Router Mode

The setup of the TEW-654TR depends on the mode you want t use it in. As mentioned just before, there are three available and easily switchable modes. We will talk about them in order here.

RT (Router); this is a typical router mode here. You move the switch on the bottom to RT and then plug the TEW-654TR into your cable or (A)DSL modem into the RJ-45 port on the back.

Once you are connected you can then log onto the TEW-654TRs web configuration page by connecting to the TRENDnet654 wireless network. This will be unsecured when you first connect, but not to worry as in a few short steps you will have a secure wireless device.

After you are connected and have received an IP address, you can connect and configure your TEW-654TR by typing in http://tew-654tr (or the default IP address 192.168.10.1) into your favorite flavor of web browser.

After you type in the default user name and password (they can be found in the quick start guide and manual) you will see the main status screen. From here you can setup your TEW-654TR manually or choose to run the Wizard to get things going quickly and easily.

The one thing that you will need to do after you are done with the seven steps of the Wizard is to go back in and setup wireless security.

From there the TEW-654 has a few good firewall options, including ones that you would normally only find on larger home routers.

One option that is missing is the ability to use this to connect to a hotspot and still sit behind a firewall. This would allow you to have isolation and firewall protection when connected to an open (and unsecure) public WiFi AP. It would, in effect, create your own private and secure hotspot. Unfortunately (as of this writing) it is not a feature that is available on the TEW-654TR. After speaking with TRENDnet they have said it is something they are interested in working on but could not make any comment as to when (or if) it might show up on the TEW-654TR in a later firmware.