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
what’s the router processor, freqs, how much RAM, how big the Flash is, details details, please!
Purchased a tew691 fron newegg, two weeks later it quit, newegg said toobad….
Ouch, sorry to hear that. I used the TEW-691GR for about a month, and everything I experienced is documented in the review. If you don’t mind me asking, how did your TEW-691GR die? Did it just quit working, stop powering on, hung on flash, etc…?
That information isn’t provided in the manual nor through the admin web interface. So, I’d have to open the router and look at the chips. I didn’t want to risk voiding the warranty.
Depending on how you paid for it, you credit card company might offer some kind of extra warranty. I know that American Express does this, but I’ve never actually had to use it.