This month we have the Aztech Wireless-N plus Mobile Broadband Router or HW550-3G. This wireless-N router offers Internet connectivity through the usual ADSL modem hook-up as well as to a 3G broadband USB modem for dual internet connectivity.
This time around Aztech has gone for the more traditional router box design. With a white and grey trim design, the router looks like nice enough and should fit in any living room as well as computer lab. While the front panel may look bare except for two buttons to reconnect the 3G modem and to turn on the wireless network, when you turn on the router LEDs status will light up in green on the grey background. Featuring two detachable external antennas on the back, this router offers the standard four RJ-45 Ethernet LAN ports and an RJ-45 Ethernet WAN port for ADSL modem hookup. What makes this router different is the USB port beside the WAN port. This USB2.0 port can support any compatible 3.5G Broadband USB modem, a USB external hard disk drive enclosure or even a USB printer. This offers plenty of extra options if you don’t have a 3G/3.5G broadband USB modem at hand.
Installing the router is plug-and-play as the browser-based settings menu will take care of everything. Security options are available for the more advanced user but the Wizards are more than enough for the most part. There is no wizard or utility in the bundled CD, instead all it contains is the PDF file for the manual and an installer for Adobe Reader.
In term of performance, the router is quite fast for the most part but wireless connectivity is a bit erratic at times. The fastest speed we got with the router was 144Mbps in the closest test location but network utilization was below 50%. Like a few other Wireless-N routers, it has a sweet spot at around 10 meters or so away. While speed does drop to 78Mbps, the network utilization increases dramatically with the test notebook regularly getting 99% to 100% network utilization. Further away (at about 20 meters) speeds drop dramatically to an average of about 48Mbps while network utilization becomes even more erratic, sometimes getting 99% and then suddenly jumping to 1%. This means that the router works best within a 10 to 15 metres radius, making it quite good for the home and small office networks.
The Aztech HW550-3G router is a very versatile Wireless-N networking device. The extra USB port offers plenty of other options aside from the more emphasized 3G Broadband USB modem, letting you to attach an external hard disk drive enclosure for an instant NAS. Since the router is very easy to install and setup, as well as having plenty of options it should be quite suitable for the family network or the SOHO environment.
Aztech Wireless-N plus Mobile Broadband Router Specifications
Model : HW550-3G
Router Antennas : 2x (external detachable)
Wireless Compatibility : IEEE802.11n, IEEE802.11g, IEEE802.11b, USB2.0 OTG
Vertical Option : Yes (wall mount)
USB2.0 (480Mbps) : Yes (supports up to 3.5G USB Broadband / USB storage / USB Printer)
I/Os /Buttons : 1x Internet RJ-45, 4x Ethernet: RJ45, 1xUSB2.0, 1x Power port, Reset button
Router Package : Quickstart Guide, Worldwide 12V power adapter, User Manual CD
Popularity: 6% [?]
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