One of the biggest dangers of travel can be found in a quiet cafe while you are enjoying an exotic coffee. Most of us today are looking for wi-fi spots everywhere we travel, some cities provide them on city streets, hotels now provide it in their hotel rooms free of charge, and many of us seek out spots at local establishments during our trips. In the pit of my stomach, I always think “just how secure is this network that I’m connecting to?” Recently I was approached by the team at Netgear to try their [amazon_textlink asin=’B00I4UQ0AC|B00L0YLRUW’ text=’Netgear Trek N300 Travel Router’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’ddtravelgear-20|ddtravelgearca-20′ marketplace=’US|CA’ link_id=’5be401c5-bb7f-11e8-903a-ab1c3375c0a2′] and Range Extender, and I have to admit at first I had no idea what this little device was but was thrilled to learn about its many features.

Netgear Trek N300 Travel Router and Range Extender

What is a Netgear Trek N300 Travel Router and Range Extender?

After speaking with a few of my more technically advanced friends, I realized quickly the many benefits of this Netgear Trek N300 Travel Router and Range Extender. Some of these uses will benefit you while you travel and others are great for use in your home.

Travel Benefits of the Netgear Trek N300

• Create your own secure network when using public WiFi hotspots
• Boost weak public WiFi signals
• Charge your device while using the device
• Share one internet connection (securely) with multiple devices
• Turn a wired internet connection into a secure WiFi hotspot

Home Use Benefits of the Netgear Trek N300

• Boost your home WiFi network with N300 speed
• Create a secure WiFi spot at home through your home internet

Testing the Netgear Trek N300 on the road

How to Set Up the Netgear Trek N300 Travel Router and Range Extender

I created a secure network in my hotel room during a recent trip. Set up with the Netgear Trek N300 Travel Router and Range Extender was extremely easy.

1. Switched the switch on the device to Wireless.
2. Turned the antenna up and plugged in the device.
3. Look for the network on my iPad “Netgear Device” (the name of the network or SSID is on the sticker on the side of the unit).
4. Enter the password for the network (also located on the sticker on the side of the unit).
5. Once the network is established you just have to open your browser. This will open the Netgear Genie Application Dashboard.
6. On the dashboard you will see all the available networks. I chose the hotel’s WiFi network and then the apply button. A warning window appeared “Attention you may need one more action to connect to the internet.” Again I clicked the green “Take me to the Internet” button. The extra step is the hotel’s confirmation page. I just had to enter the information they gave me and I was all set up with my own secure network.

That’s it! Just like that I had a secure connection inside my hotel room. I found the device really convenient in the hotel, however when I was on the run throughout the day, I often didn’t have time or capability to find outlets to plug it in. In cafes and on city streets with WiFi this option was not optimal because it is plug-in. If there was a battery in the unit so I could do this while on the go it would have been more ideal. I was often afraid I was going to forget the unit in the public places I was in, vs the hotel where I could display it where I would see it.

What I Liked About the Netgear Trek

• Ability to set up a secure network in hotel room
• Very easy to set up
• Portable and compact
• The range extender in the hotel allowed me to take my iPad outside and use the WiFi outside my room.

What I didn’t like about the Netgear Trek

• The unit slips out of the power outlet too easily
• The unit takes up the entire power outlet
• Can’t always find a power outlet in public spots (no battery reserve)
• When on the run and I only have a few minutes to connect I found all the steps took too much time. Mainly used inside the hotel.

Conclusion: Netgear Trek N300 A New Travel Favourite

I loved the functionality of the Trek N300 in my hotel room. Especially being able to go outside my room and still connect the WiFi to my devices. Having a secure connection on the road is a really great feature and gives you the peace of mind that your devices and information on them are secure from unwanted eyes. I would love to see this unit with a battery for those moments when I didn’t have an outlet to plug into vs. draining the power in my devices with the USB connector.

I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample unit from Netgear for review purposes only. The opinions are completely my own based on my experience.