Techie road warriors tend to travel with lots of gadgets, but one item has eluded their carry-on size requirements: the wireless router. Previously, going untethered in a broadband-enabled hotel room or sharing the connection meant lugging along a full-size router. Not anymore. NetGear, SMC, and 3Com are each selling 802.11g-based wireless travel devices that, at about the size of a deck of cards and priced at $100 or less, are designed specifically for the mobile professional.

The products from NetGear and 3Com are nearly identical in size, though they differ a bit in features. Both can be configured as either a router (for sharing a broadband connection) or as a simple access point. Both contain an SPI (Stateful Packet Inspection) firewall, MAC access control, a list of attached stations, and VPN (IPsec and PPTP) pass-through—a must for corporate travelers. The SMC product is a somewhat different beast and can act only as an access point or bridge, with no routing capabilties.

In terms of security, all three support WEP encryption and SSID broadcast suppression. That means you should remain invisible to strangers seeking an AP. The SMC and 3Com devices support WPA as well.

Being forward-thinking early adopters, we'd like to see a wired Ethernet port built into the devices. Without one, those traveling with VoIP (Voice over IP) telephone adapters are out of luck. For the vast majority of road warriors, though, one of these devices will be a welcome addition to your travel arsenal.