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D-Link Xtreme-N Gigabit Router (DIR-655)

Posted by John P • March 13, 2007 • Printer-friendly • Feed • Share

D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router

D-Link and just about every other wireless networking manufacturer has begun producing wireless 802.11n routers using the Draft-N standard. The Draft-N standard provides users with blazing fast speeds, way faster than 802.11b/g and almost 2X farther range than 802.11g.

Does the device perform like it promises? Today, we take a look at one of the two 802.11n routers we will be reviewing this month, the DIR-655 Xtreme-N Gigabit router.

The DIR-655 has an Apple-like design, the shell being a shiny gloss white plastic, black highlights, with glowing blue LED's producing a bright, but cool looking design. The router also includes a stand for positioning the unit upright and of course, a power adapter.

Performance with the DIR-655 was excellent, and performed way better than our previous favorite, the Linksys WRT54G, claimed by many to be the best bang for your buck. Using the Xtreme-N PC card we received from D-Link, we achieved great, G-killer speeds. Range was about as good as the WRT54G as well. On the contrary, when using the device with mixed 802.11ng, and 802.11g, we received abysmal speeds, although better performance than the WRT54G still, thanks to the included gigabit ports.

Continuing with the good side of things, the web administration interface was excellent, and showed off really how easy it is to setup the router, including wizards to setup your internet connection, wireless network security, and more. In fact, compared to our de-facto standard WRT54G, we found the interface more visually pleasing.

Overall, the D-Link Xtreme-N Gigabit Router (DIR-655) was an excellent performer, but it does use the draft-N standard of the 802.11 protocol, which means it may not be compatible with future N products once the standard is ratified.

Pros

  • Excellent range when using 802.11n products only.
  • Visually pleasing web administration interface.
  • Very sleek design.
  • Easy to setup.

Cons

  • Mixed performance with the mixed-802.11ng mode.
  • May not be worth it in the long term.

Final Verdict
4 out of 5 stars.



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