Review on TRENDnet Wireless AC1200 Bridge TEW 800MB by Kev See

Used as a media bridge between an Asus RT-AC68U router and four wired clients, one of which is an HTPC. It replaced the TEW-680MB, so comparing the two is natural. What I like: This pair is fast on ac: connection bitrate is stable at 866 Mbps. Windows reports high file transfer rates between the server and HTCP of 60 to 70 MB/s. It does an excellent job as a bridge between Media Server and Media Center. What I don't like: 1. Compared to TEW-680MB, TRENDnet saved on a few corners: a. Less user friendly interface. Less information available. b. The front LEDs do not show the wire link speed (100 or 1000). TEW-680MB has different colors - green for 100 and yellow for 1000. This is a step backwards. in. ALL LEDs ARE TOO BRIGHT GREEN. Maybe TRENDnet's engineers didn't know that the human eye is most sensitive in the green part of the spectrum, or maybe it was TRENDnet's cheapest solution. In any case, it was a poor choice: this device is intended to act as a bridge between the file server and the media center, so it's not hard to guess that it'll be next to the TV, and the bright LEDs will be distracting. Those bright LEDs will have you masking them with translucent tape or hiding the device somewhere, maybe not the best spot for reception. e) The wireless LED is the same color as all other LEDs (blue for TEW-680MB). Also a step back.2. Installation required interaction with TRENDnet Technical Support. Who knows why, but out of the box the device required two hard resets before it was recognized by the PC via a wired connection. I don't think the support engineers didn't understand that either.3. There are some oddities with the firmware. For example, after a reset, the system time always starts on January 1st, 2012 and cannot be changed (verified by TRENDnet Technical Support). Do I recommend it: If you are not confused by points 1-3 above - buy it, it's a good price. If not, wait for the next model.