Bulkier than both the Edimax 3G-6210N and D-Link DAP-1350, this Wireless N device from Zyxel looks more like regular-sized router than a portable one. While it comes with a ‘compact’ moniker, it is more for the home than for travelling.

It has a built-in USB port that lets you hook up a 3G modem.

What strikes me about this plain-looking router is its ease of use. Like the Edimax device, it quickly allowed me to connect to the Internet once I plugged in Huawei USB modem.

No set up was required, though if I wanted to, I could change the router’s settings via its configuration page.

A wide range of 3G dongles are supported, including almost every model from Huawei – a brand which is common in Singapore as far as 3G dongles go.

The Zyxel device supports data transfer speeds of up to 150Mbps and has QoS features. It is a worthy consideration for the home, where you are likely to also make use of the router’s two wired Ethernet ports to hook up your PCs.

Tags: Bluetooth, 802.11n, Wi-Fi

Unlike the Edimax router, the D-Link Wi-Fi router is not battery-powered, so you cannot use it while carrying it in your pocket.

However, you can still use it on the go as it comes with a USB charger cable that can draw power from your laptop. It also comes with a regular charger which you can plug into a wall socket.

Unlike the other two routers featured here, the D-Link Wi-Fidevice requires a bit of work to set up. You have to log in to the settings page via a Web browser (note: Google’s Chrome browser does not display the page correctly) and indicate that you are plugging in a USB 3G modem.

A caveat: This device supports only 3G dongles from D-Link, namely the DWM152 and DWM156, so the Huawei USB dongles that you get from telcos when you sign up for a data plan will not work.

As it is meant to be portable, the DAP-1350 is extremely well-built, with rubber stoppers to protect the onboard connectors. It also comes with a handy switch that changes the device’s settings to router, client or access point.

Checkout for the specification: D-Link Wireless N Pocket Router / Access Point DAP-1350 – Wireless access point – 802.11n – 802.11b/g/n – external

Tags: 3G, Mobile Wireless, 802.11g

DO YOU FREQUENTLY experience dropped calls or sluggish data service on an AT&T cell phone in a home or small offce that’s supposed to be within the network’s area of coverage? An AT&T 3G MicroCell might help your wireless connection,
though in my tests it wasn’t 100 percent reliable. And how much hassle you’ll have depends largely on the layout of both your home and your home network.

A white and orange trimmed box about the size of a Nintendo Wii, the 3G MicroCell is a femtocell, that is, it functions as a mini cell site that connects back to the mobile network via Voice over IP through your wired broadband service.
AT&T is rolling out the $150 device in various markets; you can purchase one only in an AT&T store.

Like other femtocells, the 3G MicroCell has a built-in GPS receiver that reports to the network once activated. It is enables E911 emergency service: If you dial 911 on your cell phone when it’s connecting via the MicroCell, emergency responders
will know where you are.

On the first couple of days after installation, my service was pretty good. Phone calls stopped dropping, although voice quality didn’t improve. I also no ticed very slight pauses before my callers’ responses but nothing I couldn’t live with.
Data was zippy. But on the third day, my iPhone was dropping calls from locations fairly close to the MicroCell. Rebooting the device seemed to fix the problem.

Overall, the AT&T 3G MicroCell does appear able to improve service in the home, but with occasional glitches. Though I’m not entirely thrilled with it, on balance it seems to help my service more than it hurts.

Tags: Wi-Fi, Wireless-G,

The D-Link DCS 2120 lets you remotely monitor a home or office in real-time using a mobile phone’s 3G video capabilities. Of course, if it can be monitored through a mobile phone, it can be using a computer as well.

In fact, the camera’s visuals are available from any Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) compatible device and offers support for RealPlayer and Quick Time applications. The camera supports resolutions of up to 640X480 at 30 frames per second.

You can manage and monitor up to 16 camere using D-Link’s IP surveillance camera management software and archive the video to a hard drive or network attached storage (NAS) devices. You can even control the DCS 2120 remotely from Web using the browser.

The camera is able to capture video in rooms with minimal lighting because its low sensitivity gives quality video feeds even when lighting condition aren’t optimum. The 4X digital zoom with motion alert function ensures that you won’t miss any details if anything unfortunate happens.

If you are working in an area covered by a 3G network, the 3G Phoebus MB6000 is a good bet for getting online. This cellular router lets multiple users wirelessly share Internet access from a 3G network via 802.11b/g Wi-Fi.

The 3G Phoebus works with all the major 3G networks, including EDGE and Evolution Data Optimized (EV-DO), and supports a variety of PC Cards from major telco in USA such as Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T/Cingular. In the test conducted by computershopper.com, the 3G Phoebus delivered throughput speeds of 11.9Mbps at 10 feet and 7.98Mbps at 210 feet. Those results are slow compared with the speeds of other 802.11g routers, but they should be sufficient for basic tasks.

One caveat: the design. In a departure from the standard boxy router, the 3G Phoebus comes in a sleek pyramid shape. Though aesthetically attractive, it’s not practical to pack for travel.

Product info from TopGlobalUSA.com