Originally Posted by
workandski
I have a really humiliating confession to make. Everyone was raving about the Edimax and how cute it is and I couldn't resist buying one. It has arrived and I still can't figure out what it does. I travel with a Clear hotspot that gives me wireless Internet wherever I travel in the U.S. I don't really expect anyone to try to explain the ins and outs of routers to me, but did I just buy a cute piece of plastic that is of no use to me? (If it wasn't against the rules of CC, I'd offer to give a couple of club passes to someone who would try to help me understand how to stay connected for a reasonable price when I travel outside the US.). I don't have the technical background to understand most of what appears here but I keep trying.
The Edimax router works when you don't have access to a wireless (as opposed to wifi) connection, but do have access to a wired connection. The best application is when you're in a hotel room with wired internet. The Edimax will connect to the hotel's LAN and then broadcast via wifi to multiple devices -- you only pay for one connection, but can use your laptop, tablet and smartphone all at the same time. Or you can just connect your laptop via wifi, take it to the bed and work or watch streamed videos without being tethered by a wire to the desk.
There are other things you can do with it but, frankly, if you have a mobile hub and travel only in the US, you don't really need it.