When You Need Wi-Fi, Ad Hoc
Both technologies just flat-out work at reasonable price points, scalability and ease of management. The limitation, though, of delivering managed wireless broadband to workgroups of notebooks and netbooks -- while still miles from traditional access points -- has remained.
But that's changing.
Last year, when carrier Verizon launched its MiFi, 3G-powered wireless access point, it was widely regarded as a breakthrough in mobility. It provided -- like no other small device before -- the ability to create Wi-Fi access points on the fly by sharing a signal between multiple PCs, smartphones or netbooks.
Netgear is now in the game, providing the MBR624GU 3G Mobile Broadband Wireless Router—a device that supports a number of different USB 2.0, 3G devices from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint and is street-priced at anywhere from $100 to about $150.
The CRN Test Center has reviewed a number of different Netgear products over the past 18 months, from storage to switches. The MBR624GU is a nice addition to the company's lineup, and one that VARs can deliver with value to customers needing on-the-go Wi-Fi connectivity for small workgroups.
Here are the speeds and feeds:
On our scale, the MBR624GU weighed in at 10.4 ounces, and is built at a small form factor: 7 inches by 4.5 inches by 1 inch. That makes it easy to carry around and an ideal size for mobility. It provides an outbound bandwidth of 54 Mbps at 2.4 GHz configured to 802.11g.
The setup process is simple. Once a laptop attains its 3G connection via laptop modem (either on-board or USB), the MBR624GU connects to the laptop. The device's management interface is simple, found through a connection to 192.168.0.1. Within minutes of configuration, the MBR624GU provides an 802.11g signal to other devices within a short range.
Now, let's flash back to what we saw with the Verizon MiFi: That device was launched at $99 (after a $50) rebate. Verizon wireless modem customers had different monthly plan choices, or could buy a day pass for $15. For pizzazz, the MiFi is about the size of a credit card and works on its own, without a laptop. But you're stuck with Verizon and its hearty-but-pricey access fees.
We like Netgear's approach with carrier support, simplicity and design. That it's got a simple management console is so much the better.
Looking ahead, the market is showing us that 3G service will continue, for the most part, to decline in price, and increase in performance and reliability. Looking at the road map for WiMAX, it will still be a long time before most of the U.S. is connected and, with 802.11n, it will be some time before price-performance issues become much less daunting than they have been.
The bottom line: We can recommend the Netgear MBR624GU for the limited purpose it serves: adapting to the 3G carrier choice of an enterprise and delivering simplicity and cost-effectiveness for workgroups needing remote wireless access. Over the course of the next 12 to 18 months, we expect to see a greater number of these devices with a varying degree of functionality, performance and flexibility. However, for now, the cost of acquisition for this device is low enough to make it worth a VAR's time and a customer's investment.
With a robust VAR program that it's been maintaining for a while, Netgear is providing one more reason for solution providers to keep its calling card nearby.
COMMUNITY: Connect with the CRN Test Center at community.crn.com.