Customer Reviews

TRENDnet TEW-429UF 54Mbps Wireless G USB Adapter with HotSpot Detector with 512Mb Storage

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

What I like most about this device is the fact that you can store up to 512 megabytes of information on it as a USB flash drive, but it doubles as a WiFi network detector. You can use it to find a hotspot available wherever your are.

The device plugs into your USB port to double as a 512 MB flash drive and a wireless client device (an 802.11b/g USB network interface card). The adapter supports WPA and WPA2 both Enterprise (needing a RADIUS server) and Personal (also known as pre-shared key) for enhanced security beyond the extremely weak WEP encryption.

The coolest part, to me, was the fact that, since there is a built-in flash drive, the drivers for the device automatically install from the drive. That's right! You can plug this baby into any Windows XP laptop or desktop and configure wireless network access without the need for CDs for device drivers. Wow! What a concept!

I am the author of the Wireless# Certification Official Study Guide and the CWSP (Certified Wireless Security Professional) Certification Official Study Guide from McGraw-Hill, because of this, I've tested and reviewed hundreds of wireless devices. This one tops my list. If you travel a lot, it is a must have. If you want a cool toy (to show off to your friends at work) get it too!

Sadly, they've removed the ability for this device to act like an access point (software-based AP), but that is still in the older TEW-429UB available here at Amazon.com. This older model did not have the 512 MB flash drive. I guess we can't have it all (yet).

-Tom Carpenter

A brilliant and effective combination of a USB drive with Wifi detector. As a road warrior who needs frequent connectivity, I can use this well-designed devise to not only let me know if a Wifi signal exists, but whether it's secure or open, the band and other signal details. In short, it helps me to move to a workable location without having to boot each time I want to test for a usable signal!

This is a very good multi-purpose gadget. Pretty cool. Everything works as promised and the 2 5-star reviews I've read are dead on. It seems to support all the various types of wireless encryption in use today. It works with my linksys wireless-g router full speed no problem. The included software is neat, clean and simple (the way software should be written). If you're a tech-geek (and even if you aren't) you will appreciate this gadget. Worth the 80 bucks.

A few things on my wish list for the next version:
* More space on the flash drive
* Built in encryption on the flash drive
* Some way to turn of the network adapter (so I can just use the flash drive on a machine without being prompted to install new (network) hardware).
* Display unnamed networks (i.e., those that don't broadcast SSID)
* A soft leatherette type case that allows you to press buttons & view display.
* Software should allow you to configure a profile not to auto-connect. The current implementation only allows you to set the priority of all configured networks so if it can't connect to the first network on the list it will always try the next one on the list.
* An MP3 player, satellite radio and a camera (just kidding)

I have never bought a product before that worked this well straight out of the box. Without a doubt the easiest install I have ever done. Basically just plug it in and follow the instructions. If you're looking for wireless connectivity, I can't imagine anything being any easier.

This arrived fast, works great after downloading the right driver for my computer and finding out how to connect to the proper network. If nothing else is said, the range is good, runs at a nice speed , and great for online browsing at home. I like it!!