Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router

The whole idea of a travel router is to let road warriors set up a wireless network in a hotel room, conference room, or remote office as easily as possible. The Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router does that with an all-in-one solution that plugs directly into an outlet and offers one-touch security. The best part is that this device offers performance on par with home routers.

Once you pop out the power connector on the Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router, you simply plug the device into a power outlet and connect your Internet source (cable, DSL modem, or the Ethernet connection in a hotel). Within five minutes you'll be surfing the Web wirelessly, thanks to a pleasantly streamlined setup wizard.

Because this device supports AfterBurner speed boosting technology, you can expect a constant 33 Mbps when you're in the same room, and a respectable 15 Mbps from 50 feet. Amazingly, in our tests the router kept chugging along fine even from 500 feet and slightly beyond. The Linksys' speed and range was much higher than the Belkin Wireless-G Travel Router.

Thanks to SecureEasySetup (SES) technology, you can enable security with the touch of a button on the router and a click of the mouse. However, you'll need a PC Card adapter that supports SES, such as the Linksys WPC54G version 3 ($59). The SES button on the compact router is easy to find and blinks quickly as it searches for compatible devices.

At $99, the Linksys Wireless-G Travel Router is $20 more expensive than the Belkin router we tested, but its superior performance, the fact that you don't have to bring an extra power cable, and its quick setup makes this a traveler's dream.