NEC has announced a world’s first. They are boasting that the Aterm WM3300R is the world’s smallest WiMAX router with wireless LAN support. The device measures just 94mm x 67mm x 22mm and weights 145grams. This WiMAX router comes with embedded Wireless LAN (BG), offering Multi SSID functions and basic Wireless LAN Security protocols like WEP and WPA(TKIP/AES).

The WM3300R connects to your computer via the USB port and will be available in early November 2009 in Japan for 25,000 Yen or $272.

The DIR-685 was first introduced way back in January at CES and now the company has began shipping them. The DIR-685 features a built-in draft N Wi-Fi module that allows it to communicate with network attached storage devices.

But that isn’t all it does. That 3.2 inch LCD screen will play streaming video or you can use it as a digital photo frame. If you like stats, it will display status information in graphs and gauges too. Like weather, but don’t have any windows to look outside? You can program the screen to display weather forecasts and other live internet content. This router does a lot.

It used to be that the wireless router only did one thing and threw in a few wired ports for computers close to the hub. Today the wireless router is becoming a converged device that serves multiple purposes. Netgear has announced a new router called the Rangemax Wireless-N Gigabit Router with USB model number WNR3500L.

The router has gigabit ports on it for fast wired connections and has a single USB port on it. The USB port will allow you to share USB peripherals with the wired and wireless network including hard drives and other devices.

After a delay that felt like years, the IEEE finally ratified the 802.11n standard. This means that products can finally stop advertising the 802.11 draft N caveat and become fully 802.11n complaint.

Belkin wasted no time and announced that many of its existing products are already compatible and meet the 802.11n specifications. The compliant products include the N Wireless Routers and modem routers, the N+ Wireless router, N1 Vision Router, N Wireless Notebook Card, N Wireless USB Adapter, and more.

I once had a wireless router and a wireless print server set up on my home network. The print server was such a pain that I ended up removing it from my network. I always wished that my router would allow me to share printers and other items.

Asus has announced a new wireless router called the RT-N13U that offers all sorts of functionality. It supports 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi connectivity and allows you to share printers across the network as well. The router doesn’t stop at printer sharing and allows the sharing of external storage.

One of the things that I often wished I had when I was traveling was a wireless router. The fact of the matter is that most wireless routers are so large that you can’t easily travel with them. TrendNet has unveiled a new wireless router designed for travel.

TrendNet has announced what it claims to be the world’s smallest travel router capable of 300Mbps speeds. The device is called the TEW-654TR and it measures in at a scant 2.5 x 3.25 x 0.75 inches. The device may be small but it offers the features you expect on a router including a reset button, power port, and a WAN port along with an LED display for status.

Asus just dropped its latest wireless router, the good looking RT-N13U. This one is easy to configure right out of the box with the Asus EZ UI that lets users set up and manage wireless connections, printers and scanners with ease.

You can even allocate bandwidth to various activities based on user preferences. One feature that we really love is the ability to support 24/7 downloads without a computer running.

Not that it’s a competition or anything, but Logitec of Japan is now claiming the thinnest wireless router in the world. The LAN-W300N/R measures a sickly and anorexic 7mm at its thinnest part, while the widest part is a mere 24mm thick.

If you like your routers like supermodels, thin and sexy, the LAN-W300N/R also functions as an access point in your home or office. It’s too early to know if we will ever see it around these parts, but we hope so.

Asus just unveiled its RT-N16 Wireless-N Gigabit router that offers up to 300Mbps maximum wireless throughput speeds. The RT-N16 also sports 128MB of video memory and an advanced CPU that ASUS claims makes it eight times faster in benchmark tests than similar products.

The Asus RT-N16 can handle smooth file transfers and downloads, video streaming, wireless gaming and VoIP calls. Other features include a few USB ports for easy file transfer, Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) security and an easy to use visual interface.

Look at this. Routers are getting just a tad sexier after all. And if you have some media to share with those around you, the Linksys Wireless N Storage Router is a nice looking option. It’s a sexier refresh of Wireless G, throwing in external R-SMA antenna connectors, USB connectivity (for your external drive) and an integrated media server.

The device can stream to PCs or UPnP AV digital media adapters, and it supports FAT16, FAT32, and NTFS file systems in both read and write mode. It’s available now for Just $109.99.

Ericsson is introducing the concept that routers can be sexy with the company’s new W30 and W35 models. Sleek, sexy and they will supposedly do 7.2Mbps down and 2.0Mbps up on three HSPA bands in addition to quadband EDGE.

Both models offer 802.11b / g and four Ethernet ports for routing high-speed WWAN data however you want. The W35 throws in two RJ11 ports on board for VoIP connectivity and should be shipping in early June. So make some room for it and wait patiently.

Sprint has released the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2200 portable EV-DO router for use on its network. The battery-powered EV-DO router will allow users to connect up to five WiFi-enabled devices to Sprint’s EV-DO Rev. A network.

It will be marketed in stores as the Sprint Mobile Hotspot. According to Sprint, this device is the first in the US to support MiFi’s GPS capabilities, allowing users to take advantage of select location and mapping applications. The up front cost is $99 after a $50 mail-in rebate (on a two-year agreement), though there’s only two options for getting it connected.

3G routers aren’t new, even though many of us don’t have one. Those who do own one don’t have any this good looking. Ericsson must have finally seen the light and realized that these devices don’t have to look ugly. The Ericsson W30 Data Router and Ericsson W35 Data and Voice Router just slipped past the FCC, and they do indeed look sexy.

They can get HSPA / UMTS / GSM data and toss it out over WiFi and Ethernet. They can also share a USB printer. The W35 adds voice and fax capability. No word on price or availability. Mostly we’re just excited to see a router this nice looking.

According to Sidecut Reports, Clearwire will soon unveil a portable WiMAX / WiFi router built by Cradlepoint. The prototype is pictured above. It will use a Motorola WiMAX USB stick to enable WiFi-capable devices to surf on the ultra fast WiMAX.

What this means is that non-WiMAX handsets that have WiFi modules can get into the WiMAX network using this pocket sized device. There’s no word yet on when it will ship. Also no word on price. This might be the way to go to replace that expensive cable modem at home.

This innovative router design by Franco Marino Cagnina, developed for Saudi Telecom, will have your router sitting pretty, literally. The STC Livebox doubles as an elegant tech-flower vase.

The device features Wireless internet, Voice over IP, land line telephone and wired DSL. With it’s unique design, the STC Router bridges the gap between lifestyle and technology. Martha Stewart would call it a good thing. Women especially will appreciate the decor aspect of what otherwise would be just another piece of tech that clashes with the furniture.