Still hanging on to that 802.11g router? You can get up to four times the speed with an inexpensive access point. In general, buying a wireless add-on device is a shot in the dark; some work much better than others, and many only cause headaches. We tested the $64 plug-and-play Trendnet TEW-637AP to see if it really can accomplish its 802.11n claim, and we were pleased with the results.

Design and Setup

Measuring about 4 square inches, this black device looks like a miniature router with two antennas. Setup took all of 2 minutes: Plug in the power cable and then the included Ethernet cable into a free port on your G router and the other end into the Ethernet port on the TEW-637AP. Then run the quick setup software on your PC. After that, the Trendnet device actually becomes your new wireless access point, except you don’t get any extra Ethernet ports (you’ll have to use your old router for that).

Easy-N-Upgrader Performance

Connected to a Trendnet TEW-432BRP router, which normally runs at about 22 Mbps on a G network, the Easy-N-Upgrader bumped up the speed to 82 Mbps from 5 feet using a Lenovo ThinkPad X300 laptop with a Trendnet TEW-621PC PC Card. Without the card, the X300 stayed at around its typical 75 Mbps. We also saw a modest improvement in range. We could connect at 28 Mbps at 300 feet, where there was no connection before, but couldn’t connect beyond 400 feet with or without the PC Card.

We also tested the TEW-637AP with a very old Linksys WRT54G and had the exact same speed results. An Apple MacBook connected at 74 Mbps with the device, and we ran a network backup that took 4 hours to archive 14GB of photos and videos. Without the device, it would have taken three times as long.

The TEW-637AP can also upgrade your security: It supports WPA2 encryption, which is much more secure than the breakable WEP encryption on older G routers. The Easy-N-Upgrader even supports Wi-Fi Protected Setup, so Windows can link to the router and suggest a complex passcode for extra peace of mind.

Verdict

For $63.99, we can wholeheartedly recommend the Easy-N-Ugrader for those who want more speed and range from their home networks, especially for high-def movie streaming and network back-ups. Although you can get a whole new 802.11n router for $80, this upgrade is perfect for those who want more speed but don’t want to start from square one. It’s one of the best and simplest Wi-Fi upgrades we’ve seen for the home and fulfills its promise.

Speed results (for the Easy-N-Upgrader):
5 feet: 82 Mbps
50 feet: 52 Mbps
100 feet: 40 Mbps
300 feet: 28 Mbps
400 feet: no connection

Speed results (for the Trendnet G router alone):
5 feet: 22 Mbps
50 feet: 10 Mbps
100 feet: 6 Mbps
300 feet: no connection
600 feet: no connection