Pros: cheap

Cons: the signal from this router is down - 87db 5m away. that's line of sight. honestly I cannot fathom how such a completely bad device could be sold by an honest company.

Other Thoughts: absolutely do not recommend. I never would have bought it had I known how bad it is.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello,

We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing an issue with the TEW-812DRU. A firmware update and adjusting channel selection may help. If it is a hardware issue with the TEW-812DRU, it is covered with a 3 year limited warranty. Please email adrian@trendnet.com and we will have a support representative contact you. Please include a link to this review.


Regards,

Adrian
TRENDnet Support
http://www.trendnet.com/support

Pros: Product is easy to use. Ready in plug and play mode. Easy to set network and passwords

Cons: Initially connection used to get dropped. Firmware upgrade fixed issues

Other Thoughts: Should come up with instruction to upgrade firmware. After upgrade, it works perfect. Provides good coverage in my 1200 sq ft apartment

Pros: Cheap, works great if you're plugging in with a Cat5 cable, 5GHz functions well, nice little space heater, good SW when updated to DD-WRT v24-SP2

Cons: 2.4 GHz begins to degrade over a few months,runs insanely hot even when under-clocked to 600MHz, 85-90c <.5% load, should it be making soft clicking/poping noises?

Other Thoughts: About to use my Square Trade warranty and return it. Other reviews that say the 2.4GHz freq fails within months are correct, about 90 days in it started acting up, at 6 months it's dead about 25% of the time, does not appear on multiple laptops and is undiscoverable at all, this while the 5GHz band works just fine (my stuff uses 5, wife and kids use 2.4 so there is much complaining). Seems to me they're just asking too much of it. I'd even considered modding the case and putting a cooler or liquid cooler on it, then decided it was dumb to keep a router that had me even considering the need for supplementary cooling. Now looking at DLink 885.

Pros: Setup once and haven't looked back

Cons: None for me, it is exactly as promoted

Other Thoughts: Would but this brand again.

Pros: Easy to connect and power up. Has excellent range and speed. I'm very impressed with it's performance.

Cons: Online software is somewhat confusing. Must reset to factory defaults if you don't make changes in proper order, but that order is not discussed.

Other Thoughts: The problem with the software is that when you change the default IP address along with other changes, you can't log back in after the reset. You need to change the address ONLY, reset the router, THEN make other changes. I had to reset to factory defaults 3 time before I discovered this glitch.

Pros: -Nice price for 1300AC
-Gigabit ports
-Decent range
-Multiple SSIDs on both bands
-Open source support using DD-WRT
-USB 3.0 port

Cons: -No DHCPv6 support (poor IPv6 support in general)
-Lackluster tech support
-Only one year old DD-WRT standard build available
-No Tomato or Open-WRT builds available
-Touts open source support but using firmware voids your warranty

Other Thoughts: I upgraded from a Linksys e2500 because I wanted gigabit ports, wireless AC, and a stable 5GHz band that wasn't crippled by being on a USB bus. So far the TEW-812DRU has fit the bill. The throughput has been great and the connection on both bands stable so far. The coverage isn't stellar but is better than the e2500 and fits my needs in my modest split level home with it located on the middle floor. If you are getting bad throughput I would check your settings. Also don't expect lightning fast speeds when copying files unless you are copying to or from mechanical hard drives in a RAID or between SSDs. You can have the fastest connection in the world but that means nothing when trying to read and write with mechanical hard drives.

I'm pretty happy with the router but there are a couple of things that were a little disappointing though.

First my firmware was missing the WAN IPv6 setting that is shown in the manual. I upgraded to version 2.1.1.0 and it was still missing. I contacted tech support and was told it was removed. I was told that they were contacting product management but I haven't had an update in 3 days.

Also this router does not currently support DHCPv6 or DHCPv6-PD. The only way to use IPv6 is with a static IP address. If your ISP does not provide static IPv6 addresses like mine then you are out of luck. I did not try to setup a 6to4 tunnel but I'm not really interested in doing so for various reasons. Of course you would need to have the WAN IPv6 setting available in the first place to even try.

The DD-WRT build available is fairly old at this point. It is v24 PreSP2 build 23804 released on 4/8/14. This is a standard build so if you are looking for JFFS support you aren't going to get it. You need JFFS support to setup IPv6 on this older build. So I guess I am out of luck there too.

Tomato firmware builds by Shibby and Toastman do support DHCPv6-PD. I used both with my old e2500. Unfortunately there is no build available for this router at this time.

Overall I am not thrilled about the lack of IPv6 support on an AC router, the fact no one at TRENDnet can address my questions, and the lack of open source options (not even multiple builds of DD-WRT). However the router is doing what it needs and I am pleased with its performance. If you need a basic router with wireless AC and decent coverage then I recommend this router. If you want something for a large house with multiple floors, want good IPv6 support, or want multiple options for open source firmware then I recommend looking at other options.

Pros: Router settings page is easy to navigate, works fine as a normal router.

Cons: I bought this for use as a WDS (wireless bridge) repeater which so far hasn't worked. A quick forums search suggests it might be different processor manufacturers (broadcomm vs atheros) implement WDS slightly different.

Other Thoughts: Should be a decent router for the price if you don't need WDS.

Pros: price was right for an AC 1750 router, has gigabit ports and open source support.

Cons: Con 1: will not standup with all ethernet ports filled, it topples over potentially reducing coverage. Con 2: the router software is weak, no built-in link to its support site or where the firmware is, have to go searching the website. Con 3: even after the latest firmware update the internal setup pages are slow to change after clicking on a different section. Con 4: router would do weird things with the wifi signal. Some devices would connect, some wouldn't. Signal strength was varible on my devices even though I would not move them nor was a microwave being used. Con 5: needed to be power cycled every couple days to restore usage.

Other Thoughts: I really wanted to like this router, I researched it on many review sites, read user reviews here on newegg and other sites. I figured it was hit or miss, it would work as designed or not. Well it doesn't work. I was hoping to replace an Airport Extreme tower router as I thought it was having distance problems. Well, they were nothing compared to this Trendnet router. My wife was complaining about connection problems when the Trendnet was installed and after I switched back to the Airport she was happy and had no further connection problems.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello macisgr8,

We are sorry to hear that you are having issues with the TEW-812DRU. With appropriate consideration for cable weight there shouldn’t be an issue maintaining a vertical installation of the router. We have recently released a firmware update, v 2.0.10.0, for the router that should help. Please make sure this is the update you have applied to the unit. The download is in a compressed format, please extract it before you update the firmware. Included with the download are instructions on how to perform the update. Channel selection and placement of the router may also help. You can change the channels in use on the Wireless > Basic page. Try to centrally locate the router and mount it as high as possible. Avoid enclosing the router in any type of shelving or entertainment centers as well. If you continue to experience issues please email adrian@trendnet.com and we will have someone assist you as soon as possible.


Regards,

Adrian
TRENDnet Support
http://www.trendnet.com/support

Pros: + 1300 AC
+ 2.4GHz + 5GHz support with multiple SSIDs for each
+ Guest network support
+ DD-WRT support (if you want to void your warranty)

Cons: - Does not allow more than ping between wired LAN clients (no HTTP, no SMB/CIFS, no AFP). Only wifi LAN clients can connect to wired LAN clients. You must use a separate switch for wired LAN connections.

- Throughput is better with 802.11n on 2.4GHz than either 11n or 11ac on 5GHz, even when using TRENDnet's own TEW-805UB AC1200 USB 3.0 network adapter. This renders useless the whole 5GHz band (which was supposed to be faster and less crowded).

- Limited number of firewall ports can be opened, and TCP and UDP must be opened separately (there's no BOTH option, requiring 2 rules to open both TCP and UDP).

Other Thoughts: When using a network switch plugged into one port on the router, all wired clients on my LAN can communicate over any protocol. When I remove the switch and use the switched LAN ports on the back of the router, none of the Ethernet clients can communicate with each other using common protocols. The most they can do is ping each other.

If you're going to run a web server over HTTP, use Windows file sharing over SMB/CIFS, or Apple file sharing over AFP, then the only way you can get to those services is from wifi clients over the WLAN to the wired LAN clients. None of the wired LAN ports allow connections between each other.

This renders the router useless as a switch for running a LAN, which completely defeats the purpose as a home/office router.

When I called tech support to troubleshoot, I was informed that TREDNnet company policy is that they can only help connecting clients to the Internet (LAN to WAN connections). They would not help in any way to support communication over the LAN, including file sharing or web servers.

The product does not work as advertised, and the support is worthless if it won't help you get the product to work as advertised.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello,

The built in firewall on the router only affects traffic passing through the WAN port. There is no way to filter traffic between computers connected to the LAN ports. Please check your software firewall settings. The guest network is on a separate subnet that is isolated from the LAN. The virtual server page is a stream lined option to forward a single port. You can create more complicated rules to include port ranges and both TCP and UDP ports on the Firewall > Gaming page. Throughput with an 802.11ac capable client should provide good throughput. Please ensure you are using WPA2 AES encryption values to maintain 802.11ac specs. If you disabled the SSID broadcast please turn it back on as it could cause issues. Please also ensure you have that latest firmware update installed on the router.

If you continue to experience issues with the unit please email adrian@trendnet.com and we will have someone assist you as soon as possible. Please include a link to this review.


Regards,

Adrian
TRENDnet Support
http://www.trendnet.com/support

Pros: It turns on.

Cons: Garbage router. Nothing but problems. This is the second one, a Vers. 2 that was replaced under warranty--and worse than the original Vers. 1.

I originally purchased a "version 1" router that never worked properly within the configuration parameters (I argued with the device for over a year, somewhat settling on its failings). A few months ago it started dropping DNS and dropping WiFi. Devices would show connected to WiFi, yet no data throughput would occur.

This replacement appliance is now using the 3rd Beta software that TRENDnet provided to address a variety of problems. Their Level 3 techs have stopped replying to updates on the functionality of the router at this point, and seem to have taken a position of ignoring the problems (last response occurred January 6th, 2015, nearly a month ago) . I have been more than patient!

I have many videos I may post links to that demonstrates various problems with this device. TRENDnet technicians have viewed every video. Examples of recurring problems:

- Periodic loss of wireless continues (devices less than 20' away)
- Enable QoS and Internet speeds drop 95% (yes, 95% - from over 113 Mbps x 5.72 Mbps to 3.01 Mbps x 0.65 Mbps). NOTE: This is a WIRED connection--not wireless!
- Horrible latency (wired)
- Periodic disappearance of DNS and WAN settings
- Enable NTP (time) on the router and it destroys all WAN/LAN connections, and DHCP vanishes
- Does not (Will Not) renew DHCP lease without reboot of EVERY network device, starting with the modem which must stay turned off until the TEW-812DRU decides to look for it.
- Periodic ERROR: “failed to obtain IP address” on ALL wireless devices. Requiring forced restart of the router to reestablish connections. NOTE: The router showed that wireless was working, however no device could connect. Once I logged into the router interface and restarted the router, wireless devices were then able to connect. UPDATE: The latest BETA firmware has improved this issue.
- Does not allow port forwarding of port 1500 at all. Response by TRENDnet, "can't duplicate" even though I have video proof.
- Starting some games creates a "failed to connect" error. However, if you open and login to the router admin console, then the games will connect?!? Port forwards enabled for various software.
- Has issues logging to the admin console. It never makes it the first try and requires F5 to access the login screen.
- Good Luck setting up port forwarding. After entering and saving the starting and ending ports, if the end port is the same (single port), the router erases it, forcing you to RE-ENTER EVERY END PORT NUMBER. UPDATE: Latest BETA firmware has resolved part of this issue.

NONE of these problems exist if I bypass the TRENDnet router.

Other Thoughts: I've used TRENDnet products for sometime, having exceptional luck with previous. However, that run of luck and quality of service has ended.

My background includes Cisco Router programming (along the lines of a CCNA if I decided to take the tests) and I have various high end routers and other networking components in a personal lab. I'm asking for nothing more than a product that WORKS as advertised and expected.

After contacting TRENDnet again today I am told a NEW Level 3 tech will contact me in 24 hours. I'm not holding my breath!

My suggestion is to avoid TRENDnet products until they regain quality control, firmware development, and responsible (actionable) customer support.

Manufacturer Response:

Hello SamS,

We are sorry to hear that you experienced issues with the TEW-812DRU. The beta firmware you were referencing has been updated and a release version is available for download on our website. We thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback and will look into the issues you are having with the unit. We may not be able to recreate some of the issues you are experiencing if it is a hardware issue with the specific unit you have. We can provide RMA services and test these features on a replacement unit to ensure that it is in working order before replacing it. Please email adrian@trendnet.com and we will have someone assist you as soon as possible. Please include a link to this review.


Regards,

Adrian
TRENDnet Support
http://www.trendnet.com/support