The scoop: KR1 Mobile Router, from Kyocera, about $300.

What it is: The KR1 Mobile Router looks like an ordinary wireless LAN (WLAN) router, until you notice that there's no WAN Ethernet port on the back. Instead, you can slide a wireless WAN card (such as Kyocera's KPC650 card, which accesses the Verizon Wireless CDMA EV-DO network) to provide wireless WAN capabilities. In addition, a cell phone customer with an EV-DO data plan can connect via a USB cable to provide the WAN connection.

The KR1 includes four Ethernet LAN ports, as well as an 802.11b/g antenna that can provide LAN connections for additional computers. The router includes standard firewall features, and wireless security is supported through Wired Equivalent Privacy or Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key settings. The unit weighs less than 1 pound, making it easy to pack up and carry with you on your travels.

The KR1 is aimed at mobile workgroups, such as a group of sales teams in the same location that want to share one connection. Kyocera even suggests the KR1 as an alternative to fixed broadband services (cable or DSL) in the home, although if those options aren't available for home users, one wonders whether they'd be in range of the EV-DO wireless network.

Why it's cool: There are several options for providing Internet access to multiple team members on the road, but they're not always appealing. Giving users multiple EV-DO cards is one answer, but the cost (about $60 per month, per user) can get out of hand, especially if they're not traveling frequently. In-room hotel access and WLAN hot spots also can be costly, and they often rely on a team being at a specific location. The KR1 is cool because it requires only one WAN access option (a user's PC Card or EV-DO-enabled phone) to provide Internet access to multiple computers. As long as your team members are within the range of the EV-DO network, you can provide them Internet access without worrying about whether the hotel's Internet service is up and running.

Setting up the router was easy - I slid in the Kyocera Wireless EV-DO WAN card and plugged in the power adapter, and the system was up and running (via the defaults for WLAN access). Configuring the router involves connecting an Ethernet cable to the router from a laptop or PC and using a browser to change WLAN settings, add security levels and change passwords. I experienced a minor glitch - the first laptop I used for configuration couldn't access the router, despite receiving the proper IP address and being on the same subnet. I switched to a second laptop and was able to access the router configuration, so I chalked up the glitch to the fact that I was using a pre-production model of the KR1).