Linksys Travel Router WTR54GS

In Brief

It would be easy to assume the new Linksys Travel Router is just another in a long line of me-too compact routers from the major Wi-Fi vendors, but that would be a big mistake. It's not the smallest or cheapest, but it has at least three extremely useful features the others don't. It's really the best thing to happen to the travel router space since the original Apple AirPort Express.

The coolest new feature by far is the ability to share a single paid hotspot connection. The Linksys connects wirelessly to the hotspot, and then serves as an access point for you and anyone else you'd like to share with. In addition, the Travel Router sports the same SpeedBooster and SecureEasySetup technologies recently introduced in Linksys' full-size models. SpeedBooster enhances throughput for 54Mbps connections, and SecureEasySetup lets you configure WPA2 encryption with just a button press, assuming you have matching Linksys adapters. We're not sure just how useful SecureEasySetup is, since most people will not have matching equipment, but the first two are definite winners.

The new technologies are all wrapped up in a compact package with built-in power supply, so you don't have to worry about carrying and losing cables. It even has room for two Ethernet ports, allowing simultaneous connection to a broadband Internet line and an Ethernet hub or switch if desired. With both wired and wireless LAN support, this Travel Router can handle everything its big brothers can, and then some.

In Depth

The first thing you notice when unpacking the Linksys is the compact design. There's no power adapter or cord, just a slide-out plug. It comes with a handy protective case that also fits an Ethernet cable. Overall, the case with router weighs about the same as Belkin's new travel router and case, but is about 30 percent smaller. As with most travel routers, Belkin separates out the power adapter. We appreciate the compactness, but there is a tradeoff -- most wall plugs are down low behind desks or tables in hotels and hotspots, which may impact connection strength. We noticed at Starbucks that our laptop reported a 4-bar (80 percent signal strength) connection to the T-Mobile Hotspot router, whereas the Linksys (plugged in under the table) only reported 38 percent. It still worked fine, but might be an issue in areas with weak signals.

But we'd happily exchange a few weak connections for the ability to share our paid hotspot connection, which is what were able to do with the Travel Router at Starbucks. Armed with both a Dell Latitude PC and an Apple PowerBook G4, we signed on to T-Mobile with the Dell through the Linksys, then connected the Mac to the Linksys too, at no extra charge. We even turned on WPA encryption between both machines and the Linksys, even though the T-Mobile connection was open. When we asked Linksys how you can support two different encryption modes simultaneously using just one Wi-Fi radio, they told us that they developed the technology together with chipmaker Broadcom, and that the details were proprietary. Other Wi-Fi vendors are working on the same type of feature, but will take a bit longer to get to market.

You might think all this must be complicated to set up, but the opposite is true. From a Windows PC, you just run the Setup CD and you'll be sharing connections in five minutes. From a Mac or Linux machine, you'll need to delve into the PDF manual on the PC-only CD and find the IP address for the Web utility, to set things up there. A couple of checkboxes on one page are all you need to configure hotspot connections. The utility shows you a list of available networks, you select one and save the settings, and that's it. No need to change it again until you go to a hotspot with a different SSID, or switch to a wired broadband connection (both wired and wireless Internet connections are supported).

One feature that a few of the other travel routers tout is that they can double as Wi-Fi adapters if you don't have one in your computer already. Linksys doesn't talk about this, but the ability to connect to a hotspot Internet connection wirelessly, then connect to your computer with an Ethernet cable, means the Travel Router can indeed serve as a wireless adapter in a pinch, even though it doesn't have a specific adapter mode. And you can do that at the same time as you are sharing your hotspot connection wirelessly! With the other travel routers, using them in adapter mode means turning off access point mode.

Beyond the special new features like SecureEasySetup and SpeedBooster, the Travel Router Web utility is exactly the same as that found in most other Linksys routers, with the usual interface, online help system, and array of routing and firewall functions. There's MAC address cloning and filtering, Dynamic DNS support for running a Web server behind the firewall, routing tables and so on. The Linksys also supports the latest Wi-Fi encryption protocols: WPA2 Personal and WPA2 Mixed (the mixed mode combines a passphrase with a key renewal period, for maximum security).

While putting it near the floor handicaps it somewhat, the Linksys also did not disappoint performance-wise. We could perceive no difference in working from our regular router, within reasonable distances. The Travel Router is no MIMO machine, however. You'll need to keep within range. But as a portable router that plugs in anywhere, it doesn't need to be a whole-house coverage type solution. It would, however, make an excellent range extender for a home router that doesn't reach everywhere you want it to. It's basically a universal Wi-Fi repeater.

The bottom line is that the Linksys Travel Router completely rewrites the standards for the portable router market, with several unique and extremely valuable capabilities that let it do everything from sharing a hotspot connection to extending the range of your home Wi-Fi net. We can't wait to see how the competition responds.