On Monday, Netgear revealed the Trek N300 travel router and range extender (PR2000). This portable device allows users to take one Internet connection and share it with multiple devices. Thus with the Trek N300, consumers no longer need to pay multiple access fees for each device when staying at hotels. In that scenario, the device seemingly pays for itself when hotels charge $15 per day per device.
"With a powerful fold-out external antenna, you'll enjoy increased range whether you use Trek on the go or at home, and it even boosts public Wi-Fi signal strength for improved connection reliability," reads the company's press release. "Trek integrates the power adapter into a single, rugged unit that's easy to carry."
This router would be ideal when accessing a public network, as it creates a highly secure, private Wi-Fi connection for your devices. The Trek N300 can be plugged directly into a wall power socket, or it can be plugged into a laptop using a USB cable. There's also a switch on the side that lets users toggle between a provided Wi-Fi network, or access based on Ethernet.
The specs show that the device actually packs two Ethernet ports: one for connecting to the Internet, and one for providing a wired device for an Internet connection. The flip-out antenna provides optimum Wi-Fi coverage in the home or when the user is out and about. There's also one microUSB port for powering the device, and one USB 2.0 port for sharing a printer or media files.
"Relive memories and share them with others. Enjoy photos, videos and music stored on a shared USB hard drive. If it's secure and shared storage access you want, Netgear has easy ways to do it," reads the product sheet.
Netgear reveals that this device can also be used as a Wi-Fi access point, a mobile hotspot, and a range extender. Unfortunately, this device is only single band, so the most users will get out of the N300 is 300 Mbps on the 2.4 GHz band. However, when compared to many public networks, 300 Mbps feels more like the fast lane on a freeway.
Netgear promises that setting up the Trek N300 device is a breeze. Users can point their laptop browser to the device's Netgear Genie app, or download the app to Android and iOS devices. Genie also allows users to easily monitor, connect and control the home network from a PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone. Netgear Genie even lets users share and stream music or videos, diagnose and repair network issues, set up parental controls and more.
For instance, MyMedia lets users find and play media files on the network. EZ Mobile connect provides a QR code that can be scanned by mobile devices so that they can connect to the network. There's also Turbo-Transfer, allowing users to quickly transfer files within the home network across various devices 40 percent faster than normal file transfers.
Netgear's Trek N300 will be available this quarter from major retailers in stores and online in the U.S. at $49.99, you'll probably be able to get it for a bit less with a Netgear promo code though.
