Networking Gear by stefan @ 2011-12-19
The 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD Media Bridge from TRENDnet is a high performance adapter and with its help we can connect to our local WiFi network (2.4Ghz or 5GHz) up to 4 devices at the same time (like a PS2, PS3, HTPC and a standalone media center). Thanks to its type of connectivity, no drivers are need and also features technologies like WMM QoS or WPS.
At first I would like to thank TRENDnet for offering me one of their latest product for review, the TEW-680MB 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD Media Bridge.
"TRENDnet is a global provider of award winning networking solutions to small and medium size business and home users. Building networking solutions since 1990, TRENDnet enables users to share broadband access, multimedia content and networked peripherals for true anywhere connectivity. TRENDnet's diverse product line includes Wireless, Fiber, Switch, Gigabit, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM), Internet Camera, Print Server, Powerline, Bluetooth, Storage Server, Power over Ethernet (PoE), and Multimedia Accessories.
Based in Torrance, California, TRENDnet maintains branch offices in Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Central America, South America, and Asia. TRENDnet’s management system is ISO 9001:2008 certified (click here to view certificate). TRENDnet emphasizes continual improvement as an essential component of its quality management system. This ensures rigorous process standards across the entire organization with respect product development, product quality and all other pertinent enterprise functions. TRENDnet's 250-plus product portfolio is distributed in over 125 countries. The TRENDnet brand is consistently recognized for high quality, exceptional performance and professional support.
At Home with TRENDnet
TRENDnet‘s award winning products bringing your digital home or small office to life. The broadband Internet is becoming the primary conduit for people to communicate and be entertained. With billions of devices to connect worldwide, everything from computers to phones to Internet cameras are becoming part of the network. Whether stored locally or streamed from the Internet, digital content now needs to be available anywhere in the home on any device at any time. TRENDnet networks allow you to seamlessly talk Online, share files, exchange photos, play games and communicate with other networked devices, all at the same time. Easy to use and reliable, TRENDnet allows you to stay connected and share what you value most.
Business with TRENDnet
TRENDnet offers a complete line of reliable award winning end-to-end networking solutions for the most demanding business and mobile environments. Businesses of all sizes are leveraging the power of TRENDnet networks to increase productivity, reach new customers and lower costs. From fiber at the core of the network to Internet cameras at the edge, TRENDnet offers scalable and secure enterprise class solutions.
With the introduction of networking innovations like seamless wireless connectivity, smart switching and Internet based management controls, small to medium business are building better ways to work. TRENDnet’s robust enterprise class portfolio allows small to medium business create a secure networked environment that can grow with their needs. Dedicated 24/7 technical support, low RMA and over 20 years experience collaborating with networking peers result in TRENDnet’s price-to-performance leadership for Networks People Trust™."
4 x 10/100/1000Mbps Auto-MDIX LAN ports
1 x WPS button
1 x Reset button
Diagnostic LEDs
High performance wireless n bridge connects wired devices to a wireless network
Wi-Fi compliant with IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n standards
Supports 450Mbps on both 2.4GHz and 5Ghz wireless frequencies
Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) Quality of Service (QoS) data prioritization
Supports Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology
Connects network-ready Blu-ray™ players, Televisions, Digital Video Recorders (DVR), receivers, and gaming consoles such as Nintendo® Wii™, Xbox®, Xbox® 360™, PlayStation® 2, and PlayStation® 3 to a high speed wireless n network
One-touch wireless security setup using the Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) button when connecting to a WPS supporting device
Maximum reliability, throughput and connectivity with automatic data rate switching
Supports up to WPA2-PSK wireless security
Easy user setup wizard and intuitive Web browser configuration
3-year limited warranty
The 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD Media Bridge from TRENDnet comes shipped inside a fully sealed cardboard box, for additional protection:
On the frontal side of the cardboard box, we can find a photo of the main product, a graph which illustrates the advantages of using a 450Mbps Dual Band adapter and a GREENnet logo (advertising 70% energy savings):
One of the box sides contains the list of product features, along with the package contents:
The full list of specifications is also included on the packaging:
Finally, on the back side of the box we can find a product description, some drawings showing the product interfaces and buttons, a Wireless Network Solution and some related products:
Inside we can find a mold which contains the product along with its bundle:
The inside items are the following:
-Multi-Language Quick Installation Guide
-one CD
-Power Adapter
-Network cable (0.6m)
-TEW-680MB
The Quick Installation Guide tells us how to set up the product and how to configure it quickly for getting everything running:
On the provided disk, since the product does not need drivers, we will only find the complete User's Guide, in electronic format:
The power adapter supplied by the product was made by Bestec, rated 12W, +12V, 1A on the output:
Initially, the TEW-680MB is fully covered in a transparent plastic film, to avoid scratches to its shiny black surface:
On both sides of the product, we can find the GREENnet logo, one Dual Band 450Mbps pictogram, the TRENDnet debossed logo and the product code name:
To the TEW-680MB we can connect multiple computers or devices so on the frontal side we can find the Power LED, one LAN activity LED for each connected device (4 in total) and a WiFi LED:
On the bottom of the bridge we can find some rubber feet for keeping the product steady on the surface; in the middle there is also a sticker and several ventilation holes are present for keeping the device cool under operation :
The sticker contains the hardware revision, serial number, MAC and compliance standards:
On a closer look, here we can also find a Reset button, to bring the device to the factory defaults:
The top side comes with additional ventilation holes along with the WPS button:
In the back, we can find 4 RJ45 ports, an On/Off button and the DC-in port:
The first step after the device has been powered and connected to a PC or other product with browser access, we can connect to the http://tew-680mb.trendnet ; the firmware will ask for the default user and password:
A small wizard will pop up to help us configure quickly the bridge:
On the Setup Network Settings page, we can select either Static IP or DHCP:
Next page will prompt us to select the type of Wireless Configuration method:
The SSID can be searched by the bridge by pressing the Scan button and the found networks will be displayed, along with their BSSID, RSSI, channel, type of encryption and authentication method:
Next, we can type in the WiFi authentication credentials:
Finally, we are taken to a summary page, where it is listed what we have configured so far:
After applying the settings, we will have to wait for the reboot of the device:
If everything goes OK, we will be taken to the Status menu, which shows the current connection setup; the product user interface is intuitive and the drop-down menus are located on the left:
Inside the LAN settings menu, we can set the type of LAN connection and the DHCP host name:
If we have defined a certain profile (like the one saved from the Wizard), it will show in the respective profile:
The Station Link Status menu shows the status of the currently connected WiFi link, like channel, frequency, central channel, link quality or signal strength:
The Station Site Survey menu lets us know about the currently available networks and their details:
The menu also has a Station Statistics page, where we can see details about the frames transmitted successfully, frames with CRC error and so on:
Inside the Station Advanced Configuration menu, we can set the WiFi mode, along with advanced details like HT mode, Channel Bandwidth, Guard Interval, or MPDU Aggregation:
Here are the supported WiFi modes the bridge can connect to:
The product does also support QoS:
Inside the Wi-Fi Protected Setup menu, we can set options regarding WPS:
The System Management menu lets us change the default administrator password, the device name inside the network and the URL settings:
From the same interface, the firmware can be upgraded with a newer version from the TRENDnet website:
The Settings Management menu lets us export the current device settings, import some previously saved settings from our HDD, load the factoy defaults or reboot the bridge:
The test setup was composed from the following hardware:
CPU: Intel I7 Retail @ stock
Motherboard: Foxconn BloodRage with G42 BIOS
RAM: 3x2GB Patriot PVT36G1600LLK 1600MHz
Video: Sparkle GTX 470 with stock and OMNI A.L.C.
Power Supply: Nexus RX-8500 850W modular
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 500GB 7200.11
Case: Thermaltake Armor+ LCS, stock cooling
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Wireless Router: TRENDnet TEW-692GR 450Mbps
For the client wireless tests I used an Asus X55SV Laptop. For testing the USB Wireless LAN adapter throughput, I have connected the server ( I7 PC ) to the router with a UTP wire and the client ( ASUS X55SV ) had installed the Wireless LAN adapter.
The application I have used to test the speeds was Performance Test 7.0, fully compatible with Windows 7.
TRENDnet have succeeded to launch another high performance product which can connect to either 2.4GHz WiFi networks or the less congested 5GHz and can also give Internet and LAN access to a maximum of 4 computers, or media center devices. If we have in one place our media center PC, a media player and PS3, we can connect all three to the same 450Mbps bridge.
The bridge does not need extra software and it is connected via cable to our PC and the configuration can be made inside the browser; the product firmware interface can be also accessed via the PS3 browser, without any compatibility issues. After each important modification inside the graphical interface, the product will most likely ask for a restart, which can take up to 35-40 seconds, depending if it has difficulties or not connecting to our local WiFi network. If the bridge was set wrong (for example the router operates on WiFi b/g and we have set WiFi n) and its IP address is set to be assigned via DHCP, we will observe that the bridge address (http://tew-680mb.trendnet) will not open up the configuration menu; in that case, we can easily reset the device to the factory settings, by keeping the Reset button pressed, until the LAN LEDs stop pulsating.
Thanks to the supported 450Mbps technology and paired with the TEW-692GR Concurrent Dual Band Router, the product defeated all the other products tested previously in the transfer tests, on both bands. However, it is best to keep the adapter as close as we can to the router inside our home, because if it's too far we would see that the signal drops quite a bit (it features 3 internal antennas, not replaceable external ones).
Since this product can be connected to multiple devices at once, I guess it would have been better to include a power adapter with a longer cable, along with at least a meter long LAN cable.
The TRENDnet 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N HD Media Bridge can be found in online stores for about 92.5Euros.
I would like to thank again to TRENDnet for making this review possible!