OVERALL
ALTERNATIVES
SPECS
VS AVERAGE
REVIEWS
Scored using Routers Methodology v3.0
Routers Methodology v3.0
Mathematical & Unbiased Scoring
Products in this category are scored under Frontum Routers Methodology v3.0: the technical score from the specifications is the base, and independent expert and video reviews (up to ±0.5 points), owner opinions (up to ±0.3) and best-of lists (up to +0.3) move it up or down.
Explore Routers Methodology v3.0

TRENDnet TEW-656BRG review: 77 specs compared

Avg. price:~£25Wi-Fi version:Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)Wi-Fi speed:150 MbpsLAN port speeds:N/AMesh Wi-Fi:no

TRENDnet TEW-656BRG Review: Compare 77 technical specifications to see how this product ranks in the Routers category and whether it is worth buying.

TRENDnet TEW-656BRG
6.7/10

Overall score

Score
6.7/ 10
✕
What it is
Our main score for this model, 1–10. It combines specs, expert reviews, best-of lists and owners.
How we count it
Parts: Technical score 40%, Reviews score 25%, List score 25%, Sentiment score 10%
Marks: Each part gets a mark out of 10. For reviews, lists and owners, a typical model in this category gets about 8 and the best one gets 10.
No data yet: A part with no data shows "?". It counts as the mark of a weaker model in this category (4 in 5 models with data score higher). This way, models with reviews, lists and owners usually come out ahead.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 88% of models
Score components

40%

5.5

Technical score

25%

?

Reviews scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.7, the mark of a weaker model in this category

25%

?

List scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 7.5, the mark of a weaker model in this category

10%

?

Sentiment scoreNot enough data yet, so we use 6.9, the mark of a weaker model in this category

â–¼Worse than 88% of routers
7.7

Value for money

Value for money
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 88% of models
Score components

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

â–¼Worse than 88%
5.5

Technical score

Technical score
5.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components

26%

4.6

Wireless

20%

3.7

Ports

18%

7.1

Networking

14%

7.3

Security

12%

6.5

Hardware

10%

5.2

Management

â–¼Worse than 99%
?

Reviews score

Reviews score
✕
What it is
Average grade from independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers, 1–10.
How we count it
Grades: Each review's own score is converted to 1–10; without one, we grade the review ourselves. Big test sites count more, short reviews half as much as full tests. A video review counts half.
Score: The average grade is 80% of the review mark; the number of reviews is the other 20% (1 review = 5, the typical number in this category = 8, the most-reviewed model = 10).
Enough data: With few reviews, the average grade is pulled toward the typical grade of this category. No reviews yet: 7.7 for now.
Share: Reviews count 25% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
Grades by review (0)
We have not found an independent test of this model yet. Until we do, its review part counts as 7.7.
User ratings collected online are not part of this score.
No expert tests yet
?

List score

List score
7.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How often independent test sites, magazines and video reviewers put this model in their best-of lists for this category.
How we count it
Points: The model in the most lists of this category gets 10; the others get 8 to 10 in proportion. In no list yet: 7.5. Lists count 25% of the overall score.
Enough data: Every list counts, even a single one. With fewer than 5 best-of lists in the category, this part is left out.
Lists with this model (0)
Not in any best-of list yet, so this part counts as 7.5. Models in a list get 8 to 10.
Not in any best-of list yet
  • trendnet-tew-656brg
trendnet-tew-656brg
Where to buy
    N/A~ £25
Best rankings
Available: ranking among products currently available (including other versions of this product).All: ranking among all products in the database.
Loading category ranking...

Technical Specifications of router TRENDnet TEW-656BRG

Technical score
Technical score
5.5/ 10
✕
What it is
How good the specs are compared with the other models in this category, 1–10.
How we count it
Areas: We rate the specs in each area against the other models in this category.
Weighting: The areas that matter most to buyers count more. The shares are shown under Score components.
Share: The technical score is 40% of the overall score.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 99% of models
Score components:

26%

4.6

Wireless

20%

3.7

Ports

18%

7.1

Networking

14%

7.3

Security

12%

6.5

Hardware

10%

5.2

Management

5.5
Reviews score
7.7
List score
?
Value for money
Value for money
7.7/ 10
✕
What it is
An indicator that combines the router's overall rating with its cost.
When it matters
When you are looking for a router with a good balance between network performance, features, and price.
Score distribution
â–¼
<55-66-77-88-99-10
â–¼ Worse than 88% of models
Score components:

70%

6.7

Overall score

30%

10

Price

7.7
Brand name
TRENDnet
Wi-Fi version
Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
This router uses Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n), which is less advanced than 65% of routers and equal to 32.7% of routers.
Wi-Fi bands
2.4 GHz
This router supports 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi bands, which are less versatile than 76% of routers and equal to 21.6% of routers.
Wi-Fi speed
150 Mbps
Market range: <0 Mbps – >6k Mbps
This router delivers 150 Mbps Wi-Fi speed, which is lower than 93.2% of routers and equal to 5.6% of routers.
Channel widths supported
20 MHz + 40 MHz
This router supports 20 MHz + 40 MHz channel width options, which is fewer than 63.7% of routers and the same as 31.2% of routers.
Show more
Wi-Fi security protocols
WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS
This router supports WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS Wi-Fi security protocols, which are less advanced than 69.1% of routers and equal to 9.4% of routers.
DoS protection
yes
This router includes DoS protection. 9.8% of routers include DoS protection.
SPI intrusion protection
yes
This router includes SPI-based intrusion protection. 4.7% of routers include SPI-based intrusion protection.
MAC address filtering
yes
This router supports MAC address filtering. 1.7% of routers include MAC address filtering.
URL filter
yes
This router supports URL filtering. 2.6% of routers include URL filtering.
Show more
IPv6 support
no
This router does not support IPv6. 91.4% of routers are IPv6-ready.
Dynamic routing
yes
This router supports dynamic routing. 54% of routers support dynamic routing.
Inter-VLAN routing
no
This router does not support inter-VLAN routing. 24.5% of routers support inter-VLAN routing.
VLAN tagging
no
This router does not support VLAN tagging. 66.6% of routers include VLAN tagging.
QoS
yes
This router includes QoS controls. 2.4% of routers include QoS controls.
Show more
N. of LAN ports
0
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 0 LAN ports, which is fewer than 98.3% of routers and the same as 1.7% of routers.
LAN port speeds
N/A
N. of WAN ports
0
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 0 WAN ports, which is fewer than 99.4% of routers and the same as 0.6% of routers.
N. of USB ports
1
Market range: <0 – >5
This router has 1 USB ports, which is more than 40.1% of routers and the same as 41.5% of routers.
Power over Ethernet (PoE)
no
This router does not support Power over Ethernet (PoE). 1.7% of routers can be powered over Ethernet.
Show more
Management interface
Web UI
This router uses Web UI for management, which is less advanced than 78.5% of routers and equal to 21.2% of routers.
Firmware upgrade method
Web UI
This router supports Web UI firmware update methods, which are less convenient than 75.5% of routers and equal to 23.9% of routers.
Traffic monitoring
no
This router does not include traffic monitoring. 86.3% of routers include traffic monitoring.
Guest Wi-Fi network
yes
This router offers a guest Wi‑Fi network. 7.3% of routers offer a guest Wi‑Fi network.
Captive portal
no
This router does not offer captive portal features. 22.4% of routers offer captive portal features.
Show more
CPU clock speed
?
RAM capacity
?
Internal storage
?
Hardware acceleration
no
This router does not offer hardware acceleration. 75.3% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
N. of external antennas
0
Market range: <0 – >10
This router has 0 external antennas, which is fewer than 62.7% of routers and the same as 37.3% of routers.
Show more

TRENDnet TEW-656BRG vs the average router

246810TotalWirelessSecurityNetworkingPortsManagementHardware
  • 6.35 W lower power consumption
    This router uses less power than the average router (1.8 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    1.75 W vs 8.1 W
  • Supports dynamic routing
    This router supports dynamic routing, while the average router does not. 46.1% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Newer cellular modem
    This router uses a 3G cellular modem, while the average router uses none (external modem required).
    3G vs none (external modem required)
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • 3.8x cheaper
    TRENDnet TEW-656BRG is cheaper than the average router (£25 vs £95).
    £25 vs £95
  • 2 more internal antennas
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (2 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    2 vs 0
  • 34.5 mm thinner design
    This router is thinner than the average router (19.5 mm vs 54 mm). The average router is 54 mm thick.
    19.5 mm vs 54 mm
  • 100 mm narrower width
    This router is narrower than the average router (93 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    93 mm vs 193 mm
  • 3.8x cheaper
    TRENDnet TEW-656BRG is cheaper than the average router (£25 vs £95).
    £25 vs £95
  • Stronger Wi-Fi security
    This router supports the Wi-Fi security protocols WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS, while the average router supports WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP.
    WPA2, WPA, WEP, WPS vs WPA2, WPA/WPA2, WEP
  • Supports dynamic routing
    This router supports dynamic routing, while the average router does not. 46.1% of routers support dynamic routing.
  • Newer cellular modem
    This router uses a 3G cellular modem, while the average router uses none (external modem required).
    3G vs none (external modem required)
  • 6.35 W lower power consumption
    This router uses less power than the average router (1.8 W vs 8.1 W). The average router uses 8.1 W power.
    1.75 W vs 8.1 W
  • 2 more internal antennas
    This router has more internal antennas than the average router (2 vs 0). The average router has 0 internal antennas.
    2 vs 0
  • 85.3% lighter weight
    This router is lighter than the average router (66 g vs 450 g). The average router weighs 450 g.
    66 g vs 450 g
  • 34.5 mm thinner design
    This router is thinner than the average router (19.5 mm vs 54 mm). The average router is 54 mm thick.
    19.5 mm vs 54 mm
  • 100 mm narrower width
    This router is narrower than the average router (93 mm vs 193 mm). The average router is 193 mm wide.
    93 mm vs 193 mm
  • 31.9 mm lower height
    This router is shorter than the average router (19.5 mm vs 51.4 mm). The average router is 51.4 mm tall.
    19.5 mm vs 51.4 mm
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • 4 fewer LAN ports
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (0 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    0 vs 4
  • 91.4% slower Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (150 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    150 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    This router uses an older Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • No VLAN tagging
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 66.5% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • Fewer Wi-Fi bands
    This router supports fewer Wi-Fi bands than the average router (2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz). The average router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
    2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
  • No IPv6 support
    This router does not support IPv6, while the average router does. 91.2% of routers support IPv6.
  • No hardware acceleration
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 75.2% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • 5% worse value for money
    TRENDnet TEW-656BRG has worse value for money than the average router (7.69 vs 8.1).
    7.69 vs 8.08
  • Older Wi-Fi version
    This router uses an older Wi-Fi version than the average router (Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)). The average router uses Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).
    Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n) vs Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • 91.4% slower Wi-Fi speed
    This router has a lower Wi-Fi speed than the average router (150 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps). The average router reaches Wi-Fi speed of 1,750 Mbps.
    150 Mbps vs 1,750 Mbps
  • Fewer Wi-Fi bands
    This router supports fewer Wi-Fi bands than the average router (2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz). The average router supports 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz Wi-Fi bands.
    2.4 GHz vs 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
  • No MU-MIMO
    This router does not support MU-MIMO, while the average router does. 54% of routers support MU-MIMO.
  • 2 fewer spatial streams
    This router has fewer spatial streams than the average router (1 vs 3). The average router has 3 spatial streams.
    1 vs 3
  • Narrower channel widths
    This router has a lower supported channel width than the average router (20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz). The average router supports channel width of 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz.
    20 MHz + 40 MHz vs 20 MHz + 40 MHz + 80 MHz
  • No band steering
    This router does not support band steering, while the average router does. 57.6% of routers support band steering.
  • No beamforming
    This router does not support beamforming, while the average router does. 62.1% of routers support beamforming.
  • No VPN server support
    This router cannot act as a VPN server, while the average router can. 68.8% of routers can act as a VPN server.
  • No parental controls
    This router does not offer parental controls, while the average router does. 98.7% of routers offer parental controls.
  • No VLAN tagging
    This router does not support VLAN tagging, while the average router does. 66.5% of routers support VLAN tagging.
  • No IPv6 support
    This router does not support IPv6, while the average router does. 91.2% of routers support IPv6.
  • 4 fewer LAN ports
    This router has fewer LAN ports than the average router (0 vs 4). The average router has 4 LAN ports.
    0 vs 4
  • 1 fewer WAN ports
    This router has fewer WAN ports than the average router (0 vs 1). The average router has 1 WAN ports.
    0 vs 1
  • Limited firmware updates
    This router supports the firmware update methods Web UI, while the average router supports Web UI, App, Automatic.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App, Automatic
  • Weaker management tools
    This router uses the management interface Web UI, while the average router uses Web UI, App.
    Web UI vs Web UI, App
  • No traffic monitoring
    This router does not offer traffic monitoring, while the average router does. 86.1% of routers offer traffic monitoring.
  • No DLNA support
    This router does not support DLNA, while the average router does. 50.4% of routers support DLNA.
  • Less capable NAS services
    This router includes none NAS services, while the average router includes SMB, media server.
    none vs SMB, media server
  • No hardware acceleration
    This router does not offer hardware acceleration, while the average router does. 75.2% of routers offer hardware acceleration.
  • 2 fewer external antennas
    This router has fewer external antennas than the average router (0 vs 2). The average router has 2 external antennas.
    0 vs 2
  • 8 years older release date
    This router is an older model than the average router (2011 vs 2019). The average router release year is 2019.
    January 2011
    2011 vs 2019

Third-party reviews

What customers like about TRENDnet TEW-656BRG

  • Extremely compact and lightweight design, making it highly portable for travel
  • Can be powered directly via a laptop's USB ports, removing the need for a power outlet
  • Features a built-in hanging hook to conveniently attach the router to a laptop screen
  • Broad compatibility with USB modems from major mobile providers for sharing 3G/3.75G connections
  • Includes useful advanced networking features like QoS, SPI intrusion protection, and URL filtering

What customers don't like about TRENDnet TEW-656BRG

  • Limited maximum Wi-Fi speed of only 150 Mbps, which is slow compared to modern standards
  • Lacks external antennas, which can result in weaker signal strength and reduced range
  • No support for newer Wi-Fi standards like Wi-Fi 5 or Wi-Fi 6; restricted to Wi-Fi 4 (802.11n)
  • Missing modern security and management features such as DoS protection and parental controls
  • The product has been discontinued, which may impact long-term support and firmware updates

Verdict

The TRENDnet TEW-656BRG is an ultra-portable N150 wireless router designed to share a 3G or 3.75G mobile internet connection via its single USB 2.0 port. Key specifications include support for IEEE 802.11n/g/b standards with data rates up to 150Mbps, a lightweight 66g (2.3 oz) build, and a compact 93 x 65 x 19.5 mm frame. Its main advantages are the ability to be powered directly from a laptop’s USB ports, one-touch WPS connectivity, and a built-in hook for mounting on a laptop screen. However, it is limited to legacy Wi-Fi 4 technology on a single 2.4GHz band, lacks physical LAN ports for wired devices, and its internet speed is capped by older 3G mobile network standards.

Compare TRENDnet TEW-656BRG with other routers

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