WGR101 54 Mbps Wireless Travel Router
Manufacturer: NetGear Inc. Part number: WGR101NA
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The WGR101 has a couple of nice touches you won't find in other travel routers. Unfortunately, it's neither as elegantly designed nor as full featured as Apple's more expensive AirPort Express.
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Where to buy
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| Amazon.com Marketplace |  | In stock | Enter zip code to get total price: Price +Tax +Shipping =Total price | as of 12/08/2009 |
CNET editors' review
WGR101 54 Mbps Wireless Travel Router price range: $45.68
- Reviewed by: Xiao Ming Wu
- Edited by: Allen Fear
- Reviewed on: 09/24/2004
- Released on: 07/28/2004
The good: Fast; simple setup; handy carrying case.
The bad: Lacks WPA security; poor support package.
The bottom line: The WGR101 has a couple of nice touches you won't find in other travel routers. Unfortunately, it's neither as elegantly designed nor as full featured as Apple's more expensive AirPort Express.
The Netgear WGR101 is about the size of a PDA. It comes with a black-vinyl carrying case that's roughly twice the size of the travel router itself and big enough to carry the WGR101, the unit's power adapter, and a short Ethernet cable. In contrast, the AirPort Express has its power adapter built into the unit, making it a sleeker travel companion.
Basic setup for the WGR101 is a breeze. Power it up, snap in the Ethernet cable connected to your modem or router, and catch a radio wave. A printed quick-installation guide walks you through the process, in case you prefer a visual guide.
A switch on the side of the WGR101 allows you to toggle the device between single and multiuser modes. This helps you prevent others from tapping into your wireless connection but gives you the ability to allow others to access the connection, which can come in handy if you want to share a file or an Internet connection with a business associate in a nearby room. The switch also has a third setting that puts the router into a mode that lets you configure security and network settings for the WGR101, and there's a fourth setting that is unassigned. That's one setting too many, and the fact that the settings are marked only with nondescript numbers (1 to 4), makes the switch on the WGR101 unnecessarily confusing. When you choose the unassigned setting, the router behaves as if it is in multiuser mode.
The Netgear WGR101's security measures, we're sorry to report, are wanting. The WGR101 lacks support for the current wireless security standard, WPA. (Netgear claims that a firmware upgrade will add WPA support to the WGR101 in the future.) You can use WEP to protect your wireless connection. The browser-based configuration utility lets you restrict access based on MAC address at least, which lets only certain computers connect.
We think fast throughput is less important for travel routers than for other types of networking products because hotel broadband is generally much slower than the throughput of even the slowest Wi-Fi devices. Also, you may want to use this router at a friend's house or another unorthodox location, or you may want to use the WGR101 to exchange files with a business partner at the hotel, and if those files are large, you'll be glad you invested in a fast 802.11g router like the WGR101. Although it's not quite as rapid as the AirPort Express, the WGR101 delivers a respectable maximum throughput of 20.2Mbps. That's around 10 times faster than the rates you'll get through a standard hotel broadband service. Even Asus's 802.11b travel router is more than twice as fast as typical hotel broadband.
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Throughput in Mbps |
You get a one-year warranty with the WGR101, as with the AirPort Express and the Asus WL-330. You also get toll-free, 24/7 phone support for the life of the product. Warranty and support details for the WGR101 are listed on a separate printed card included in the package, but unfortunately, the manual lacks support information. There are several reasons why we wish that Netgear would include this in the manual, as Apple and Asus do for their products: this separate card is easy to lose or misplace, and also the WGR101 is a travel router, which means you're likely to be on the road and far from the printed information when you need it. Netgear thankfully does a better job offering online resources through its Web site, which is easy to navigate and includes detailed product information, world-wide phone-support numbers, a downloadable product manual, and downloadable firmware upgrades.
User reviews
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Small but deadly
by deadlyfalcon89 on June 13, 2007
Pros: Tiny size, HUGE range, easy setup
Cons: Security and bandwidth could be better
Summary: I bought two of these to surreptitiously provide wireless access to my high school. Setup was a breeze, with a wireless-accessible GUI that is easy to use. While it doesn'...
Summary: I bought two of these to surreptitiously provide wireless access to my high school. Setup was a breeze, with a wireless-accessible GUI that is easy to use. While it doesn't provide the same security and encryption that other routers might, it was quick to set up and between just two routers, I was able to cover about an acre of range, sufficient for my entire school. They've never crashed or been problematic for me, and I've had ten friends connected at the same time.
In terms of bandwidth, it's nowhere near the 110 mbps I get at home, but it's plenty fast for checking email and chatting online.
In short, if you want a nearly bug-free router for travel or even home applications that's quick and easy to set up, offering medium-level security, this is it. -
Small but deadly
by mobybit on September 23, 2006
Pros: Small, shiny, nice carrying case.
Cons: Complicated setup options, gets hot during use
Summary: WGR101 has a slider switch on the side to choose amongst four different setup and operating modes. Figuring out which mode and switch position your need is not easy. You ...
Summary: WGR101 has a slider switch on the side to choose amongst four different setup and operating modes. Figuring out which mode and switch position your need is not easy. You have to carry around the user manual or a cheat sheet to remember how to set the switch.
WGR101 gets quite hot to the touch during use.
My WGR101 died after about 12 uses. No switch setting or reset has been able to revive it so that you can get to the GUI admin screen.
I have wasted way more hours on trying to figure this thing out than it is worth. -
Great Portable Router - Pleasantly Surprised
by vester_72 on December 9, 2005
Pros: Small, easy set-up, WPA security (with firmware upgrade)
Cons: Adapter could be smaller/integrated (see Apple)
Summary: Got a great deal on this so jumped on it - was nto sure what to expect, but it is a great travel router. Very small, nice carrying case (a ...
Summary: Got a great deal on this so jumped on it - was nto sure what to expect, but it is a great travel router. Very small, nice carrying case (a little bigger than my Plantronics headset case) and easy to set-up. Downside is I had to download a firmware update to enable WPA security, btu it took about 5 minutes and works great.
Netgear needs to improve on the quick/easy set-up guide - that does not include security settings. I had to read through the user guide to figure out how to login to the router to update settings and the firmware. -
not an access point
by mtn_lion on May 4, 2005
Pros: easy config, works ok as a router
Cons: can't be a wireless access point
Summary: I just want to make it clear that unlike other devices of its kind, this device will not pass DHCP through it, so it can't be used as an ...
Summary: I just want to make it clear that unlike other devices of its kind, this device will not pass DHCP through it, so it can't be used as an access point. Router only. Which, whatever its other benefits, makes it distinctly less versatile than its competition.
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Great product
by Greg Johnson on April 4, 2005
Pros: Small Size, easy to pack
Cons: Must have wifi equiped pc
Summary: I like the product. It's small enough to toss in my briefcase. I've used it a couple of times in demos to "move" a ethernet connection so I ...
Summary: I like the product. It's small enough to toss in my briefcase. I've used it a couple of times in demos to "move" a ethernet connection so I could put my laptop near me when I was speaking
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Works great on the road or at home.
Pros: WPA-PSK (firmware upgrade), MAC address filtering, won't broadcast SSID. Set-up interface page is full of features. I like the fact that the signal signature is smaller than bigger routers. Just make sure you do the firmware upgrade to get all the enhance
Cons: Couldn't get the single user mode to work with WPA. Single user mode would only work when I didn't use any encryption. Probably user error. lol
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great little product
Pros: easy to setup, reliable, works intutively, as you would expect
Cons: haven't found one so far
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Easy to use, VPN wouldn't connect in multi-user mode
Pros: Fast and easy basic setup for single user mode. Was able to get my VPN through and connect securely when in single user mode. Compact and travels well
Cons: Could not get VPN to work in multi-user mode, either with one or two users trying to do VPN. Had to reset router twice after it flaked out and just stopped connecting.
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Worth the money. Very Handy.
Pros: Small, lightweight fully functioning router, not just a WAP. Easy setup. Bridges other networks without changing anything on the router each time. I am a self-employed network engineer and go from office to office every day. I was using the ASUS WL-330
Cons: This sucker gets HOT! I think when it gets real hot, it starts acting a little "flakey". Webpages take much longer to come up. Has happened in several offices so far.
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Great product at low price
Pros: Low price ($49 after rebate!) Good security Easy set-up
Cons: Mechanical design a bit clunky Large travel package with external power adapter
Specifications
- Manufacturer: NetGear Inc.
- Part number: WGR101NA
- Description: Untethered wireless connectivity in your hotel room can be critical to your productivity (and sanity) as a mobile professional. Conference or hotel rooms with only one Ethernet port are no longer a problem because now you can bring convenient wireless networking with you. NETGEAR's 54 Mbps Wireless Travel Router is lightweight and compact, and it provides both single and multiple users wireless access without any need for a direct cable connection to the network. Expertly designed and protected with Double Firewall security, this portable high-speed travel router is your best insurance for wireless access wherever you go. NETGEAR's 54 Mbps Wireless Travel Router turns your hotel room into a hotspot so as you travel you can count on peace, privacy, and wireless connectivity while you work. No larger than a deck of cards, the travel router is compact and convenient to carry while traveling, with an internal antenna so there's nothing to bend or break during packing. It comes with a small-scale power adapter and an attractive carrying case with extra compartments for other essentials. Delivering up to 5x the speed of 802.11b networks, the 54 Mbps Wireless Travel Router creates a wireless network from an Internet connection in a hotel room or conference room. Works with both 802.11g and 802.11b devices. External switch lets you select between single user, multiple user, and configuration mode. In single user mode, next door guests cannot access your wireless network. Multi user mode allows more than one person to simultaneously share one Internet connection. Complete security with Double Firewall Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI) and Network Address Translation (NAT) protects against malicious hackers. Supports IPSec and PPTP pass-through for Virtual Private Network (VPN) and 64- or 128-bit Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) encryption for maximum security, plus wireless SSID broadcast on/off capability as an added safeguard.
General
- Device Type Wireless router
- Form Factor External
- Width 2.3 in
- Depth 3.4 in
- Height 0.7 in
- Weight 2.8 oz
Networking
- Connectivity Technology Wired, Wireless
- Data Transfer Rate 54 Mbps
- Frequency Band 2.4 GHz
- Data Link Protocol IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
- Network / Transport Protocol PPTP, IPSec
- Status Indicators Power, Port status
- Features NAT support, DHCP support, VPN passthrough, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces 1 x Network - RJ-45
Miscellaneous
- Cables (Details) 1 x Network cable
- Encryption Algorithm 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP
- Compliant Standards FCC Part 15 B, FCC Part 15 C
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Software / System Requirements
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
- OS Required Microsoft Windows 98SE/2000/ME/XP
- System Requirements Details Pentium
Manufacturer Warranty
- Service & Support 1 year warranty
- Service & Support Details Limited warranty - 1 year, Limited warranty - Power supply - 1 year
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- CNET Labs long-range tests (in Mbps) 10.4
- CNET Labs maximum throughput tests (at 10 feet, in Mbps) 20.2
- CNET Labs maximum throughput tests with mixed 802.11b/g and draft N, MIMO clients (at 10 feet, in Mbps) 13.6
Manufacturer info
- NetGear Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse NetGear Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.netgear.com/
- Address:
4500 Great America Pkwy.
Santa Clara, CA 95054 - Phone: 408-907-8000
- Email: support@netgear.com
- Fax: 408-907-8097
