Conclusion
TRENDnet’s TEW-691GR 450Mbps Wireless N Gigabit Router is a solid router. It is missing a couple features like connection logging and TCP/UDP timeout settings, but most users won’t even notice. One thing all users are likely to experience is when the wireless acts up and just stops talking to a device, even though the device is still connected. The quirkiness with the wireless only occurred once on my laptop, but three times on my iPhone. It could become a problem that gets increasingly more annoying.
Throughput on the router is impressive. Wireless speeds don’t get anywhere near the advertised 450Mbps, but if you’re within 25 feet and a couple of walls, you can expect around 70Mbps which is more than enough to stream HD content or quickly transfer files. Wired throughput is also nice, seeing a median in the low 800Mbps range. Also, even when I threw everything I could at the router, it continued to handle traffic except for a small wireless hiccup.
Right now the TEW-691GR sells for $89.99 at my favorite online retailer, which is a steal in my eyes! A firmware update could iron the wireless issues, and could also add TCP/UDP timeout settings. Because of this possibility and the overall great performance of the TEW-691GR, I’m giving it an 8 out of 10 score.
Pros:
- Overall solid performance
- Sustains high network speeds under load
- A plethora of options including multiple SSIDs and Static DHCP
Cons:
- Rare wireless issues
- No TCP/UDP timeout settings
- Reboots required for even small changes