Going wireless is not a choice but a requirement nowadays. Getting a router can connect you the wide and open world of the internet, but doing so may not be enough. The router you bought may not be efficient to cover your home or convenient enough to be moved around. To answer such woes, Edimax comes with their small but formidable device, the N300 Multi-Function Wi-Fi Router. For the sake of easy writing and reading, we simply renamed it into the N300 Router as Edimax also has other N300-named products.
The Looks
For a multi-purpose wireless device, the N300 Router is compact and can be easily carried with one hand. Two 5dBi antennas are located at the rear end and are foldable for ease of packing and also for directing the wireless signals. Four LAN ports are located at the back together with the WAN port. The backside is also home to the power supply and reset button. On the otherhand, the bottom part showcases vents for heat management and grooves for wall mounting the device. One thing to take note of is the absence of a button or switch for the power. Once plugged in, the N300 Router automatically starts.
Getting Started
The N300 Router’s Administrative Menu
Simplicity radiates from the N300 Router and is also apparent when it comes to setting it up. The router can be configured into three modes: router, range extender, and access point. The router is the mode where-in all devices can tether to and directly connect to the internet. Range extender, as the name implies, extends the coverage of a present wireless signal. Access point is a mixture of a range extender and a router, extending a wireless signal whilst creating a unique ID for it.
Once connected to the computer, the N300 initiates the setup by opening the default browser. From there a series of clicks can easily setup the device. The package also comes with a CD but the ease of installation is enough for us to forego the contents.
With its ease of use, some features of the N300 Router are sacrificed and can be easily overlooked. The administrative login for the router is set at default username and password and the user is not given a prompt to change it, but it can be done manually.
Performance
To measure the performance, we took tests inside a typical two-story house. Evident is a more reaching wireless signal as compared to the usual 3dBi antenna. The N300’s two 5dBi antenna creates a continuous stream of signal all throughout our test area, diminishing only after a couple of solid stone walls. The router uses an 802.11 b/g/n standard and occupies only the 2.4 Ghz bandwidth. Suffice to say, that is enough for a typical household or small office setting that doesn’t require any large file transfers between hosts.
Conclusion
Size doesn’t matter, especially with Edimax’s N300 Multi-Function Router. Getting three modes in one package is practical and the coverage of the wireless signal is undoubtedly strong and wide. What made us grimace is the lack of box information and the very short LAN cable included. All in all, Even if it can be climaxed by some high-powered routers, the added functionality is undeniably useful especially for those looking to widen or upgrade their personal wireless infrastructure.
