Router manufacturers are jumping on wireless 3G, including the new BiPAC 7402 X Series from Billion. A new reason to throw away your telephone line?
If sharing your 3G connection around the house sounds like a good idea, this box will let you do it - you can plug a 3G USB modem straight in. Mind you at the sort of excess fees the carriers are charging, we'd be very, very careful about letting your flatmates go to town.
3G routers are all the rage with vendors like Billion, NetComm and Dlink right now. It's a great concept - ditch your telephone line and stop paying monthly rental fees. Though in reality most heavy users might find ADSL2+ a better option. Interestingly Billion seems to have this in mind, leaving an "Auto Failover" connection on the BiPAC 7402GX which switches from 3G to ADSL2+.
Why you'd be using 3G if you're already paying for ADLS2+ is a little less clear. Billion are pushing the idea of using the router as a way to share your connection while you're on the road, then plug into ADSL2+ when you're in the office (or at home). They say it's tested with Telstra, Optus, 3, BigPond, Vodafone, Optus and iBurst.
The two new 3G routers you should keep an eye out for:
- BiPAC 7402GX: $329, available now, with wireless 802.11g, IPSec VPN, a USB Port for 3G connectivity and Auto Failover between connection modes.
- BiPAC 7402X: $279, available April 25, supports IPSec VPN, USB Port for 3G and Auto Failover.
If you're considering 3G at home, keep an eye out for NetComm's upcoming 3G router with a telephone port for voice calls.