Web Based Interface

One of the most important features of a router is its web based interface - the place where you go to control the firmware and important settings.

Once you login, you are greeted with the above screen - the status section of the admin section. It displays all the usual information you would expect with just one exception. It has a cable status section which displays LAN port connection status - a very handy feature. It automatically refreshes every three seconds.

On the WAN screen there is nothing spectacular that stands out and we have all the usual options we expected. We did note that there is no WAN configuration option selectable for Telstra Bigpond (for Aussies) which is a requirement for their cable broadband Internet service. Combine that with the 120 volt only AC power adapter and its clear this router was not designed for the Australian market.

On the LAN screen there is nothing that stands out, but again everything we need is there.

Now we move to the wireless section and this is where things start to heat up. The first shot above shows the vast amount of different wireless modes that you can choose.

As mentioned earlier in the review, here you can enable up to a total of four SSIDs which is a stunning feature. Most routers only allow a single SSID but TRENDnet excels here. In this shot you can also see the auto channel scan feature which first examines your area and selects a wireless channel with the least amount of radio interference.

Here we get a look at the advanced wireless settings area which is also very common from what we've seen before.

Now we move onto the all important wireless security section. You have a range of options available including WEP, WPA Enterprise and Personal and also WPA2 Enterprise and Personal using either AES or TKIP ciphers or mixed mode. Since there are multiple SSIDs to choose from, here you can adjust which SSIDs have what type of security and which do not. You can also control MAC address filtering from this area which is another very handy feature, but also common amongst almost all routers.

You also get another common yet handy feature on the TEW-672GR called De-militarized Zone (or DMZ for short) which removes a single connected client from being protected by the built-in firewall. This is handy for when running uncommon programs, file sharing or gaming.

Here we get a look at the port trigger section which allows you to forward certain ports, also handy for file sharing.

Finally, we get a look at the system management section.