TRENDnet TEW-638PAP 300Mbps Wireless N PoE Access Point TRENDnet TEW-638PAP 300Mbps Wireless N PoE Access Point

Pros: POE which is the reason I bought it. 802.11g/b/n. Small size, only 3.2 watts power draw. Good range, good speed

Cons: This replaced a D-Link which supported simultaneous WPA and WPA2. This one only supports one or the other so I had to reconfigure some of my devices. We have 2 ipads, 2 iphones and several different kinds of laptops. The apple devices pop up a box, every 5-10 minutes if I'm not actively using the wireless, asking if I want to (re)connect to the SSID. If I uncheck the "ask to join network" box under the Apple settings that dialog box doesn't appear but the units will sporatically disconnect. This never happened with the D-Link.

Other Thoughts: My main purpose in getting this box was to get an AP that supported POE--part of an emergency power-outage strategy. An extra benefit was adding "n" wireless capability. For the most part I'm happy with the results but the issue with iOS devices is annoying.

Pros: Good range, good speed, power over ethernet.

Cons: If you don't have a Windows computer to run the setup program, you can't make it work. I had my parents buy this to extend their existing wireless network, but they only have Macs. I called technical support, and they were generous enough to offer to help me set it up for $39.99. Luckily I have a Windows PC at my house, so I was able to set it up there and then take it back over and hook it up.

Unbelievable in the year 2013 that a company would have zero support for non-Windows computers. Probably should have returned it.

Pros: So far so good with this device. Currently hooked up 2 units using POE.

Cons: Range is not that good
Antenna unscrews but is recessed in case cover so putting larger antenna won't likely fit into recessed area.
No key hole slots or anything to hange this on the wall with. Ended up using zip ties, but honestly more and more manufacturers are doing the same thing as they expect these devices to sit on top of hanging ceiling tiles (against fire code) or sit on a shelf (good luck with that).

Manufacturer Response:

Valued customer,

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you. Please e-mail us at sales@trendnet.com, reference "New Egg Product Review" in the subject line and someone will contact you in a timely manner to resolve your issue. We look forward to restoring your faith in TRENDnet products.

Regards,

TRENDnet Sales Support

Pros: Neat little unit. Excellent, reliable performance. Robust options. Good price.

Cons: Newegg lists 'on/off power switch' under specs. No fault of Newegg as 'on/off power switch' is listed under features on the Trendnet product page. The downloadable datasheet on the Trendnet site also lists it as having an 'On/off power switch'. Even the side of the box that it comes in touts a 'on/off power switch'.

There's no power switch.

Page 9 of the downloadable User Guide finally indicates 'Power Switch (EU version)'.

Other Thoughts: My LAN is mostly wired so I was looking for a convenient way to control the wireless portion of my network. The TEW-638PAP is still a great little performer. This in no way is a deal breaker. Just don't expect to find that switch.

Pros: 5 minute setup from start to finish.
Outstanding reception!

Cons: Wasn't free :(

Other Thoughts: During the last year I've installed 3 different Wireless Access Points (I wont mention their names). Not only is this little POA easy to get up and get running correctly, but the signal strength is 3 times greater than others I've installed that cost twice as much. I like it so much I'm buying a third to install at home, and finally put the other brand's POE in a dumpster.

Pros: Performance at 2.4 GHz is solid, did not try 5 GHz. Fairly easy to set up, works as advertised. Small footprint. I have had it for 8 days now and none of the 4 devices which are constantly connected to this AP ever dropped the connection. Overall, I am very happy with it.

Cons: Does not have and option to save the MAC address table into a file. AP configuration file is in a binary format, cannot be edited off-line.
User interface and user manual were clearly not written by fluent English speakers, but they are definitely understandable.

Pros: Trendnet technical support responded to my helpdesk post in just 2 days.

Cons: No "fix" from Trendnet

Other Thoughts: I received a reply from Trendnet tech support regarding the inconsistencies between the User Guide and the actual access point webpages. This is a mistake in the documentation, and they will correct it. The outside of the box specifically states "Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) Quality of Service." I guess that is a mistake, too. So, buyer beware if you are looking at this access point as having some management capabilities for multimedia streaming.

Pros: - As always, Newegg shipped very quckly.
- Good price

Cons: - User Guide (one on CD and latest from Trendnet website) does not match some setup screens when you log in to the Access Point
- Came with firmware version 1.2.7 which website says is latest, but it is a year and a half old. I would have expected a more recent update.
- This is replacing a Linksys WAP54G (since I am now installing PC's that use 802.11n). Range for the Trendnet for existing g devices in my home is VERY poor compared to the Linksys. I have ordered the Trendnet external antenna hoping this will boost sensitivity sufficiently.
-The setup program on the CD is worthless.

Other Thoughts: If the external antenna doesn't improve the range of the Trendnet, I'll be looking for another N access point.

Pros: Inexpensive, compact, easy to setup, and good signal strength. Not made in Red China.

Cons: None as yet.

Other Thoughts: Installed in two offices. More of a convenience than a necessity.

Pros: It's cheap, it's small, it works. Actually came loaded with the most recent version of the firmware, which unfortunately seems to be a rarity in network gear these days. The UI seems pretty simple and pretty good other than the specific issues I mention under Cons.

Cons: (1) The manual indicates that the default IP address is 192.168.10.100, the default name is "admin" and the default password is "admin"...buried on the next-to-last page after the Russian translation as #5 under "Troubleshooting."

(2) I set the MAC address filtering setting to "Reject All" and was surprised when all my wireless devices were able to connect even before I entered their MAC addreses. After some experimentation it appears that "Reject All" actually means "Reject the addresses on the list," whereas "Accept All" actually means "Accept the addresses on the list." So to do MAC address filtering you actually appear to have to choose "Accept All." Nice!

(3) My first attempt at setting the Admin password didn't take, I think because I clicked the "Apply" button at the bottom of the page instead of the "Apply" button underneath the password. After you set this unit up, be sure to test it to make sure the settings are what you think they are.

Other Thoughts: The Windows-based setup software is 100% superfluous since the web interface seems perfectly good. I never took it out of the shrink wrap.