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TRENDnet Wireless-N Router Comparison: TEW-691GR vs. TEW-673GRU
In this roundup, we are going to test two of TRENDnet's latest Wireless-N routers, the TEW-691GR 450Mbps wireless router and the TEW-673GRU 300Mbps dual-band wireless router.
TRENDnet TEW-691GR
TRENDnet certainly made the right move on being an early adopter of the triple-stream 450 Mbps technology. The TEW-691GR has proven to us its high wireless throughput capabilities. Being able to be on par in wireless throughput with 5GHz band certainly does have its benefits.
It is best to use matching devices to reach the highest possible throughput as we have observed earlier. The only downside is that we have only seen Intel bundling their latest notebooks with 450 Mbps client adaptors, and 3x3 MIMO USB adapters seems to be lacking in the market.
Aside from the fixed antennas, the TEW-691GR does delivers in both routing and wireless throughput, and also aesthetics to earn itself the VR-Zone Good Performance Award.
| Category | Comments | Score |
| Aesthetics (15%) | Simple design, shiny piano back finish. Fixed antenna removes the posibility of upgrading. | 7.5 |
| Features / Quality (30%) | User interface is clean and easy to administer. Physical switches allows easy access for power cycling the device. | 8 |
| Performance (40%) | Great wireless coverage and throughput. Capable of 15,000 max sessions. | 8 |
| Price / Package (15%) | Each parts are well packaged. Includes an extra set of rubber feets. | 8.5 |
| AVERAGED SCORE | 8.0 | |
TRENDnet TEW-673GRU
The LCD display on the TEW-673 is one of the neat features that we would never expect to see on a consumer wireless router. Apart from the LCD display, the two USB ports are also another useful features that allows resources to be shared across the network. The downside is, a lack of USB 3G WAN support.
However, the TEW-673 does deliver in wireless performance. We have seen excellent throughput from its 5GHz band which is great for streaming high-definition media wirelessly and away from the crowded and congested 2.4GHz band.
| Category | Comments | Score |
| Aesthetics (15%) | Simple design. Shiny piano back finish. Removable antennas for easy upgrading. LCD display with real time info. | 8 |
| Features / Quality (30%) | User interface is clean and easy to administer. A little disappointing though, for the lack of 3G WAN on the USB Shareport. | 7 |
| Performance (40%) | Great wireless coverage and throughput. | 7.5 |
| Price / Package (15%) | Standard consumer router packaging. | 8 |
| AVERAGED SCORE | 7.5 | |
