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D-Link announces the first 802.11ac-capable portable router that's also a juice pack at CES 2014, where you'll probably need one

D-Link announces at CES 2014 the first 802.11ac-capable portable router that can also work as a juice pack, the $99 Wi-Fi AC750 Portable Router and Charger.

Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
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Dong Ngo
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The new D-Link DIR-510L is just about the size of a candy bar.
The new D-Link DIR-510L is just about the size of a candy bar but comes with two USB ports to host peripheral devices. Dong Ngo/CNET

You can now bring your 802.11ac home network with you, thanks to D-Link's latest product announced at CES 2014, the Wi-Fi AC750 Portable Router and Charger (model DIR-510L).

This compact device is just about the size of an energy bar and also comes with a 4,000mAh battery, more than enough power to refill an iPhone 5 from empty to full. It joins a growing list of multiple-purpose devices, such as the Samsung HotSpot Pro, that combine other functions with being a juice pack.

The DIR-510L has two USB ports so it can host two USB devices at a time. Using these ports, in addition to charging, you can also plug a 3G/4G modem and an external hard drive into it to share both cellular Internet and storage with connected Wi-Fi clients.

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As a Wi-Fi router, the DIR-510L router is truly dual-band, with a total bandwidth (both bands) of 750Mbps. Real-world speeds will be much slower than that, however, since a client can only connect to the router using one of the two bands at a time, either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz band. On the 5GHz band, the router supports the single-stream 802.11ac standard with its top speed of 450Mbps. The router has one network port so it can be plugged into an existing wired network to share Internet access with its connected Wi-Fi clients.

The router has a network port on the bottom for Internet sharing from an existing wired network.
The router has a network port on the bottom for Internet sharing from an existing wired network. Dong Ngo/CNET

D-Link says using the Mydlink SharePort app for mobile devices, you can upload, download, and stream multimedia and documents to and from a USB drive attached to a DIR-510L router. You can even share content with family and friends no matter where they are in the world as long as there's Internet.

The D-Link DIR-510L is slated to be available later this month with an estimated cost of $100.