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Technical Details
- Connect your game console to a high-performance wireless n network
- Play online or connect multiple consoles to play head-to-head
- Works with Nintendo Wii , Xbox , Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 and 3
- One-touch Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
- 3-Year limited warranty
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
The Wireless N Gaming Adapter (TEW-647GA) connects your favorite Ethernet-ready gaming console to a lag-free wireless n network. No need to locate your gaming station near an Internet connection—cut your cables and start winning with high-performance wireless n. Setup is quick and simple, with no drivers to install. Works with Nintendo Wii®, Xbox®, Xbox 360® and PlayStation 2 and 3®. Connect multiple gaming consoles wirelessly and play head-to-head or challenge others over the Internet in multiplayer mode.
The latest in wireless encryption ensures wireless security. Advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology reduces wireless dead spots. Wireless Protected Setup (WPS) lets you integrate other WPS devices into your secured network quickly.
*Maximum wireless signal rates are referenced from IEEE 802.11 theoretical specifications. Actual data throughput and coverage will vary depending on interference, network traffic, building materials and other conditions.
Key Features
- Wi-Fi compliant with IEEE 802.11n standard
- Backwards compatible with IEEE 802.11g and IEEE 802.11b devices
- Connects network-ready game consoles including Nintendo Wii, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 to a high speed wireless n network
- Supports online gaming and head-to-head play
- Supports Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology
- Easy setup with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) feature
- Maximum reliability, throughput and connectivity with automatic data rate switching
- Supports 64/128-bit WEP, WPA/WPA2 and WPA-PSK/WPA2-PSK
- Low interference and high susceptibility optimize performance
- Easy user setup wizard and intuitive Web browser configuration
- Coverage of up to 50 meters indoor, 100 meters outdoor *
- 3-year limited warranty
*Maximum wireless signal rates are referenced from IEEE 802.11 theoretical specifications. Actual data throughput and coverage will vary depending on interference, network traffic, building materials and other conditions.
What's in the Box
TEW-647GA, CD-ROM (Utility & User's Guide), Multi-Language Quick Installation Guide, 1 x Cat. 5 Ethernet cable (60cm / 2ft), Power adapter (12V DC, 500mA)
Warranty
3-year limited warranty
Full Specifications
Hardware:
| Wireless:
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Product Description
The Wireless N Gaming Adapter (TEW-647GA) connects your favorite Ethernet-ready gaming console to a lag-free wireless n network. No need to locate your gaming station near an Internet connection cut your cables and start winning with highperformance wireless n. Setup is quick and simple, with no drivers to install. Works with Nintendo Wii , Xbox , Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2 and 3. Connect multiple gaming consoles wirelessly and play head-to-head or challenge others over the Internet in multiplayer mode. The latest in wireless encryption ensures wireless security. Advanced Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna technology reduces wireless dead spots. Wireless Protected Setup (WPS) lets you integrate other WPS devices into your secured network quickly.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
289 of 297 people found the following review helpful
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Length:
1:09
Mins
First off, I had been keeping my eye out for a cheap alternative to the 360's wireless adapter for sometime now, and when I saw this unit as apart of Amazon's lightning deals for $30 I couldn't pass that up.
Before buying this unit, I was sure to peruse for reviews to see other peoples' luck with the item and was left a bit confused on how the product would perform. After playing around with the various settings and getting it to work, I want to just clear the confusion on how this will perform. Also, I have a Bachelors in Computer Networking, not that that means anything, but I have had a good bit of experience playing around with different routers/switches and while reading through the reviews I was left baffled by the varying contradicting opinions of the product.***On a side-note, these types of At Home networking devices are aimed at ease-of-use and my experience had very little effect on how much more/less difficulty I had getting the product to work other than enabling me to filter out the weaker/inane reviews of the product.
Let me clear up the marketing confusion first. This item is a Wireless adapter. IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CONNECT VARIOUS ITEMS WITH AN ETHERNET JACK TO YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK. That means if you have a desktop with an ethernet jack in the back that you would like to be able to hook up to your WIFI without stringing it to your router, this will work. For the "gamer's" that for some reason this item is targeting(most likely the xbox 360 owners), this item works flawlessly and comes strongly suggested given a few caveats(i.e a bit more cumbersome than Microsoft's options Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter A/B/G Networks Only,Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter A/B/G & N Networks given that it has to be plugged into an electrical outlet).
I'll try to give you guys a step-by-step run through of how the configuration process worked for me.
First, I plugged it into an outlet and connected an ethernet cable from my PC to the unit(for the non-techies out there, this should work the same regardless of the Operating System you're on).
Second, I popped in the CD that came included and loaded the router setup software off of the CD. This step was a breeze given that there was no installation of anything onto your computer, as other reviewers had falsely alluded to.
Once in the router setup software, I did run into a few odd hiccups that slowed the overall process. The software was able to find the device right away and I was off and running setting up the unit, although almost every time I hit OK or Next through the prompts, I was returned with something like "Error, the changes were not made" though they were... Other than that, the setup was pretty quick and painless and should be no problem to those that dread anything techie like many of those in my family, given that they read the manual and follow the instructions. And once you have it setup to your wireless network, it'll pretty much connect any of your devices that has Ethernet port to your wireless without having to run through the setup process again. All the settings are saved so you can just move the unit anywhere. As long as you don't tweak anything in your router, this unit should be able to be unplugged and moved around as much as you like and still connect you every time.
**My issues with the strange contradictory error messages were solved once I upgraded to the latest firmware
As for performance, this unit has worked flawlessly for my needs. I was playing Left 4 Dead 2 and a few other games through it and had no significant lag or difference between playing through this unit over playing it hooked up to my router with an ethernet cord. I also tried streaming a few movies from my PC, and again, it worked flawlessly while I fast forwarded/backward and skipped chapters. Though I have yet to try streaming anything HD from services like Netflix, I don't imagine anyone would have any problems given the much more than sufficient bandwidth that this router provides as long as you have a capable internet connection from your Internet Service Provider. I also unplugged my computer from the router and plugged it into this unit just for kicks and, unsurprisingly, it works just as it should.
The device itself is surprisingly small and sleek, though it is a bit of a finger-print magnet. Something of note too, is at the top of the router lies a Wifi Protected Setup button(WPS) that I'm guessing would make the process even easier by eliminating the need for the PC setup process if your router has support for it, mine did not so I can't comment on that.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this product to anyone looking for a cheap way to connect their devices up to their wireless network. Even if I hadn't gotten it on Amazon's sale, knowing what I know now about it, I would gladly by this unit again. That's my 2 cents anyways and I hoped it helped.
Before buying this unit, I was sure to peruse for reviews to see other peoples' luck with the item and was left a bit confused on how the product would perform. After playing around with the various settings and getting it to work, I want to just clear the confusion on how this will perform. Also, I have a Bachelors in Computer Networking, not that that means anything, but I have had a good bit of experience playing around with different routers/switches and while reading through the reviews I was left baffled by the varying contradicting opinions of the product.***On a side-note, these types of At Home networking devices are aimed at ease-of-use and my experience had very little effect on how much more/less difficulty I had getting the product to work other than enabling me to filter out the weaker/inane reviews of the product.
Let me clear up the marketing confusion first. This item is a Wireless adapter. IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CONNECT VARIOUS ITEMS WITH AN ETHERNET JACK TO YOUR WIRELESS NETWORK. That means if you have a desktop with an ethernet jack in the back that you would like to be able to hook up to your WIFI without stringing it to your router, this will work. For the "gamer's" that for some reason this item is targeting(most likely the xbox 360 owners), this item works flawlessly and comes strongly suggested given a few caveats(i.e a bit more cumbersome than Microsoft's options Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter A/B/G Networks Only,Xbox 360 Wireless Network Adapter A/B/G & N Networks given that it has to be plugged into an electrical outlet).
I'll try to give you guys a step-by-step run through of how the configuration process worked for me.
First, I plugged it into an outlet and connected an ethernet cable from my PC to the unit(for the non-techies out there, this should work the same regardless of the Operating System you're on).
Second, I popped in the CD that came included and loaded the router setup software off of the CD. This step was a breeze given that there was no installation of anything onto your computer, as other reviewers had falsely alluded to.
Once in the router setup software, I did run into a few odd hiccups that slowed the overall process. The software was able to find the device right away and I was off and running setting up the unit, although almost every time I hit OK or Next through the prompts, I was returned with something like "Error, the changes were not made" though they were... Other than that, the setup was pretty quick and painless and should be no problem to those that dread anything techie like many of those in my family, given that they read the manual and follow the instructions. And once you have it setup to your wireless network, it'll pretty much connect any of your devices that has Ethernet port to your wireless without having to run through the setup process again. All the settings are saved so you can just move the unit anywhere. As long as you don't tweak anything in your router, this unit should be able to be unplugged and moved around as much as you like and still connect you every time.
**My issues with the strange contradictory error messages were solved once I upgraded to the latest firmware
As for performance, this unit has worked flawlessly for my needs. I was playing Left 4 Dead 2 and a few other games through it and had no significant lag or difference between playing through this unit over playing it hooked up to my router with an ethernet cord. I also tried streaming a few movies from my PC, and again, it worked flawlessly while I fast forwarded/backward and skipped chapters. Though I have yet to try streaming anything HD from services like Netflix, I don't imagine anyone would have any problems given the much more than sufficient bandwidth that this router provides as long as you have a capable internet connection from your Internet Service Provider. I also unplugged my computer from the router and plugged it into this unit just for kicks and, unsurprisingly, it works just as it should.
The device itself is surprisingly small and sleek, though it is a bit of a finger-print magnet. Something of note too, is at the top of the router lies a Wifi Protected Setup button(WPS) that I'm guessing would make the process even easier by eliminating the need for the PC setup process if your router has support for it, mine did not so I can't comment on that.
Overall, I would strongly recommend this product to anyone looking for a cheap way to connect their devices up to their wireless network. Even if I hadn't gotten it on Amazon's sale, knowing what I know now about it, I would gladly by this unit again. That's my 2 cents anyways and I hoped it helped.
39 of 39 people found the following review helpful
Like the review by R. Neal, I had some issues getting the 647GA running at N speeds. Not content to just dump it and get the Microsoft product, I did some trial and error to figure out if I could remedy the problems. Through a decent amount of troubleshooting I was able to get it running at 240-270mpbs compared to the 30-80mbps that it started out with. This involves changing a lot of settings on the 647GA and your wireless router which may interfere with some of your existing wireless devices. I have 5 802.11G and 3 802.11N devices and none of the changes I made affected them, but if you have older equipment you may have problems. By proxy by making these changes all of my wireless gear is now running faster. Hopefully these steps will help you as they did me! Also I am assuming that you have a 802.11N router.
Now, forget the WPS configuration. For my unit, it resulted in low speeds and I wasn't able to get into the configuration settings via the web interface. If you have connected using this option, locate the reset button on the bottom of the unit and hold it down for appox. 30 seconds. Now connect the 647GA to your computer via the LAN cable and then power it up. Insert the setup CD, open it and click Setup Wizard. Agree to the License Agreement and follow the instructions. Once the software finds the unit click 647GA and click Configure. Leave the password blank and click Login. Set the password (if needed) and click Change. Click the radio button next to Manual Setup and click Next. Click Dynamic IP Address Configuration and click Configure. Click Site Survey and select your wireless network, then click Select. When the window closes click Next. Enter your wireless network key and click Next. Apply the settings. Once this is done, disconnect the 647GA from your computer.
Reconnect your computer to your router and bring up the web configuration page of your wireless router. Depending on your unit it may be a number of different addresses; i.e. 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.10 etc. Look at the documentation of your router to determine this. Now access the wireless settings. There should be a number of options to change the wireless network name (also called SSID), transmit speed or rate, wireless mode, wireless channel, channel width and visibility status etc. You are going to want to make the following changes:
Wireless Channel: Auto (if this is not an option, select channel 11 to get some distance between you and other wireless routers in your neighborhood).
Transmission Rate: Automatic or Best
Channel Width: 20/40 or Auto 20/40
Now find and access the wireless security settings and make the following changes:
Security Mode: WPA-Personal
WPA Mode: WPA2 Only
Cipher Type: AES Only
Now reboot your router by either unplugging it or rebooting it through the software. Once it has restarted, locate the IP address of the 647GA in your router's information page. Also try to find a page that lists all of your wireless clients and the speeds that they connect at. For D-Link products it is listed under Status, then Wireless.
Now that you have the IP address of the 647GA, enter it into your web browser to access the interface. Enter the username and password that you created during the setup process (if you did). Click Wireless on the right hand side and click the radio button next to the Active Wireless Profile. Click Edit. When the window opens, make the following changes:
Security Policy: WPA2-Personal
WPA Algorithms: AES
Click Apply and let the window close by itself. On the main configuration page, select Wireless again and click Advance. Make the following changes:
Wireless Mode(Infra): 2.4GHz 802.11 n only
Channel Bandwidth: 20/40
Click Apply and let the settings save.
Now that you have all the IP settings, we need to update the firmware. For me this helped a great deal of the problems I was experiencing.
Go to the TRENDnet website (trendnet(dot)com). On the top, click Downloads, then Download by Product. Click the pull down bar on Select Products and locate TEW-647GA. Click Go. Click V2.0R. Find the latest dated firmware (you can tell by the date) and click Firmware on the left hand column. Click Continue with Download and save the file to your computer. Make sure you remember the location. Once done, unzip the TEW-647GA_v1.0.1.29 file to your desktop. Now start your internet browser and enter the IP of the 647GA. Enter the username that you set up or use admin with no password as the default. Under Administration select Upgrade Firmware. Click Browse and locate the file that you unzipped to your desktop. Once done click Apply and let the process go. After a short time the new Firmware will be updated and the unit will restart.
Now unplug the unit and hook it up to your Xbox, PS3 etc. Go back to your wireless router and reboot it again. Once it is up, login to the configuration page. Find the wireless connections page (if available) and look at the connection speed of your devices. The 647GA should have a significant increase in mbps as well as your other devices (802.11G will stay relatively the same, they max out at 54 mbps.). I can now play Xbox games with little to no lag and full connectivity bars. Netflix and streaming from my computer are seamless. My 647GA connected at 243 mbps at appox. 62% signal with my router a floor above me. 802.11N is very dependent on the distance from the wireless client to the router, so your results may differ. Either way using the settings above will result in an increase of speed.
As a side note, one of the reviews noted that his router reported the 647GA connected at 802.11G mode when he set it up using the CD. This is because the 647GA connects to the router using WPA and TKIP. Changing this setting (as above) to WPA2 and AES changes forces the change to 802.11N. Also for true 802.11N speed, your router needs to be set to 20/40 MhZ. Routers come configured to 20MhZ for legacy device support, and most people never change this because they just don't know. I hope this guide works for you and congratulate yourself on giving your business to a small(er) company rather than the giant conglomerate that is Microsoft!
Now, forget the WPS configuration. For my unit, it resulted in low speeds and I wasn't able to get into the configuration settings via the web interface. If you have connected using this option, locate the reset button on the bottom of the unit and hold it down for appox. 30 seconds. Now connect the 647GA to your computer via the LAN cable and then power it up. Insert the setup CD, open it and click Setup Wizard. Agree to the License Agreement and follow the instructions. Once the software finds the unit click 647GA and click Configure. Leave the password blank and click Login. Set the password (if needed) and click Change. Click the radio button next to Manual Setup and click Next. Click Dynamic IP Address Configuration and click Configure. Click Site Survey and select your wireless network, then click Select. When the window closes click Next. Enter your wireless network key and click Next. Apply the settings. Once this is done, disconnect the 647GA from your computer.
Reconnect your computer to your router and bring up the web configuration page of your wireless router. Depending on your unit it may be a number of different addresses; i.e. 192.168.0.1, 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.10 etc. Look at the documentation of your router to determine this. Now access the wireless settings. There should be a number of options to change the wireless network name (also called SSID), transmit speed or rate, wireless mode, wireless channel, channel width and visibility status etc. You are going to want to make the following changes:
Wireless Channel: Auto (if this is not an option, select channel 11 to get some distance between you and other wireless routers in your neighborhood).
Transmission Rate: Automatic or Best
Channel Width: 20/40 or Auto 20/40
Now find and access the wireless security settings and make the following changes:
Security Mode: WPA-Personal
WPA Mode: WPA2 Only
Cipher Type: AES Only
Now reboot your router by either unplugging it or rebooting it through the software. Once it has restarted, locate the IP address of the 647GA in your router's information page. Also try to find a page that lists all of your wireless clients and the speeds that they connect at. For D-Link products it is listed under Status, then Wireless.
Now that you have the IP address of the 647GA, enter it into your web browser to access the interface. Enter the username and password that you created during the setup process (if you did). Click Wireless on the right hand side and click the radio button next to the Active Wireless Profile. Click Edit. When the window opens, make the following changes:
Security Policy: WPA2-Personal
WPA Algorithms: AES
Click Apply and let the window close by itself. On the main configuration page, select Wireless again and click Advance. Make the following changes:
Wireless Mode(Infra): 2.4GHz 802.11 n only
Channel Bandwidth: 20/40
Click Apply and let the settings save.
Now that you have all the IP settings, we need to update the firmware. For me this helped a great deal of the problems I was experiencing.
Go to the TRENDnet website (trendnet(dot)com). On the top, click Downloads, then Download by Product. Click the pull down bar on Select Products and locate TEW-647GA. Click Go. Click V2.0R. Find the latest dated firmware (you can tell by the date) and click Firmware on the left hand column. Click Continue with Download and save the file to your computer. Make sure you remember the location. Once done, unzip the TEW-647GA_v1.0.1.29 file to your desktop. Now start your internet browser and enter the IP of the 647GA. Enter the username that you set up or use admin with no password as the default. Under Administration select Upgrade Firmware. Click Browse and locate the file that you unzipped to your desktop. Once done click Apply and let the process go. After a short time the new Firmware will be updated and the unit will restart.
Now unplug the unit and hook it up to your Xbox, PS3 etc. Go back to your wireless router and reboot it again. Once it is up, login to the configuration page. Find the wireless connections page (if available) and look at the connection speed of your devices. The 647GA should have a significant increase in mbps as well as your other devices (802.11G will stay relatively the same, they max out at 54 mbps.). I can now play Xbox games with little to no lag and full connectivity bars. Netflix and streaming from my computer are seamless. My 647GA connected at 243 mbps at appox. 62% signal with my router a floor above me. 802.11N is very dependent on the distance from the wireless client to the router, so your results may differ. Either way using the settings above will result in an increase of speed.
As a side note, one of the reviews noted that his router reported the 647GA connected at 802.11G mode when he set it up using the CD. This is because the 647GA connects to the router using WPA and TKIP. Changing this setting (as above) to WPA2 and AES changes forces the change to 802.11N. Also for true 802.11N speed, your router needs to be set to 20/40 MhZ. Routers come configured to 20MhZ for legacy device support, and most people never change this because they just don't know. I hope this guide works for you and congratulate yourself on giving your business to a small(er) company rather than the giant conglomerate that is Microsoft!
127 of 141 people found the following review helpful
Amazon Verified Purchase
I purchased this for one reason, it was an "N" band adapter that could be used on the XBox 360 and was less expensive than the Microsoft "N" adapter. I was, oh, so looking that the Trendnet adapter would work well given it's price point. I wanted "N" band as I'm looking to use my XBox to stream music and videos in addition to playing games. If that's your goal skip this adapter and get the Microsoft N adapter, sure you'll spend a few more dollars but, as they say, you get what you pay for.
I have now been able to do side-by-side comparison on these two and can provide a summary of my experience. For full disclosure I'm using D-Link DIR-655 router with my set-up.
First, the good on this adapter:
- It will work on the XBox 360 (note comments below on performance, or lack thereof)
- It looks good with status lights to show connectivity
- It costs less than Microsoft's "N" band adapter
However, let's look at the not so good aspects of this adapter:
- Your connection rate will be MUCH less than if you used the Microsoft N adapter. With the Trendnet adapter my connection speed (as measured by the XBox network test) was just barely passable for TV. With the Microsoft's adapter I registered a full connection on the graph, now suitable for TV as well as HDTV! I also used my router's administrative status to get the actual hard reading, a 70-90 rate for Trendnet, 220-240 for Microsoft's adapter, that's a HUGE difference.
- You may need to make some changes to your router, I did. I had my router set for AES "Cipher Type", by default the Trendnet required "TKIP". I made change to my router, but later found I could login to the adapter's administrative set-up and change this - however this is not an option when you go into the configuration screen the first time so you have to change your router to support TKIP. Time spent debugging the problem with Trendnet adapter 15 minutes, no time required with Microsoft's adapter.
- You will need to set-up the Trendnet adapter using your PC, first installing the adapter set-up software, then configuring the adapter. I have 20 years of PC experience and given my set-up it was not as straight forward as I would have liked. I continued to run into problems where my IP address for the adapter wouldn't show up in on my router status screen (it showed as 0.0.0.0 - that's not right). I had to reset my router to get the IP address to show up. I found that I had to do this several other times over several days as it would revert to 0.0.0.0. I called Trendnet, they connected into my router remotely, they had no answers or suggestions. By comparison, I plugged in the Microsoft adapter to my XBox 360, selected my wireless network and entered my WPA password. Time spent setting up and debugging the Trendnet was 30 minutes, time with Trendnet Tech another 30 minutes. Using Microsoft's adapter was about 1 minute.
- The Trendnet is advertised as "N" band, however my router only recognized it as "802.11g"("G" band only). All other "N" band adapters on my system (3 others, now 4 including Microsoft's) all register as "802.11n (2.4GHz)". I asked Trendnet's tech support why this would not show as "N". I found their response to be quite interesting. Per the tech support, they tested the speed in their lab and achieved "N" band speeds, they therefore classified this as "N" band. This seems strange that they make their designation based on speed and this is not recognized as "N" band by my router, nor is speed anywhere near the "N" dual band that Microsoft's adapter provides. As noted above, Microsoft's adapter is properly recognized as "802.11n (2.4GHz)".
- You'll also need to have an additional A/C plug for the Trendnet adapter. With Microsoft's adapter it's powered by your XBox only.
My conclusion:
If you are looking for an adapter for gaming only (no streaming of music or videos), then this may be an adapter to look at.
If you are buying this to stream music and videos on network devices, based on my experience with sub-par network speeds (and not registering as an "N" band adapter), I'd look at other adapters.
If you are looking to use on XBox 360, go with Microsoft's product, you'll save yourself a lot of time and frustration, will easily justify the additional $$ to get Microsoft's "N" band adapter.
Note: The unit that I used for my review was the latest hardware and firmware offered by Trendnet (HW v2.0R with FW v1.01.22). As noted above, I, like other reviews, was able to connect my XBox 360 to the network wirelessly with this adapter. What I was lacking was performance. For basic gaming the low throughput that I found with this adapter won't matter. What I've failed to see in other review is their actual throughput speed. If you are streaming video you'll want a high throughput. Trendnet didn't provide that, my experience was the rate was about 1/3 the rate that Microsoft's "N" adapter provided. I had high hopes this would meet my networking needs, just unfortunately fell a bit short of target for me.
I have now been able to do side-by-side comparison on these two and can provide a summary of my experience. For full disclosure I'm using D-Link DIR-655 router with my set-up.
First, the good on this adapter:
- It will work on the XBox 360 (note comments below on performance, or lack thereof)
- It looks good with status lights to show connectivity
- It costs less than Microsoft's "N" band adapter
However, let's look at the not so good aspects of this adapter:
- Your connection rate will be MUCH less than if you used the Microsoft N adapter. With the Trendnet adapter my connection speed (as measured by the XBox network test) was just barely passable for TV. With the Microsoft's adapter I registered a full connection on the graph, now suitable for TV as well as HDTV! I also used my router's administrative status to get the actual hard reading, a 70-90 rate for Trendnet, 220-240 for Microsoft's adapter, that's a HUGE difference.
- You may need to make some changes to your router, I did. I had my router set for AES "Cipher Type", by default the Trendnet required "TKIP". I made change to my router, but later found I could login to the adapter's administrative set-up and change this - however this is not an option when you go into the configuration screen the first time so you have to change your router to support TKIP. Time spent debugging the problem with Trendnet adapter 15 minutes, no time required with Microsoft's adapter.
- You will need to set-up the Trendnet adapter using your PC, first installing the adapter set-up software, then configuring the adapter. I have 20 years of PC experience and given my set-up it was not as straight forward as I would have liked. I continued to run into problems where my IP address for the adapter wouldn't show up in on my router status screen (it showed as 0.0.0.0 - that's not right). I had to reset my router to get the IP address to show up. I found that I had to do this several other times over several days as it would revert to 0.0.0.0. I called Trendnet, they connected into my router remotely, they had no answers or suggestions. By comparison, I plugged in the Microsoft adapter to my XBox 360, selected my wireless network and entered my WPA password. Time spent setting up and debugging the Trendnet was 30 minutes, time with Trendnet Tech another 30 minutes. Using Microsoft's adapter was about 1 minute.
- The Trendnet is advertised as "N" band, however my router only recognized it as "802.11g"("G" band only). All other "N" band adapters on my system (3 others, now 4 including Microsoft's) all register as "802.11n (2.4GHz)". I asked Trendnet's tech support why this would not show as "N". I found their response to be quite interesting. Per the tech support, they tested the speed in their lab and achieved "N" band speeds, they therefore classified this as "N" band. This seems strange that they make their designation based on speed and this is not recognized as "N" band by my router, nor is speed anywhere near the "N" dual band that Microsoft's adapter provides. As noted above, Microsoft's adapter is properly recognized as "802.11n (2.4GHz)".
- You'll also need to have an additional A/C plug for the Trendnet adapter. With Microsoft's adapter it's powered by your XBox only.
My conclusion:
If you are looking for an adapter for gaming only (no streaming of music or videos), then this may be an adapter to look at.
If you are buying this to stream music and videos on network devices, based on my experience with sub-par network speeds (and not registering as an "N" band adapter), I'd look at other adapters.
If you are looking to use on XBox 360, go with Microsoft's product, you'll save yourself a lot of time and frustration, will easily justify the additional $$ to get Microsoft's "N" band adapter.
Note: The unit that I used for my review was the latest hardware and firmware offered by Trendnet (HW v2.0R with FW v1.01.22). As noted above, I, like other reviews, was able to connect my XBox 360 to the network wirelessly with this adapter. What I was lacking was performance. For basic gaming the low throughput that I found with this adapter won't matter. What I've failed to see in other review is their actual throughput speed. If you are streaming video you'll want a high throughput. Trendnet didn't provide that, my experience was the rate was about 1/3 the rate that Microsoft's "N" adapter provided. I had high hopes this would meet my networking needs, just unfortunately fell a bit short of target for me.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Has a cap of 15mbps
I bought this for my Ps3 and laptop. My home router was originally placed a bit far away so I had a weak signal coming in for both my devices. Read more
Published 3 days ago by JP
Junk
This thing is as temperamental as they can get. They need to have an air conditioner, they have to be elevated to a certain height, etc or else it drops the connection. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Melinda Johnson
A must for PS3!!!!
I have a first gen PS3 with wifi. About a year ago I got netflix thru the console and it worked good...although with the HD content it would buffer about every 20 min... Read more
Published 26 days ago by madbone
Great!
I have a wireless router in my house, and use one of these in my work shop connected to a wired router, so whenever I am working on someone's computer I do not have to load driver... Read more
Published 2 months ago by dwaynebritton
Difficult to setup; but great once you get it done
I bought this router since we have the 847 model and use that for a computer, but I only needed to hookup an ancient laserjet printer that has a built in jetdirect ethernet port... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nancy Walsh
Works great with AT&T Microcell and Slingbox!
The Good: Small, affordable, and works just fine. We actually bought two of these for both of our AT&T Microcell devices. It works! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Austin Archibald
PURE rubbish
doesn't work well apparently with a router flashed with DD-WRT. owned a number of other bridges that where 5Ghz/2Ghz compatible which all seemed to work. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Michael J. Johnson
Excellent product....works as advertised!
Wanted to use this for connecting an LG BD550 Bluray player to my home wireless network since the BD550 only has RJ45 connector (and the router is at the other end of the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by RUSSELL L GRIGGS
Works well for Blu-Ray Player too!
Had an older blu-ray player that did not have a wireless option, only wired. Used this to connect to wireless network and Netflix streams perfectly. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jeffrey A. Heimberger
You get what you pay for...
Like O. Bui Bui, I also have a computer related degree (a BBA in MIS to be specific). I actually bought this product because of his good review. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Gluck Hunter
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