HomeDigital Media PlayersD-Link DIR-628 RangeBooster N Dual Band Router |
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47 of 50 found the following review helpful:
 Fast and lots of features Aug 27, 2008
By K. Lin
"yesuaini99"
I am in the business of IT and telecom.
I have used some other high end WiFi AP and routers in my days.
This DLink 628, even though just a consumer unit, has blurred the line between professional and consumer use wifi routers.
The setup is a breeze. I was up and running (using Mac), without the set up CD, in less than 3 min.
First on speed, it is fast. Side by side testing with the Dlink DIR655, they are both the same speed with all of the config being the same.
The QoS feature is wonderful, you can prioritize by IP to many tiers. So now when my kids are playing games with voice and video, my html browsing can have priority over them. (Since in routing, the voice and video gets priority in getting transferred.)
All in all, this is a wonderful unit for the price (only $75 now on Amazon).
I would buy this one over the DIR 655 since I really don't see any speed improvement on the 655 but almost twice the price.
I give it 5 stars and highly recommend it as a good buy.
44 of 49 found the following review helpful:
 Not bad, but not an amazing leap in technology either. Aug 27, 2008
By Andrea L. Polk
"Savvy Sleuth"
My experience with the DIR-628 is mixed. It's a feature-filled router that may be wonderful, if you have all the parts to make it so.
Background: I am an intermediate to advanced computer user with two desktops and two laptops on a wireless home network. I replaced a 4 year old Buffalo brand wireless router with the D-Link and had high hopes of increased Internet speeds, increased range and increased security for all of the computers on my network.
I read the directions and manual prior to attempting setup, which definitely helps anyone setup a home network. Dual band (selective) is clearly explained in the manual which comes on the CD included with the router.
First, the promises. Up to 12x's faster speeds and 4x's farther range. I did note a nice speed jump on all the computers. I already have a high speed connection (250-300Mbps) so it didn't make a huge difference, but about 20-30% faster. Range is a tough one. I note the signal is stronger than the older router, but I didn't roam across the street with a laptop to check it. RE: MIMO technology - I didn't notice any dead spots in my one level house, however I didn't notice them before either.
On the box it says "You may need DWA-160 (usb adaptor)" to get more out of your network. Also under Recommended System Requirements on the side of the box it says "For Optimal Wireless Performance: Use with Dual Band N USB Adapter (DWA-160. REMEMBER: your wireless network is only as strong as your weakest link. If you have all of your computers running 802.11g... and one running 802.11n (draft), you'll only get the slower speed. Right now these adapters are about $80 each. Unless you need faster and can afford it, the `n' wireless setup might not be for you.
Second, `easy to install'. Yes and no. The CD with the setup on it (run it on your main computer before you do anything else) has clear directions and pictures which help.
The included Network Magic software is friendly, but it's trialware and will require you to purchase it after a 30 day trial. Not good in my opinion since you basically have all you need for seeing and maintaining a network through Vista or XP. It is visually appealing though, which made me install it...and then uninstall it when I figured out what it was and that I really didn't need it.
The setup worked and I was up, but then I was down. I had to reset the router and/or cable modem multiple times.
The router seemed unstable. I wonder if it was the "advanced WPA/WPA2" encryption or the two firewalls? Security is a frustrating...er, wonderful thing.
Third, the dual band feature. It's there and you can set it to either the 2.4GHz band for email and internet or you can select the 5GHz band for streaming HD video (not terribly useful yet for me...) and enhanced VoIP (Internet voice phone calling). It would also be good if you wanted to add a home surveillance setup which uses Internet cameras. I think it's on the cusp of something great, but misses the mark.
Finally, I had high hopes for something new and better, but frankly I don't think it's worth more than an average wireless router pricetag. If it came with an `n' usb dual band adaptor I'd think that would help, as would automatic dual band as part of the deal.
It is backward compatible and there is a slight speed bump from the `g' wireless (or at least it seemed so momentarily until the router went offline...), but in the end I took it off the network and I setup a Linksys router with the same security features, with much less hassle.
If you have dual band 'n' wireless throughout your home or office, this router might be worth a try if the price is right, but for me with my eclectic mix of new and old, I would not recommend buying this router until you have all the other new wireless dual band, rangebooster technology to go with it.
122 of 145 found the following review helpful:
 Not true dual-band support Jul 07, 2008
By H. Paul Moon
Unfortunately, even though this is among the very few Wireless-N routers that can do dual-band, it is falsely advertised. You have to select between 2.4 and 5 GHz outright, and cannot use both simultaneously. As a result, to take advantage of 5 GHz, every single connected device must not only have Wireless-N capability, but also Wireless-N dual-band capability, and set to function at 5 GHz. Even just one 2.4 GHz device, whether 802.11b, g or n, spoils the whole dual-band feature and you're back to having a plain vanilla Wireless-N router. Don't be fooled by this cheap marketing gimmick. D-Link plainly and simply cut corners to keep the cost down, mooting the dual-band feature for almost every single customer.
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
 Caution -- firmware bugs Aug 09, 2009
By M. Thompson
The DIR-628 router with 1.13 firmware has a nasty firmware bug: you must never disable wireless. If you do disable wireless on the Wireless Settings page and Save Settings, you will not be able to re-enable it or make any other configuration changes. The unit will just reset itself if you try to save any settings (via the wired connection of course). Seems like the workaround is to resetting the unit to the factory configuration (then reapply all your router settings, hopefully from a saved settings file).
Unfortunately, after upgrading to the latest 1.20 (and now 1.22) firmware, there is a new firmware bug that causes the router to lock up every few days. The workaround is to power cycle it or unplug and reconnect the WAN & LAN cables every time in locks up. Customer support has not been helpful at all. Worse yet, after upgrading to 1.2x firmware, the router prevents you from downgrading to 1.1x firmware. Now I'm wishin I stuck with 1.13 which didn't have this new more serious issue.
I cannot recommend any D-Link router at this point.
8 of 8 found the following review helpful:
You shouldn't buy any D-Link Router with SecureSpot. Aug 13, 2010
By Chris D. Jones
The SecureSpot "feature" comes automatically turned on. Unless you pay for SecureSpot, only the first 30 days are free. You have to either turn it off or pay for it. If you choose to try it out but then decide not to buy it and turn it off, at some point it will begin to high-jack your browser and direct you to a page on SecureSpot's maker's website for you to register the device with their service. The problem? Once you turn off SecureSpot you can no longer sign-in to register your device. The only fix is to then go into the router's controls, turn SecureSpot on, save, then turn it off and save. You now must do this every time your IP address changes. Serious pain. If you are willing to pay a monthly fee for your router, by all means, buy this router. If not for SecureSpot this would be a 5 star review. This single "feature" kills the product. If you buy it, immediately go in to the settings and turn off SecureSpot and never turn it on nor sign up for the service.
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