Trendnet intros first dual-band 450Mbps Wireless-N bridge
Trendnet announces its first selectable dual-band 450Mbps Wireless-N bridge, the TEW-680MB, which can quickly add any Ethernet-ready device to an existing wireless network.
If you want to hook your Ethernet-ready devices to a wireless network, you can either get the D-Link DAP-1513, or you can wait for what Trendnet unveiled today, the 450Mbps Dual Band Wireless N Media Bridge, model TEW-680MB.
This new device shares the same design as the company's previous single-band 450Mbps Wireless-N gaming adapter, the TEW-687GA, but the TEW-680MB also supports the 5GHz frequency band.
Like other media bridge devices, the TEW-680MB connects itself to an existing Wireless-N network, on either the 2.4GHz band or the 5GHz band, and bridges that connection to a wired device plugged into its Ethernet port.
Unlike the D-Link DAP-1513, with its four network ports to handle four devices out of the box, the Trendnet TEW-680MB has only one network port and therefore can bridge the connection to only one device. To make up for this, you will want Gigabit Ethernet to ensure that the bridged device will get the fastest possible connection speed.
The new bridge sports W-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to help quickly hook it to a wireless network, and WMM Quality of Service (QoS) technology that prioritizes gaming, Internet calls, and video applications. On the front of the adapter an array of LED lights shows its status.
The Trendnet TEW-680MB comes with a three-year warranty and will be available this fall. It's slated to cost around $170.