INTRODUCTION

   Whenever i happen to be working on a new router model and i mention it to friends and/or family members there's always at least one person who asks why routers even exist since the modem/routers provided by each Internet Service Provider (ISP) works fine and is more than enough to cover their needs. Well there are two reasons as to why routers are important, first of all the modems or modem/routers provided by ISPs are usually "naked" models that lack several key features and in some cases even components found in their full-fledged brothers. You see when an ISP approaches (or vice versa) an network solutions manufacturer like Huawei, Pirelli and/or ZTE (the three most common ones used by ISPs where i live) striking a good deal (low cost) is the primary goal so what manufacturers usually do is give a regular modem/router to the ISPs but with severely reduced capabilities both in terms of available software and hardware features (these have to do with everything from WiFi, VPN and Security settings up to even available USB and LAN ports). This of course is understandable to a point since many home users may never have real need for a high-end model featuring WiFi AC (802.11ac), USB 3.0 ports and Gigabit Ethernet LAN ports so even a basic unit will do just fine. For more demanding users however even these two hardware features are extremely important (and that's leaving out all the missing software features). So why not just grab a high-end modem/router and be done with it? Well for most households this is actually the optimal choice but if you want to connect multiple local networks together (even on different domains) and provide internet to many more wired and wireless devices turning towards a standalone WiFi router is always a good idea. Roughly 18 months ago TRENDnet released the TEW-827DRU AC2600 StreamBoost MU-MIMO WiFi Router and today finally it's under our "microscope".

   TRENDnet is a global provider of award-winning networking and surveillance solutions to small and medium-sized business and home users. Building networking solutions since 1990, TRENDnet enables users to share broadband access, multimedia content and networked peripherals for true anywhere connectivity. TRENDnet's diverse product portfolio includes Wireless, Internet Cameras (IP Cameras), Switches, Power over Ethernet (PoE), Fiber, Gigabit, Home Automation, Network Video Recorders (NVR), Keyboard/Video/Mouse (KVM), Print Servers, Powerline, NAS Media Servers, Multimedia Accessories, and more. To learn more about TRENDnet, please visit www.trendnet.com.

   Under the hood of the TRENDnet TEW-827DRU we find the Qualcomm IPQ8064 quad-core network processor (combination of the dual-core Krait CPU @ 1.4GHz and a dual-core 730MHz network subsystem), 512MB RAM, 128MB flash memory, QCA8337 switch and two QCA9980 Wave-2 802.11ac dual-band 4x4 radios (quad-stream). In terms of features the TEW-827DRU supports several performance technologies such as MU-MIMO (multiuser, multiple input, multiple output standard for increased bandwidth efficiency), beamforming (directional signal transmission) and StreamBoost (traffic shaping). Once again although the TEW-827DRU is reported as an AC2600 WiFi router in reality it features simultaneous broadcast of two bands and thus can reach theoretical speeds of 800Mbps on the 2.4GHz (N) band and up to 1733Mbps on the 5GHz (AC) band (both total to 2533Mbps). As for available connectors the TEW-827DRU features two USB 3.0 ports, 4 RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet ports and a single RJ45 Gigabit WAN port.