Digi Connect WAN 3G: yet another portable HSDPA / EV-DO router

Yeah, we're starting to feel slightly bombarded with portable cellular routers, but we can't help but crack a smile each time one of these wonderful creations rolls into the commercial realm. Today, we've got Digi unveiling its new Digi Connect WAN 3G, which is hailed as an upgradeable 3G WWAN router for "primary and backup connectivity to remote sites and devices." Besides supporting both EV-DO and HSDPA standards, it also aims to provide "a fast and easy Ethernet-to-3G wireless connection" and even includes a built-in VPN. Sadly, no price is mentioned, but we're sure the folks at Digi wouldn't mind coughing up that information if you called up with the right tone of voice.

[SimonRichards @ Jan 30th 2008 1:03PM]

Very useful. Me like.

[Shane @ Jan 30th 2008 1:07PM]

This actually looks like something you might be able to TRUST putting at a remote unattended site, unlike the current crop of options...

I like the metal case and the industrial build quality. DIGI has a good reputation for their interface gear (serial to ethernet bridges, etc)

[Dave @ Jan 30th 2008 1:18PM]

Stick one of those badboys in my pocket so I can surf the web over 3G on an iPhone.

[john @ Jan 30th 2008 2:19PM]

Doesn't look like it has an internal battery.

Doesn't look like it has wifi (so, no, Dave, you wont be using it for 3G surfing with your iPhone). It just has ethernet.

Looks like the CradlePoint PHS is still the only viable entry into this market.

[Paul @ Jan 30th 2008 1:28PM]

it's around $800 on insight.com

[LoungeFly @ Jan 30th 2008 3:10PM]

Ouch ... i just use my Windows Mobile Phone as a Wifi 3G router using:

http://wmwifirouter.en.softonic.com/pocket

-Lounge

[heffeque @ Jan 30th 2008 3:55PM]

The difference is that that thing is HSDPA, so it's 3G and also 3.5G.

3G can do up to 385 Kbps while 3.5G can do up to 14.4 Mbps. Quite a difference there.

[thethirdmoose @ Jan 30th 2008 5:39PM]

AFAIK, HSDPA and EV-DO are about the same speed.

[heffeque @ Jan 30th 2008 8:04PM]

3G = UMTS, 3.5G = HSDPA/HSUPA.

EV-DO is "supposedly" 3G and can go up to 2.4 Mbps, though it still pails against the worldwide 3.5G standard.

[Elliot @ Jan 31st 2008 6:31AM]

My HTC TyYn does HSDPA and i pay £12.50/mo for 3GB bandwidth on T-Mobile
That hooked up with WMWiFiRouter (free for Windows Mobile devices) gets me about 1.8Mbits/sec from my laptop connected over wifi. A word of warning though, the software eats batteries for breakfast (~ 4hrs heavy use off of one battery)

[Skorpius @ Jan 30th 2008 4:18PM]

The beer tapper on the side is a welcome feature.

[LoungeFly @ Jan 30th 2008 4:54PM]

My phone is HSPDA so all good there! :)