Kyocera KR2 Review

The Kyocera KR2 took the place of the popular Kyocera KR1 router a few years ago. I've had one for about a year now and I have to say, as far as 3g routers go, I have been very impressed. It's not quite as reliable as the Cradlepoint MBR1000, but if you need a PCMCIA slot (which the MBR1000 doesn't even offer), this is the router for you.

The Good

There are a lot of great things about the KR2 - first of all, as mentioned, the PCMCIA slot. That is a huge draw for me because I still have a Sprint PCMCIA data card from a couple of years ago (though if I choose to sign another contract they will give me a newer USB or ExpressCard data card).

Also, the Kyocera KR2 seems pretty good with security - by default it ships with a strong administrator password based on the serial number. This is good because the default passwords for some other devices are the same for each device, making it easy for a novice who doesn't think to change the password to have their router hacked.

While this is not a tiny device (especially when compared with the Cradlepoint CTR500), it is still much more portable than the Top Global 3g Phoebus (which I used to use). That one was designed like a pyramid, with a lot of wasted space in the top - this made it really hard to travel with.

The only complaint I really have about the KR2 is that at first the software was kind of buggy. I think this might be Sprint's fault, but at first my connection could not stay active for more than two hours at a time. I would actually have to unplug the data card and plug it back in to restart it - this was a pain, especially when I happened to be in a different room than the data card.

After about six months, though, they published a firmware update that I downloaded and installed. The process of updating the router was pretty easy and it fixed the connection problems. Now my router can stay connected for days at a time without any problems, so that isn't really an issue anymore.

Here are some ideas for times when you might like having a Kyocera KR2 (or another mobile broadband router such as the MBR1000):

In an airport that doesn't have free wifi (avoid the $7 charge)
At a tradeshow (avoid the several-$100's)
In a rural area with no broadband options
In an apartment that isn't wired for broadband
In your car (this requires a special power converter)
At the doctor's office
At an onsite demo for a client