After we featured this nano router last month we were contacted by Automated Home reader Ken Watt, urging us to look at the Asus WL-330N3G as an alternative.
Ken’s recommendation is a Wireless N 3G Mobile Router offering six different modes – Network adapter, access point, wireless router, repeater, Hotspot (Wi-Fi account sharing), 3G sharing modes. One of those “6-in-1” features in particular caught our eye – Wi-Fi account sharing.
In a nutshell you can use a single account for that Wi-Fi hotspot at your Hotel, Caravan Park, Airport or where ever, and use this device to create a sub-network onto which your entire family can connect (also via WiFi). Here are a couple of quotes from the Amazon Reviews for unit…
I bought this to use on a campsite in France that has pay wifi internet. The Asus can be easily set up to produce a subnetwork that you can link all your toys to -laptop, tablet, phones, kindle etc. Using the supplied network cable you log on to the the wifi hotspot, make your payment in a browser and then set up your sub net for your gadgets. You can then log on to the Asus wirelessly.
In situations where you’re signing up for hotel wi-fi you can pop this in the middle. Very simply the hotel. just sees this router as the attached device and you can connect your laptop, Vita, kindle, 3DS blah blah. Change hotel, you just sign via one device and all your other wifi stuff magically hops onto the connection. Device also accepts 3G dongles – e.g. I went to Portugal, hotel Wifi was extortionate, so I just went out and bought a Huawei USB dongle with a PAYG SIM. Dongle just connects to the Asus device and suddenly all my kit is online again.
The latest firmware also adds support for using more 3G dongles to provide Internet access to the unit.
All in all it looks like just the ticket for the Road Warrior.
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www.asus.com : Previous Gadgets of the Week
- Ultra-portability with Footprint Smaller Than a Credit Card
- Industry-leading 6-in-1 Multi-role Functionality: Router, Access Point, Universal Repeater, Ethernet Adapter, Hotspot, 3G Sharing
- Plug-n-Surf Installation with Graphic Management
- Easily powered via USB port
- Up to 98% faster connecting speed in 150Mbps configuration when compared to similar routers
Last update on 2024-11-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
One thing worth keeping on hand is a spare MAC address. I’ve noticed that some hotels recognize what you’re trying to do and will try and block you – you can get around the block by spoofing the MAC address with an address from something that isn’t a WL-330.