Product Reviews

If you're used to wireless networking at home, it stands to reason that you'd like to use it when you're travelling as well. The OfficeConnect Wireless 54Mbps 11g Travel Router is designed to help you do that by meeting the needs of any traveller.

It uses 802.11g 54Mbit/s wireless and has a single Ethernet port, so it can act as a wireless router or access point. It can also act as a client, converting any standard wired device into a wireless one.

A switch on the side changes the mode. Unfortunately it's numbered only, so you'll need to have the manual as a reference to select the mode

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you want correctly.

The first mode you'll need is its configuration mode, where you can connect to the Travel Router's web interface via the wired or wireless interfaces. Rather basic in appearance, it lets you configure the settings for each mode, such as the wireless network name in router mode.

The DHCP server is used to dish out IP addresses to wireless clients. This can be turned on or off, so there is little configuration to confuse a novice. For client mode you can create different profiles for different networks. It's not as easy to use as the Windows XP client - which displays a list of wireless networks you can connect to - as you have to enter all the network details manually.

We tested the router at 10.95Mbit/s, which isn't particularly fast. The lack of an aerial is likely to affect reception, although transfer speeds are still fast enough for standard web browsing.

This is a clever product, but the basic web management and lack of clear labelling on the mode button detract from its desirability. While the price is good, Apple's AirPort Express (£89) is a much better pocket-sized router, and it can also be used to stream music from iTunes.