Trendnet joins Draft N pack

Today, Trendnet joined the likes of Belkin, Linksys, and Netgear by announcing the upcoming availability of its Wireless N-Draft Router (TEW-631BRP) and PC card (TEW-621PC). Trendnet has opted to integrate Atheros's XSPAN MIMO-based chipset into its N-Draft offerings, the same chipset used by Belkin in its N1 router and PC Card.

Products based on the first draft of the 802.11n specification are said to be capable of data rates of up to 300Mbps, though Trendnet is up front in specifying that this will translate to real-world throughput of 150Mbps to 180Mbps. Real-world tests--both our own and those of industry analysts have not borne out these claims, and analysts are recommending that users wait to see if improvements come with the final 802.11n spec.

Trendnet's router and PC card will be available July 25. The suggested price for the TEW-631BRP router is $129.99 and for the TEW-621PC PC adapter it's $99.99.