Who it's for:
Hotspot denizens who'd like to share their connection or unwire their hotel room.
Why they'll like it:
The Linksys Travel Router is the first (and only) travel router to allow sharing of paid hotspot connections, allowing people who travel together to cut down on separate use fees. They can bring their whole team (or family!) to a cafe for a working meal. Even better, the router doubles as a Wi-Fi adapter, and can be used at home to extend the range of a regular router into those pesky dead spots.
Who it's for:
Wi-Fi first-timers and pros alike who want the latest and greatest, together with Apple-like ease-of-use.
Why they'll like it:
No one makes Wi-Fi easier than Belkin, and the N1 is Belkin's fastest offering, with a draft-802.11n chipset rated at up to 300Mbps, and whole-house range. It's pricey, but worth the extra cost for ease-of-use and probable future 802.11n capability. The features are top-notch too, with WPA/WPA Enterprise support and RADIUS authentication. Be sure to buy the matching N1 card for best performance.
Who it's for:
Wi-Fi newcomers who want a friendly, fast and future-proof card.
Why they'll like it:
If you buy the Belkin N1 router (or even if you don't), the N1 Notebook Card is a great adapter for both hotspots and home networks alike. You'll only get that 300Mbps draft-802.11n speed if you have a matching router, but even with a plain 802.11g router, you'll get extended range and a small performance bump.
Who it's for:
Wi-Fi lovers with a need for speed.
Why they'll like it:
If they want to stream video around the house, backup computers to network drives, or other bandwidth-hogging pursuits, they need a high-speed router. The WRT350N also boasts draft-802.11n 300Mbps performance, a gigabit switch for top-notch wired connections, and a port that turns any USB hard disk into a network drive.
Who it's for:
Road warriors and iTunes fans on either Macs or PCs.
Why they'll like it:
Apple's AirPort Express marries an easy-to-configure, travel-ready 802.11g Wi-Fi router with an iTunes audio receiver, which lets you stream music to it from any iTunes equipped Mac or PC on your home network. High-end audio buffs will also appreciate the Express' fiber-optic digital output for extreme fidelity when used with high-end home audio gear.
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