Cheap hardware/cheaper software
Written: Dec 26 '03 (Updated Jan 03 '04)
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Pros: An affordable WiFi 802.11g solution.
Cons: Terrible hardware, terrible setup software.
The Bottom Line: Look elsewhere for a 802.11g product. Though a cheap price tag, the Dell TrueMobile Router is just not worth it.
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| stlmom's Full Review: Dell TrueMobile 2300 Wireless Broadband Router (TM... |
PURCHASING EXPERIENCE
I purchased the Dell TrueMobile 2300 (802.11g/b) Wireless Broadband Router with an Inspiron 5100 laptop for my parents in December of 2003. Dell's purchasing system makes it easy to add additional peripherals. In addition, Dell's products are usually pretty good so I tossed this in thinking that $89 was a pretty good deal for a WiFi 802.11g/b.
ARRIVAL AND INSPECTION OF PRODUCT
SInce I hadn't ordered from Dell in a while, I was pleasantly surprised that my shipment arrived within three days of ordering. The packaging seemed to adequately protect the router. BUt when I opened it up and really inspected it, I was utterly embarrassed that I was giving this out as a gift. (Personally, I have a Microsoft Broadband router. I've set up a Linksys router for a friend, and set up a Dlink router for another friend. So, I do have some good points of reference with respect to routers.) When I opened up the package on the Dell TrueMobile, the plastic on the router felt thin and cheap. For what it is (ie, no print server), it's fairly large in size. (It is at least twice as big as my Microsoft router.) Also, it did not include a stand, if you wanted to set it up vertically. There was also no bracket for mounting. Aesthetically, it was very ugly in comparison to the other routers I've worked with.
SETUP
Where it got worse was the setup. The setup was by far less intuitive than other routers. The CD installs software needed to setup the router on your PC. The application looks and feels terrible. It looks like it was created by someone just out of a C++ course. Some features are made extremely difficult to use. For instance, there's a check box to allow remote administration of the router. If you check it on, it prompts for an IP address. How are you supposed to know what IP address to put in there? There is no further instruction or help. Other routers have a much easier interface. The second part of the setup that is confusing is that the setup application launches a set of HTMLs on the router for administration of "advanced" features. The HTMLs include features that can be setup in the PC application, but the settings do not match up. I found that my WEP code was 13 characters on the setup program, but only 5 characters on the HTML program. I did not understand why the settings were displayed differently through these two interfaces.
OTHER PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
Another difficulty I had was after a power outage, I needed to re-connect the router with the DSL modem. There was no one button that just reconnected the router. Instead, you have to go from the setup program to the "advanced" menus, and click save and restart. This function should be much easier to access than the way Dell has designed it.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT
Overall, spend $10 more and get a LinkSys or Dlink product. You'll be much happier with it.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 89
Driver Availability: Windows only
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Epinions.com ID:
stlmom
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Location: St. Louis, MO
Reviews written: 89
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"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." Martin Luther King, Jr.
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