TP-Link TL-WR700N 11BGN 150Mbps 2.4-2.48GHZ WL N Mini Pocket Router

Comment:
This is a very inexpensive and portable device... I paid less than C$30 including shipping. I wanted faster Wi-Fi than my trusty Linksys WRT54GL 802.11g could provide and also something easy to carry to other locations.Using the device as an access point on my existing network switch, I get 100% signal strength throughout my steel and concrete 1,000 sq.ft. apartment with about 10 other 802.11 neighbouring devices nearby. Speed is about normal for a 2.4Ghz 802.11n device. The device powers up within seconds of plugging in and if you have basic requirements, it works out of the box as an access point. Also works as bridge, etc.Negatives include a very bright and annoying status light. It just blinks steadily no matter what the device is doing. I just covered it up with a couple LightDim stickers. The power plug feels a bit cheesy but so far no issues. I customized my device to fit into my existing network setup so it took a few more minutes and multiple reboots. It's also unfortunate that DD-WRT cannot be installed - but the default firmware seems more than adequate. It would also be nice to have a second network port.If you don't have a need for dual-band this is a steal.

Comment:
Overall a good product for it's price. But it has it's problems, the range is not the best, although you can't really expect it to be for it's price and large quantity of modes. Also couldn't get client mode to work, not sure if this is a common problem or if I just got a lemon.

Comment:
Overall it is a pretty good portable router for its price. However, there is a software design fault in the Bridge mode. In Bridge mode, you have to specify exact channel no. of the Host AP for it to connect to. The Auto option is there but non-selectable. This way, whenever the Host AP is reset, you have to re-configure the WR700N again because, usually the Host AP will use a differect channel. So, auto-channel detection is not supported in Bridge mode. However, auto-channel detection is supported in Repeater mode. Bridge mode and Repeater mode work in the same way that it needs to connect to a Host AP. I don't see the reason that TP-Link make such a difference in its design. May be, it was just a design foul up. I think they should release a new firware upgrade to rectify such a problem.