these sitting around.
Sales issues aside, there are some persistent bugs in the firmware that even the mfr's emailing of a 1.05 (unreleased) firmware have not fixed. Primarily, the entire "Advanced" tab of config options become inaccessible if I put too many fixed addresses (more than 8 to 10, not sure of the exact number) into the MAC-to-IP-address table because whatever the router's sending out in that condition crashes JavaScript (which is required to even use the config browser pages).
Also the current firmware doesn't officially work ("not supported") with anything but Internet Explorer running on Windows. That's really nutty. There is nothing so special about setup pages in a router that requires that... this is really easy stuff.
The config pages work equally well (or badly) in Firefox on a Mac, Firefox on Windows, and Internet Explorer for Windows, including the aforementioned bug that prevents access to any of the "Advanced' Setup pages -- ALL the interesting stuff that makes this router the most expensive they sell, is on the Advanced tab... traffic shaping, virtual server settings, routing, access control, filtering, firewell, it's all there.
I am still waiting for a definitive response from their customer service deparment, from whom i've heard nothing after testing this 1.05 firmware and filing a detailed bug report. The last I heard was "we are looking into the issue."
The router is also putting out invalid JavaScript in other cases, as revealed on the JavaScript console of every browser tested... there is no excuse for this sort of problem.
Finally, my VOIP connection through this router was firmly stuck between "poor" and "unusable", achieving around 50kbps or less, in 2 weeks of testing, across firmware upgrades, and trying many different combinations of settings. Switching back to the old wireless router (a 4 year old device) I'm immediately seeing a 300+kbps test connection to the VOIP service.
My housemate has also had considerable trouble connecting through this device to his office VPN. After the switch back to the old device, he reports his VPN connection is "rock solid."
This had the potential to be a really nice device, but it's been nothing but trouble since I've had it and I now believe it should go back, especially after seeing the direct contrast with the performance of the "old/slow" device it was supposed to replace.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopFWIW: I use it with the AT&T Network Dialer VPN software just fine. Also, I found the tech support to be very helpful and responsive (much, much more so than the non-support at d-link, for example).
Strengths: Works well with VOIP and on-line gaming. Awesome range.
Weakness: User interface is a bit clunky. Printed product manual overly simplistic. (PDF on manufacturer site is more detailed)
WOW!!! This product rocks for the price. It simply outperforms other MIMO routers and is a fraction of the cost of the major brand names in networking.
This product has superior wireless range and strong signal strength. In addition, the router works well for on-line gaming and VOIP applications.
I opened the box, flashed the firmware (highly recommend due to others reported issues with old firmware) and had it configured in about 10 minutes.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: - excellent features - solid construction - excellent range
Weakness: none, really
This is roughly my tenth router in the last year -- it seems to have become something like a sub-hobby. I've gone through MIMO routers from Linksys, Belkin, D-Link (x2), netgear (x2), Airlink (ugh), and, now trendnet. I like the trendnet the best, so far. Internally, it seems to be pretty much the same as a dlink di-634m, except with a much better set. For instance, the QoS is much more flexible.
The rubber foot for vertical mounting is very stable, unlike most other mfrs' stands, which tend to just slide off -- this one clips on to the bottom (and is actually a little hard to remove, so be careful).
I guess I got lucky on the throughput, since there was a fw update on 2006-01-09 that enabled full duplex on the WAN port, which was presumably the other reviewew's problem. I get 2300-2400 mbps down and 433 mbps up, which is at least as good as any other router got.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: -Good wireless signal -the option to set up MAC filtering only for wireless, but not Ethernet (wired) connections -statically define DHCP (allows clients to use DHCP, but get the same IP address)
Weakness: -WAN port collisions and errors make a 6Mbps connection act like dialup. -Terrible tech support
The wireless and LAN features work well. The manual is missing some technical explanations. It's assumed that you just know that WPA2-Personal (on the router) is WPA-PSK encryption. It's not explained in the manual; but you'll need to know that if you want to get your PCs using WPA encryption (wireless). WPA-PSK uses a pass-phrase. If you buy their PC601 wireless card, selecting the normal WPA/WPA2 option requires that you have a RADIUS server running. So watch out for the confusion between terminology used with their router and wireless card.
There is a problem with the WAN port of this router. I have a 6Mbps connection (about 750KB/s). With this router, download speeds are about 20KB/s. Downloads over 80KB/s or about 1.4MB of a download will cause your connection to hang. The router has a nice statistics page and shows you how many packets have been sent, received, the number of collisions and errors. This router creates thousands of collisions and errors. Every time there is a collision, the TCP protocol requires that the line go silent for a random number of milliseconds. When you multiply that time by a few hundred collisions in a row, that explains the slow speeds. If you try to load several webpages at once, expect the page to halt as your browser tries to download the page. Even a simple site like Google.com -- you'll see the first three results of your search and you have to wait 6 seconds before the rest of the results to load. If you download a file, such as running a speed test, you'll get fast download speeds for 2 seconds, and then the connection hangs; your LAN LED on the router even stops blinking. You'll get a time-out (connection lost) or you'll have to wait 4 minutes for the download to complete (what normally takes 20 seconds). If you want to run Linux updates with your Linux box behind this router; forget it. You'll get time-outs and then your install will fail. I've even tested this router by setting a server up with a static IP and giving the router’s WAN port a static IP, and then connecting the server to the WAN port. I then tried transferring files between the server (on the WAN port) and a client (on the LAN side). The connection still isn't as good as it should be; even with a 100Mbps link on both the LAN and WAN ports. All network cards are 100Mbps. Trying this router with factory settings versus custom settings (such as disabling SPI) doesn't make a difference. I’ve tried a server, a desktop, and a laptop. In my tests, it doesn’t matter what operating system or network card is used. Operating systems tested: Windows XP Pro w/ SP1, Windows XP Pro w/ SP2, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 2000 Server, Debian Linux 2.6 kernel, Debian Linux 2.4 kernel, and Mandrake Linux 10.0. Network cards ranged from Linksys, to 3Com, to Realtek, to Trendware’s own PC601 wireless card, to the Dell 802.11b TrueMoble 1150 wireless card.
Until they create a firmware update, I'm basically paying for a 6Mbps Internet connection and getting performance like dialup. In the mean time, I’m learning the Linux IPtables to set up a Linux box that will act as a gateway and firewall. That’s quite complicated for most users.
Do not buy this product until you notice a firmware update.
Firmware on the product: 1.0.0
I've made three tech support requests so far. They only acknowledged one of them on October 28th, stating "We don’t have a firmware for it right now but we will set it up and test it to see if we get the same results." That's right, a one-sentence reply. I haven't seen any firmware updates yet (11-11-05) and they haven't sent me any updates on their testing status. Right now, I'd only recommend buying this router if you want to take advantage of 3 extra LAN ports (meaning you already have a router that works; 4 ports – 1 used to uplink to another router = 3 available ports), you want the statically configurable DHCP options, or you want the MIMO wireless functionality with WPA2. Either way, you can find other products that do this. Check out Netgear or even SMC as alternatives.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopGet the new firmware (1/2006). I suspect it will help you a lot.
I had firmware 1.0 dated 13/Aug/05 and did not experience WAN collisions whatsoever during testing. Your mileage may vary.
copy from trendnet.com, hope it helps.
Firmware version 1.0.4
1. Modified WAN port connection to support full-duplex mode (increase WAN port "Internet" connection performance).
Strengths: Rock solid performance, 3 year warranty, Full featured with modern Ubicom and Atheros MIMO technology
Weakness: None Noted
Some say that this device is nearly identical to the Zyxel X-550 and the DLink DI-634M. The web user interface is nearly identical for the three. The initial unit that I purchased occasionally rebooted spontaneously and failed to route requiring a power recycle once. Trendnet replaced it under warranty within a week. The replacement device has worked flawlessly.
50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: low entry price for similar version of Zyxel x-550. Has many high end features. Better access control than most. Easy to get basic configuration up and running
Weakness: Documentation is cryptic in places. Router needs to be re-booted for many settings to "take". I am on third router. It will work ok for awhile, then start dropping the PPPoE connection.
All in all a very good value if you are technically minded. Several sites are carrying rebates and/or free shipping.
Has many features that higher end geeks and gamers will appreciate. I will not use many for now but at this price point could not resist buying.
I especially like the better wireless coverage and access control capabilities.
Some settings are not well spelled out and will take tinkering to get right. I still am stumped on how to get daylight savings time set up. My VPN to work was unstable until I turned off some Application Level Gateway features.
0% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopCan you tell me what features you changed to get your VPN to work. I'm having the same stability issue. I turned off IPsec VPN but still have the same behavior. Thks!
Strengths: Handles P2P networks beautifully (BT, ED2K, etc). Great for multiplayer gaming, A+ for stability, MIMO functionality for a ridiculously low price AR. WPA-PSK works well.
Weakness: Contextual help could be a LOT better, log messages often counter-intuitive, wireless signal is OK to Good, but not great. Not the best choice for home networking novices.
First of all, let me say that I *LOVE* this router. There is no other entry level router on the market that can match the TEW611BRP in terms of the price-performance ratio. With a few important caveats, I whole-heartedly recommend this router to anyone who needs strong gaming and P2P support and loves tweaking their LAN. Don't forget to upgrade the firmware!!! This router works PERFECTLY for XBOX Live with the MS Wireless network adapter for the 360. The network tests show that everything is PASS and the ICMP status is open. This router is STILL rock solid after 5 months. Bravo, TRENDnet.
My primary networking apps include eMule, Azureous, and multiplayer gaming. The TEW 611BRP supports these apps right out of the box with no hassle. You can also use the 611BRP's extensive Port Forwarding/Opening functionality to improve thoroughput for these protocols, but it's not required.
The 611BRP has DOZENS of port presets for popular games (WoW, WCIII, CoD, BF1942, Halo, UT2004, etc). They also have port presets for popular apps (XBOX LIVE, WinMX, eMule, Shareaza). I have NEVER seen any other router with so many preset gaming access rules. Of course you can also make your own gaming/app port opening rules. This router is an absolute dream for gamers.
Parental access control is superb on this router. First you set up a schedule (e.g. M-F 6PM to 10PM) and then you set which computer(s) have access to the internet for that schedule. This can be done via IP or MAC address. You can also apply multiple access rules to the same computer. Just remember that you cannot "prohibit" access during a time range. You can only specify a range when access is "allowed" (e.g. Weekends). All other times are prohibited AUTOMAGICALLY (e.g. M-F).
Sample Access Rules.
Rule 1. Computer A CAN acess to the internet from 10PM to 5PM M-F.
Rule 2. Computer B CAN access MySpace on the Weekends but not during Weekdays, but non-MySpace surfing is OK. (You can block MySpace by using WHOIS to figure out which IP ranges MySpace servers are broadcasting from). This is pretty much the only way to filter the web, as the actual "Web filter" feature is pretty useless since you can't use wild-cards in the string.
There are many many other techy settings in the Advanced settings of the router (QoS, Inbound filtering, etc). You don't need to mess with them, but they're neat to have anyway. And no, the other entry level routers don't have these settings.
There are NO stability issues with this router. I can leave it on for weeks without rebooting and everything runs rock-solid. The only annoyance is that you have to reboot every time you change anything (most routers are like that too). Also, if you try to change router settings from a computer connected wirelessly, you have to reboot the computer to regain wireless access. Not a huge deal, but annoying. The Log file also shows a bunch of blocked outgoing packet requests when the LAN computers are first connected. At first I thought it was from a virus, but my scans were clean. It's probably a router quirk.
Range and signal are good on this router. I'm using 3MBPS ADSL service from ATT. I get connected at 54MBPS at OK to LOW strength from one floor up (about 30 feet away) with a TRENDnet TEW421 PC Card. There are 3 levels of wireless encryption available so neighbors can't steal your bandwidth. WPA Personal work wells for me. There's a Wizard that helps you with the initial setup, but if you run into problems after that, you're pretty much on your own. Be aware of this IF you dislike messing with computers and settings. The Help file is not very helpful!
Conclusion:
There are some rather negative reviews about this router in the User review section. I suspect that their problems are specific to their router, and not to the entire line. I've never run into the problems that some of the other people are describing, but I am using firmware ver 1.06 (You have to upgrade in a particular order. 1.0 > 1.04 > 1.06. Chk the mfg. website) I only use Firefox 1.5 to configure the router and I don't have any problems. The config pages are not buggy for me and nor do they cause Javascript errors. Some of the so-called "reviews" in this section actually belong in the TRENDnet Technical Support forum and tell you nothing about what you should actually expect. Keep in mind that router performance doesn't get people excited, so they tend not to write great reviews. Only when stuff hits in the fan that they get all angry and verbose in their reviews.
There are cheaper entry level alternatives out there (Dlink AirTouch, Linksys, etc). I've used all those routers before and they are crap compared to TRENDnet. Just use Google to see all the user complaints about Dlink/Linksys router stability and sluggish performance problems.
Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
TopStrengths: QoS, traffic shaping, cheap, essentially same hardware as the DI-634M or Zyxel X-550
Weakness: No major weaknesses
The range is good, as is the throughput. I like the QoS features like traffic shaping which stabilizes any data congestion that might cause voices to break up on the receiving end.
Trendnet's track record for support and driver updates haven't been that noteworthy-so if there are any problems in the future, you may or may not get the help you need from them.
Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?
Top
Feature Filled, Good Performing Router
Strengths: 1. Good wireless range 2. Good QOS capabilities 3. Good wireless security (WPA/WPA2) 4. Control Panel is easy to work with 5. Setup is easy (Read the Manual/Quick Setup) 6. Has never crashed
Weakness: 1. The Power Adapter supplied was DOA (support sent one out free of charge). 2. Trendnet's Online Knowledge Base lacks any entries on the TEW-611BRP router. 3. Router shipped with older firmware v1.
Currently using v1.0.4 firmware. Its been rock solid for the past 3 months. No crashes since its been installed. The router's status lights can't be seen from the left when its installed vertically; the base provided only fits on one end of it (..so your SOL). The lower antenna gets blocked by the cords on the back when the routers vertical so they have to be adjusted somewhat. I'm only critical of the vertical install flaws because of the lack of space where its installed (i.e no room for horizontal placement). Other than that its been great, QOS helps with the p2p/torrenting/gaming that I do. The QOS (Traffic Shaping) works by either Automatic Classification or you can set up rules for a range of IP's and Destination IP's with a selection protocols and a range of ports to use. The priorities range from 0-255 where 255 is the lowest. It is a good product at bargain price with solid peformance and I already got my rebate from TrendNet.
Edit:Pic was corrupt.
100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?