CONCLUSION

   Modem/Routers using the latest 802.11ac standard offer a real step up compared to the previous generation 802.11n models but unfortunately not all are created equal so as you can clearly see from our charts the TEW-818DRU is really no match for the R7000 Nighthawk by Netgear and the WRT1900AC by Linksys (all three are AC1900 compatible ones). Now i don't know if that is due to the internal antennas used or because of the low amount of RAM and flash memory TRENDnet decided to equip it with but whichever is responsible (or both) i think that they can do a lot better (their latest AC3200 seems to resolve these issues). Once again we did like the web interface since it’s very easy to use and offers a plethora of available settings (more than enough for most people) but personally i think that TRENDnet should squeeze a few more settings under the basic tab since i feel that it's very limited. An notification feature in case a new firmware update is available (much like the one Netgear offers) would be a good addition as well although i don't think it's really very hard for people to check the downloads page every once in a while.

   Retailing at a price of USD139.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and for 175.63Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the TEW-818DRU AC1900 Dual Band Router by TRENDnet may not be the fastest model in the market but it's priced roughly 25% less compared to the Netgear R7000 and 45% less compared to the WRT1900AC by Linksys inside the USA. Things inside the EU are not as good since the Netgear R7000 is actually cheaper (almost 10%) and thus is a better choice overall but the Linksys WRT1900AC is still more expensive (almost 25%). Of course if you're after the best possible wireless performance and available features chances are you will be after one of the latest AC3200 models. However if price is a concern unless you are in a position to get the faster and more solid R7000 Nighthawk by Netgear (for less) then the TEW-818DRU by TRENDnet is a very good choice since it offers a good price/performance ratio and that's why it gets our Golden Award.

PROS

- Overall Quality
- Size
- AC1900 Technology (Concurrent 802.11n & 802.11ac)
- User Friendly Web Interface
- Good Set Of Features
- Supports TurboQAM/DD-WRT (Open Source OS)
- 4 Gigabit Ethernet Ports
- 2 USB Ports (USB 3.0 & USB 2.0)
- Price (USA)

CONS

- Price (EU)