tike012 wrote:For those of you looking for just the portable router/wi-fi hotspot without the 3g/4g capabiity, check out the TP-Link TL-WR700N. I got mine for ~25 free ship from Meritline or similar, but I see it on Newegg for $30 as well.

Speaking of Meritline, I own an Edimax BR-6258n from them, router is the same size as the power adapter, tinny thing. Lived in a hotel and had this turn their wired in to wireless for several devices for 2 months, worked flawlessly. You can also configure it as a repeater, or an AP for a wired device (connecting any wired-only device to your wifi, no drivers or anything)
So if you don't need the USB on this woot, look in to this one, or the above mentioned TP-Link, may have more features you'd like

Why wouldn't I just use my cell phone to create a mobile hot spot and save the money for this thing? Seems like a useless gadget.

Stupid question, will this serve as a wifi range extender? My iPad 2 seems to have a weak wifi antenna. Would this router pick up and rebroadcast a wifi signal?

Thanks!

pickypickypicky wrote:Yes, enquiring minds want to know.

is the answer "yes" or are you also asking?

Really Mobile?? Can I drive down the road and connect to the internet?? (with someone else driving of course)

jerestud wrote:Really Mobile?? Can I drive down the road and connect to the internet?? (with someone else driving of course)

Can someone answer this? My husband drives semi, and has to rely on wi-fi availability from truck stops, and that's spotty at best. Would this allow him to connect (w/o a data plan or a phone) with his laptop ?

craigthom wrote:You don't need it if there is wifi available. That's not what it is for.

I've got the single-USB version of this, and it works well. You need to enter the configuration for your USB modem, but that info is available online. You can then save the config to reload it later if you ever need to.

I got it because there are times I'm not near wifi and I want to look something up, but I don't want to take the time to get out and fire up my computer. I can use this with my TouchPad and find what I'm looking for.

I also used it a couple of weeks ago when my power was out and my DSL was down.

Can this product be used to travel down the road and connect to the internet?? (ie: a laptop?)

wehrd1 wrote:Can someone answer this? My husband drives semi, and has to rely on wi-fi availability from truck stops, and that's spotty at best. Would this allow him to connect (w/o a data plan or a phone) with his laptop ?

No, not by itself. It requires you have a usb mobile broadband device and data plan. What this device does is allow the normally single device Usb connection to be shared amongst multiple devices via wifi.

(I admit I haven't read the previous comments yet so feel free to call me names if that's appropriate.)

I'm curious whether or not this device will solve a problem-scenario for a client of mine, and hoping someone here knows the produt well enough to tell me.

Scenario:
* a Random Hotel, with internet.
* two laptop computers with wireless networking
* Brother wireless printer ( http://www.brother-usa.com/Printer/ModelDetail.aspx?ProductID=HL2270DW )

I *want* to be able have both computers connect to the internet via the hotel connection, and ALSO be able to print to the printer wirelessly, at the same time.

Will this device provide a way to do that? Will it matter whether the hotel connection is wired or wireless?

Thanks Wooties!

BernieJDufrene wrote:Sure hope this works with my verizon modem... To think I can connect my laptop, iPad, and iPod touch all that the same time on the go...sweet.

THAT's it in a nutshell. When traveling, you can use a wifi USB device. With this only one in the crowd needs one. Hooking the WiFi USB into this (instead of an individual laptop) broadcasts your signal to devices around you. Be sure to set it up securely. If not for my iPad2 w 3G and ability to remote connect to either my work PC or home Mac, I would have been all over this.

Can I connect this to my android phone to turn it into a wireless hot spot and then connect my laptop or tablet wirelessly? That would save me $30 per month for Verizon's mobile hot spot fee. We travel in an RV a lot so this would be useful if it works.

For example, I have an app that allows me to connect a data cord to my phone and to my windows based computer to go online if my regular high speed internet goes down at home for any reason. I use a tablet computer for travel, but it has no USB port so I can only connect when a wireless connection is available.

Is there a way I can do that without adding Verizon's outrageous hot spot fee?

casey00001 wrote:Why wouldn't I just use my cell phone to create a mobile hot spot and save the money for this thing? Seems like a useless gadget.

If your phone does that, and if you are fine using your phone's data plan, then it isn't very useful.

As hard as it is to believe, Woot.com isn't all about you. Sometimes they sell things that other people find useful that you don't. That happens to me, too, but I get over it, and I don't whine about it.

wehrd1 wrote:Can someone answer this? My husband drives semi, and has to rely on wi-fi availability from truck stops, and that's spotty at best. Would this allow him to connect (w/o a data plan or a phone) with his laptop ?

No, he'll need a modem and a data plan.

noahsmybro wrote:(I admit I haven't read the previous comments yet so feel free to call me names if that's appropriate.)

I'm curious whether or not this device will solve a problem-scenario for a client of mine, and hoping someone here knows the produt well enough to tell me.

Scenario:
* a Random Hotel, with internet.
* two laptop computers with wireless networking
* Brother wireless printer ( http://www.brother-usa.com/Printer/ModelDetail.aspx?ProductID=HL2270DW )

I *want* to be able have both computers connect to the internet via the hotel connection, and ALSO be able to print to the printer wirelessly, at the same time.

Will this device provide a way to do that? Will it matter whether the hotel connection is wired or wireless?

Thanks Wooties!

Yes, with some configuration, this will definitely do that with an Ethernet connection on the hotel side.

Maybe, with WiFi. It's never been clear to me if you can use these devices to link one wireless network to your own.

...and it runs on battery! I bought one and I love it!

Can it be powered by USB? I'd rather not carry around that huge power brick. Since the output is 5V/2A, seems like you could come up with some kind of USB power source.

So would this replace my old range expander? I have wireless in my basement and the signal is poor sometimes depending on where I am in the house....

al51 wrote:Stupid question, will this serve as a wifi range extender? My iPad 2 seems to have a weak wifi antenna. Would this router pick up and rebroadcast a wifi signal?

Thanks!

I just posted a similar question! Will watch and see if anyone answers you!

casey00001 wrote:Why wouldn't I just use my cell phone to create a mobile hot spot and save the money for this thing? Seems like a useless gadget.

Unless you're already paying for an unlimited data plan, AT&T and Verizon have been known to cut off service to customers for using their cell phones as tethered devices.

craigthom wrote:You don't need it if there is wifi available. That's not what it is for.

I've got the single-USB version of this, and it works well. You need to enter the configuration for your USB modem, but that info is available online. You can then save the config to reload it later if you ever need to.

I got it because there are times I'm not near wifi and I want to look something up, but I don't want to take the time to get out and fire up my computer. I can use this with my TouchPad and find what I'm looking for.

I also used it a couple of weeks ago when my power was out and my DSL was down.

Still not seeing a reason to have this at home or while I'm on the go. At home, I already have a WiFi router, which along with my modem and cordless phone base unit are connected to a ups.

On the go, my Touchpad can use my rooted Android's wireless hotspot if there's no open WiFi available. Or if I want to access sensitive emails or websites despite the open WiFi.

What am I missing?

When the power is down, could I plug my vonage modem and my cable modem into this and maintain phone service?

DameEdithDivine wrote:When the power is down, could I plug my vonage modem and my cable modem into this and maintain phone service?

(1) What's powering your cable modem during the blackout?
(2) Does your internet "cable box" down the street have backup power, i.e., do you still get an internet signal during the blackout?
(3) What's powering the Vonage box during the blackout?

IF you have backup power to your modem and the Vonage box, and your internet signal is still on, the ZyXEL WILL WORK -> phone will work too. For TWO HOURS! ;)

Recently found myself out of luck with Ipad at hotel with only wired internet. Assume this device would have cured problem?

ohmark wrote:Recently found myself out of luck with Ipad at hotel with only wired internet. Assume this device would have cured problem?

definitely, unequivocally, yes!

What about hotels that require a sign in? How would you configure it to pick anything up?

I would like to know if this can be used as a wifi range extender as well.

spgreenfield wrote:I just posted a similar question! Will watch and see if anyone answers you!

From reading the manual the short answer is no. In WISP mode it can receive a wifi signal and connect up to two hardwired computers but it doesn't appear that it can act as a repeater.

davebra wrote:From reading the manual the short answer is no. In WISP mode it can receive a wifi signal and connect up to two hardwired computers but it doesn't appear that it can act as a repeater.

Many Thanks!

spgreenfield wrote:Many Thanks!

But if it works as a "repeater" for a hotel signal....as in connecting via ethernet cable - then why can't it do the same thing on my network? I could hook up an ethernet cable to it too....

magnoliasouth wrote:What about hotels that require a sign in? How would you configure it to pick anything up?

I assume the device picks up the hotel internet signal via ethernet and then broadcasts the signal via wifi. You then "discover" the signal, or network, via your Ipad or other other computer the same way you would any other network. And you perform the "signin" via the Ipad or computer.

skemmis wrote:It's...beautiful *wipes tear from eye*

Thank you

I owe all of my credit tho to the Woot Editors <3.14

ciabelle wrote:Still not seeing a reason to have this at home or while I'm on the go. At home, I already have a WiFi router, which along with my modem and cordless phone base unit are connected to a ups.

On the go, my Touchpad can use my rooted Android's wireless hotspot if there's no open WiFi available. Or if I want to access sensitive emails or websites despite the open WiFi.

What am I missing?

You are missing that something doesn't need to be useful to you to be useful to someone else.

Unless you are going to send your phone to people so they can use it, it's not relevant.

Bought one of these back in may when they were last offered. It works great with one hiccup, I have trouble with igmp and multicast as I cannot sync my iPhone or iPad wirelessly over this router and devices don't see each other (network share). Isolation is turned off. Otherwise stil glad I got it.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a pay as you go 3g/4g provider that's compatible with this? I'm trying to avoid a monthly fee, if possible, and just pay be the MB.

dlleon wrote:Does anyone have a recommendation for a pay as you go 3g/4g provider that's compatible with this? I'm trying to avoid a monthly fee, if possible, and just pay be the MB.

Virgin Mobile and T-Mobile both have pretty decent no-contract monthly plans, you just buy the USB cell adaptor and pay for a single month and you're good. If you decide not to pay for another month, you still have the wireless adaptor when you decide you need 3G data again.

Need to setup a wired network with ethernet printers using a wifi connection.. will this work for that?

That is the most consistent % sales per hour I can remember on any.woot.

Has anyone been able to get it to work with the Clear Sierra Wireless 250U USB? (Clear 4G+ USB Series S)

There is a firmware update out that you should download. This was the only way I could get my LTE stick to connect.

http://www.us.zyxel.com/Support/Download-Library-Result.aspx?mif=PDCA200927&type=Firmware

Also, the router does not allow for auto switching between LTE and 3G on a Pantech UML290 on Verizon. There is a utility available to force the modem into either one but you have to use it every time you need to switch. That info is in the firmware release notes at the above link.