uRater.info

A God Send for travelers… Business and Pleasure

We travel a lot: international, domestic, business, vacation, moving (hotel living for a month every two years) and an annual month of Leave- jumping from house to house all over the US. So our computer gear has to be small, tough and ultra compatible… which the D-Link Pocket Router is- in Spades! (We got the Netgear first… horrible.) The other (positive) reviews have been right on about the technical aspects, so I only want to add a few other notes:

1. The D-Link is compatible will every modem we’ve hooked it to… from dial-up (scary) to DSL and Cable. From the big name modems in the US to the strange things you find in people’s homes in Asia… it synced with each one and worked great… just plug it in and you’re wireless!
I would also suggest picking up a cheap usb wifi adaptor. If someone doesn’t have a wireless router already, they will likely only have a desktop and since you will be connecting their modem to your router, you will need to make the desktop ‘wireless’.

2. The D-Link really shines in hotels. There have been no problems hooking it to the Ethernet connections in the myriad of hotel rooms we stayed in: from Alabama to Bangkok (even Abu Dhabi). The plug is not only 110-240 but is not grounded so can be fitted to any overseas power adaptors. The reach overseas does vary wildly and where it’s mostly concrete construction (Asia, Middle East, etc…) you are better ’sharing’ the connection through windows and floors/ceilings, than walls. Good to keep in mind when you are watching the children at the pool or sharing an expensive connection with co-workers.

3. Even if you do have wi-fi on your lap top, if you’re at a hotel with wireless “in public areas” or even in a house where the bubble is small (hand me down wireless routers that only reach to the gifter’s guest room for example) try using it as an access point… you’d be surprised.

All in all, the slick design and very small size (compare it to the other travel routers and you’ll understand) coupled with ease of use and overwhelming compatibility make this a necessity for any traveler… or expat.

Update (5/19/2012): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen. I also found some auctions for this item here.

The featured review for this product, D-Link DWL-G730AP Wireless Pocket Router/AP w/ Client Mode, 802.11g, 54Mbps Electronics, was written by Julie Fey.

The average rating for this item is 5 out of 5 stars, according to 3 reviews.