Conclusion
The TrendNet TEW-637AP is a very attractive-looking package and it certainly makes the leap into wireless-N incredibly easy, even for people who aren’t quite as tech-savvy. Setting up this new access point is much the same as setting up a new wireless network on a “full” wireless router, but it’s just a smidget easier because it doesn’t have to deal with any of the “routing” part of the picture. And the glossy black is pleasing to the eye too. Given that the MSRP on the TrendNet TEW-637AP Wireless Easy-N-Upgrader is about $60 or $70, I can’t see anyone who would be so in love with their existing wireless network as to not upgrade it completely with a standalone wireless-N router. Many Wireless-N routers, including those offered by TrendNet, can be had for about the same amount of money, so there really is no real reason to invest in something like this easy upgrader. The interesting thing would be if you could use it as a true wireless access point and wireless network extender. As it stands, it seems that you can only get this to work the way that TrendNet says it’s supposed to by connecting the device to an existing network via an Ethernet cable. Seriously, what’s the point? If you’re prepared to drop 70 dollars on something like this, you’re much better off saying goodbye to the world of 802.11b/g and hello to a full (draft)-N experience. It is backwards compatible, after all.
Current Real Time Price
The Good
- Very compact and pleasing to the eye
- Remarkably easy to install and setup
- Offers high speeds and great range
- Secure Wireless Protected Setup (WPS) is convenient
The Bad
- Might as well pay a little more for a real wireless-N router
- Provided Ethernet cable is pretty short
- Using 100Mbps cable may create a bottleneck
- No additional Ethernet ports provided