3G to WiFi router

Linksys have released a 3G/WiFi router.

More info here:
http://www.linksysinfo.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=392

It allows a 3G Internet connection to be shared amongst 5 WiFi devices - laptops for instance. I like the idea of this being sold in a nice neat package. Sure, you could build something like this yourself with an old PC or MiniPC, but it would probably end up costing you more, and be a pain in the arse to do. But hackers like the challenge. Also, doing it yourself would get around the 5 user limit. But with 3G Internet access pricing and download limits being what they are at the moment, you wouldn't want more than 5 users anyway. Again, the hacker part of me wants to stick it to the man when I'm confronted with limitiations about how my Internet access is provided to me.

I think routers like this will proliferate in the future. It shows that WiFi is far from dead, even in the face of WiMax and 3G Internet access. No matter how low priced these 'Net access methods become, they will never be free - and WiFi LAN networking has always been free - it's the Internet feed that costs money. WiMax, EVDO, 3G et al. don't have an "adhoc" mode, and I don't believe their base stations will ever be affordable by the average consumer. So as far as building free community neworks go, WiFi is still the most viable technology.