A small product with a big name, 3Com’s OfficeConnect Wireless 54Mbps 11G Travel Router sounds a bit like a marketing invention, but it does have practical uses. For example, it can be used to create a private wireless network when tavelling and to share an Internet connection at out-of-office meetings, presentations and conferences. It can also be used to connect fixed Ethernet devices to a wireless LAN or, if you just want to loose the bulk, instead of a standard wireless router on a home or small-business network.
Roughly the size of a pack of cards, the 3Com router supports 54Mbps 802.11g wireless networking and is both remarkably cheap and very easy to use. A single RJ-45 port connects it to the wired LAN or a fixed Ethernet device, with a slider on the side to select the mode of operation. Three modes are available, starting with the default router mode where the 3Com device acts as a wireless gateway, connecting wireless clients together and to the Internet. A built-in DHCP server is used to assign and manage client IP addresses here, with a NAT (Network Address Translation) router, complete with stateful inspection firewall, to share a single Internet account. In the second (access point) mode, the router can, again, be used to connect wireless clients together and to the Internet. However, in this mode the DHCP server and NAT router are turned off and each client requires its own credentials to communicate with the host LAN and the Internet. Finally, client mode turns the Wireless Travel Router into a wireless bridge to connect a PC -- or other device with a fixed Ethernet interface -- to a wireless LAN. A simple browser-based interface is used to configure the settings for each mode, with the usual facilities to set common options like the wireless SSID and channels to use, and the level of encryption to apply. There’s support for up to 128-bit WEP and WPA, although not WPA-2 as yet. On the plus side, UPnP and VPN forwarding are both supported, plus in router mode it’s possible to nominate a single DMZ address or configure more specific port forwarding rules for public facing servers. Range could be an issue as there’s no external aerial on the Wireless Travel Router, although we got good signal levels indoors at distances of up to 40 metres. The need to carry an AC adapter is a bugbear too (Power over Ethernet support would be nice), but you do get a padded travel pouch and a short UTP cable as part of the deal. Moreover, at just £40 (ex. VAT), the 3Com Wireless Travel Router is good value whether you're using it for mobile purposes or as a replacement for a bigger wireless gateway.Images
Member reviews
- 10.00 out of 10
10.00 out of 10The 3Com OfficeConnect Travel Router is a very small, very cute device, the size of a deck of cards. There's a 4-way slide switch to pick operating mode, and if you don't want to set up WEP or WPA encryption or change wireless channels, you can just slide the switch to AP mode and it Just Works with zero further setup. If you need router mode, sometimes that's another no-work setup, or sometimes you need to use the simple web menus depending on what your ISP and DSL/cablemodem requirements are. The paper instructions aren't very detailed - if you want to do anything complicated, you'll need to use the web-based help. It's aimed at the travel market, where you want to be able to take it out of its cute little case, plug it into whatever internet your hotel or office has, and get to work with minimal fooling around.
There's no LAN-side Ethernet - it's wireless-only with just a WAN port, power cord, and reset button. If you're looking for a complex box that supports your home web server, your kid's game machine, your work VPN, and a wireless printer, blocks all your spam and feeds your dog when you're not home, you may want a more complex box, but if you're trying to get simple wireless connectivity with no work, it's a great box.
The main negative is that the box gets *very* hot. I've only had it a week (and it's summer), so I don't know if this will cause trouble in the long term.
- 7.50 out of 10
7.50 out of 10