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Thread: Netgear Travel Wi-Fi Router $9.99 (after rebate)

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    Netgear Travel Wi-Fi Router $9.99 (after rebate)

    CompUSA is offering the Netgear Travel Wi-Fi Router (reg $79.99) for only $9.99 after rebates:

    http://www.compusa.com/products/prod...ct_code=314118

    Not available via the web site so check your zip code for availablity at your local CompUSA store. You also have to be prepared to wait for the mail-in rebate portion too.

    Deal expires 1/21/06, so better hurry if you're interested.

    And needless to say, you could use this at home as well if it fits your needs.

    Opus1guy

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  3. #2

    That is awesome! Do you currently use this? Do you know how it is for reliability?


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    Quote Originally Posted by Mickeymac
    That is awesome! Do you currently use this? Do you know how it is for reliability?
    Nope. Might have a review late this afternoon though after I have one in my hands for a bit.

    For basic internet use though, all these 802.11 things are fairly straight-forward and reliable in my experience.

    In addition to the 1 customer review on the CompUSA web site above, there are 8 reviews of this item on Circuit City's web site (not the store that's offering the deal on them), and they are all pretty favorable:

    http://www.circuitcity.com/ccd/produ....do?oid=109032
    Opus1guy

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    Quote Originally Posted by Opus1guy
    Not available via the web site so check your zip code for availablity at your local CompUSA store. You also have to be prepared to wait for the mail-in rebate portion too.
    It is available through the Web site. I just ordered it. The savings is divided into a $20 instant savings and a $50 rebate.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew
    It is available through the Web site. I just ordered it. The savings is divided into a $20 instant savings and a $50 rebate.
    Yep. Apparently it is now. But yesterday it was not and that web page said "In-Store Only" on the button, and did not allow you to add it to your cart. Now it allows you to purchase it online.

    Yesterday the in-store availability tool (by zip code) had all the stores in my area having them "In-Stock." This morning several of them had switched to "Out-of-Stock" or "Limited Availability." So I figured they were selling well and headed off first thing this morning on the way to work to purchase a couple of them.

    I arrived at CompUSA about 10 minutes before they opened and there were about 10 people milling around the front door. When it opened 5 people besides myself bee-lined it to these puppies and grabbed several. They still had about a dozen out on display after. We all lined up at the one cashier who commented these were flying off the self yesterday too. So be sure to check the online in-store availability tool before heading out. Or, order it off the web and print out the $50 Rebate Coupon in PDF form.

    Review: I've been playing with mine for about 30 minutes now and it's just great. Was a snap to plug in and go. And using the easy Web Browser configuration interface, it was easy to change the SSID and turn on security features. Range is really good! And I like it's quick configuration switch on the unit itself.

    It's really small and light as a feather. Not much bigger than a deck of playing cards. The AC Adapter is almost as big. See this photo with my hand in there for scale:



    Also comes with a short ethernet cable and nice zip-up travel case to carry it all in. Very easy to take on the road. I like it. And for $9.99, it's a great deal.

    The only thing I couldn't find was a Port Forwarding feature. It may be there and I just haven't found it yet. But 99% of the users of this probably wouldn't need that anyway.
    Opus1guy

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    Update: Guess this puppy is strictly for connecting to other types of routed networks like you'd find in hotel rooms. In the manual it states:

    Do not connect the WGR101 directly to a DSL modem.

    Connecting the WGR101 directly to a DSL modem is not supported.
    So I guess this unit would not make a good cheap alternative for home use if you have DSL.
    Opus1guy

  8. #7
    Hacker, nonmammaltarian, Warrior Andrew's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Opus1guy
    Update: Guess this puppy is strictly for connecting to other types of routed networks like you'd find in hotel rooms.
    I prefer to keep my WiFi AP separate from my router, so that's fine with me. At home my network goes:
    DSL -> Linksys RT41-BU (4-port broadband "home" router) -> Linksys WAP54G (802.11g WiFi Access Point). I don't like the combo router-AP units much.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew
    I prefer to keep my WiFi AP separate from my router, so that's fine with me. At home my network goes:
    DSL -> Linksys RT41-BU (4-port broadband "home" router) -> Linksys WAP54G (802.11g WiFi Access Point). I don't like the combo router-AP units much.
    At our home we've got a combo. We're DSL Modem -> Linksys WRT54G (4-port broadband w/Wi-Fi router).

    I've got a friend I just help set-up his new SBC (AT&T now, I guess) DSL service, and they gave him a real all-in-one combo unit. A 2Wire thing that was a DSL Modem, 4-Port router, and Wi-Fi all-in-one. It was a bit of a pain to set up without using the SBC CD thing they always want you to use, but after that 20 minutes of manual configuration...it was hummin' just fine.

    This morning I plugged this Netgear Travel Wi-Fi Router into one of the ethernet ports of our Linksys Wi-Fi router, and it assigned it a local IP address with no problem. Switched my laptop's connection over to the Netgear SSID and surfed the internet with excellent speed and range.

    So with this Netgear plugged in, we've got 2 hotspot SSIDs to chose from at home right now. Of course this was just a test and I don't intend on leaving it hooked up like that.

    From this Netgear connection configured in multi-user mode, multiple laptops where connected and surfing with no problems. I also switched the Netgear to single-user mode and that worked fine too (for only one machine, of course).

    One thing to be aware of with this Netgear Travel Wi-Fi router that's easy to overlook in the instructions is that you can only access the Netgear's Web Browser configuration interface while the router's switch is set to 2 (Multi-User) or 3 (Configuration). With the switch set to Position 1 (Single User) you can't access it.

    Dummy me didn't understand why he couldn't get the interface page to come up. Then after reading the instructions I realized I had the switch in Position 1. Just something to be aware of.

    Anyway...works great! And rebate coupons w/proofs of purchase are already in the mail!
    Opus1guy

  10. #9

    Thanks for the help! That's great. Thanks also for the image, too.


  11. #10
    Hacker, nonmammaltarian, Warrior Andrew's Avatar
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    Got mine today via FedEx. Sweet! It works well and it's very light, so it won't add much to my already-overloaded laptop bag.

    Rebate mailed today (and tracked on www.rebate-tracker.com). The California AG has been cracking down on rebates, especially CompUSA, so if you don't get it make sure to follow up. If Netgear refuses to honor your rebate, CompUSA will have to do it.

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    NEW READERS...This deal is over and done with.

    Just an update that I received an email today from Netgear saying my rebate request was received and in the works:

    Dear Opus1guy,

    We just wanted to let you know we have received your rebate submission for Up to $50 Mail-In Rebate on Select NetGear Products Purchased at CompUSA Only.

    Your rebate tracking number is: XXXXXXXXXX

    To check your rebate status just click on [link]

    Please be sure to keep a copy of your tracking number for future reference.

    Thank you for your purchase. We look forward to serving you again.

    Sincerely,
    NETGEAR
    Opus1guy

  13. #12
    Hacker, nonmammaltarian, Warrior Andrew's Avatar
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    I received the same mail just now (with my name instead of Opus1guy).

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    Andrew [

    Buy my stuff on Amazon! (books, DVDs, etc) - all proceeds go to Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Team in Training fundraising!

  14. #13

    ....aaaahhhh, but does it have your address.

    I've not received my email yet, but take heart that others do. My friend keeps trying to 'borrow' the router. I've yet to use the darn thing! Just WHAT is he thinking??


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    Yeah, I'm still waiting for my email, too, though I probably sent it in later than the rest of you. It worked great at WDW last month. Don't think I'll need it at Best Western Anaheim Inn in a couple of weeks, though, since their access is already wireless.


  16. #15
    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Goldhaber
    Yeah, I'm still waiting for my email, too, though I probably sent it in later than the rest of you. It worked great at WDW last month. Don't think I'll need it at Best Western Anaheim Inn in a couple of weeks, though, since their access is already wireless.
    You might still want to take it along and use it if the room also has a free wired connection in addition to the wireless. The free wireless at hotels are almost always entirely wide open while you can secure your travel router.

    -Jeff
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    Quote Originally Posted by JeffG
    You might still want to take it along and use it if the room also has a free wired connection in addition to the wireless. The free wireless at hotels are almost always entirely wide open while you can secure your travel router.

    -Jeff
    True enough, though from what I read I don't think that there's wired at BW Anaheim. Still, it doesn't take up much room, so it wouldn't hurt to take it. Thanks, Jeff.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mark Goldhaber
    True enough, though from what I read I don't think that there's wired at BW Anaheim. Still, it doesn't take up much room, so it wouldn't hurt to take it. Thanks, Jeff.
    Both this and JeffG's original point brings up a question in my mind:

    I wonder if there's a way to use this WiFi travel router as some sort of wireless bridge or range extender, that would allow a user to snag, secure, and then re-broadcast the existing WiFi signal?

    Based on my pedestrian knowledge of these things...I'm inclined to say to myself: No. You'd have to somehow register your travel router as a wireless bridge with the main router. And even if you could bridge it...there would still be "in the open" transmissions going on further down the wireless line, right?

    But I really don't know anything for sure. It's an interesting question though. And it would be nice to see a product that could secure an otherwise open WiFi network, for individual users.

    But I guess this is what personal VPNs are for?
    Opus1guy

  19. #18

    There is a wireless extender protocol, called WDS. (The Wikipedia entry.), but yeah, it's very picky on hardware, and usually needs to be the same version/company on both sides.

    As far as using a wireless travel router to encrypt an open link, yeah, that'd be dumb.

    Much better to use something like OpenVPN to a server that you setup at your home. Everything is encrypted to that server, and then your home connection goes out to the Internet.

    Here's a link I got awhile ago from digg.com that shows how to do this. Haven't tried it yet, though. But at least it's all free.

    Thomas Bates

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    Quote Originally Posted by mrcoffee
    As far as using a wireless travel router to encrypt an open link, yeah, that'd be dumb.
    Yeah. That's what I kind of thought. I just sorta wanted to know if something like that could be done. Thanks.

    Quote Originally Posted by mrcoffee
    Much better to use something like OpenVPN to a server that you setup at your home. Everything is encrypted to that server, and then your home connection goes out to the Internet.

    Here's a link I got awhile ago from digg.com that shows how to do this. Haven't tried it yet, though. But at least it's all free.
    I gave that same free do-it-yourself OpenVPN a shot some time back...but it was all just too complicated for me. Plus I didn't want to have to leave my home computer on and running 24/7 while I was out on the road.

    So I went with a paid ($39.99 per year) service from WiTopia, called PersonalVPN, which uses the same OpenVPN GUI software on my laptop, but connects with their servers that are available 24/7...for secured "tunneled" internet connections from any Wifi hotspot.

    http://www.witopia.net/personalmore.html

    Works great and it's a small price to pay for not having to leave a box running 24/7 while on the road. And it was so much easier to install for an average guy like me, than the long list of manual configurations on both the home server box and laptop...that the free version required. Just a simple initial install and pre-configured set-up on my laptop...and I was hummin' via tunneled secured/encrypted WiFi from even unsecured open hotspots like Starbucks and hotels and such.
    Opus1guy

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    Again...NEW READERS...This deal is over and done with.

    Just a further update that I forgot to post:

    Some time ago I received my $50 rebate check from Netgear! So for me...this was a smooth and now done deal!

    Opus1guy

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    Finally got my check today. So my long wait is now over.

    (And to follow up from the subplot earlier, BWAI is all-wireless, so I didn't use it there.)


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