Tenda F3 N300 Wireless Router Review
PROS
Inexpensive.
Easy to install.
Three LAN ports.
Robust management settings.
CONS
Old, single-band technology.
Middling throughput.
The latest crop of wireless routers offers high-speed data rates, multiple radio bands, and revolutionary signal-processing technologies, such as Beamforming and Multi-User Multiple Input, Multiple Out (MU-MIMO) data streaming. But not everyone cares about those technologies, so not everyone will need the latest model. Enter the Tenda F3 N300 Wireless Router ($29.99). The F3 is a single-band 802.11n router that is easy to install and configure, with three wired LAN ports and lots of management settings. Its throughput will hardly wow you, but if you maintain a simple one- or two-client home Wi-Fi network, and you don't stream a lot of online videos, play a lot of online games, or transfer large chunks of data between clients, the Tenda F3 N300 is an amazing bargain—and our new Editors' Choice for budget wireless routers.

Design and Features
The F3($18.99 at Amazon) uses a 300Hz Broadcom MIPS 74K System on a Chip (SoC) processor that enables 802.11n wireless networking over the 2.4GHz band, with a maximum (theoretical) throughput speed of 300Mbps. You don't get a second 5GHz band at this price, nor do you get the faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi technology and the accompanying Beamforming and MU-MIMO technologies.

At 1.1 by 7.3 by 4.7 inches (HWD), the F3 is relatively small, at least when compared with a full-featured, dual-band model like the Asus RT-AC88U Dual-Band Router ($249.99 at Amazon) , which measures 3.3 by 11.8 by 7.4 inches. It has a white finish, three removable, adjustable antennas, and eight LED status indicators for System (i.e., Power), Wi-Fi, each of the three LAN ports, Transmit, WAN (Internet), and Wireless Protected Setup (WPS). Around back are three LAN ports, a WAN port, and a WPS/Reset button, but this router lacks USB ports. Moreover, the LAN ports are Fast Ethernet (10/100) ports, rather than the faster Gigabit Ethernet (10/100/1000) ports.

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