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Throughput vs. Path Loss - Competitive Comparison - more

Figure 14 shows the 633GR's throughput advantage when running downlink in Auto 20/40 mode. Not only is throughput significantly higher than the next best product, the D-Link DGL-4500, but it stays high over a significant path loss range.

The other interesting thing in the plot is that the 633's virtual twin, the D-Link DIR-655, is at the bottom of the pack. But it should be noted that the DIR-655 has had four firmware revisions since the chart data was taken, with one of them (1.04) specifically noting "Enhanced wireless performance". I suspect that if the DIR-655 were rerun with the latest firmware, its performance might look more like the 633GR's.

Figure 14: Throughput vs. Path Loss product comparison - Downlink, 40MHz channel

The last plot, Figure 15, shows the price paid for the 633GR's high downlink performance. This time, it comes in at the bottom of the pack, significantly below the other products.

Figure 15: Throughput vs. Path Loss product comparison - 5 GHz, Uplink, 40MHz channel

Use the Wireless Charts to generate other comparisons.

Closing Thoughts

The TEW-633GR is essentially a lower-cost alternative to the D-Link DIR-655. But as I write this, Pricegrabber was showing a price range of $109 - $133 for the 633R, vs. $116 - $178 for the DIR-655. So the potential price savings isn't really that big.

If you're trying to decide between the two, the choice will come down to which company you feel more comfortable with: Trendnet or D-Link. Your past experience with either company will probably play a large part in your decision. But you might also consider the 633GR's 3 year warranty vs. the 655's 1 year.

Either way, you'll be getting a single-band draft 802.11n router with top routing and wireless performance and Ubicom's Streamengine auto-Qos. Which is a good deal any way you look at it.

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