DLink Di-604 Router - Steep discounts now available, even better with coupons
Written: Mar 24 '03 (Updated Nov 27 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Installation: |
 |
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Easy setup. Superb tech support. Bargain price.
Cons: Poor documentation.
The Bottom Line: Superb basic router with some nice features and a solid, though basic firewall. Highly recommended. Better documentation would make it 5-stars.
|
|
|
| pilotpat's Full Review: D-Link DI-604 Broadband Router |
UPDATE
Since my initial review, I've yet to have any problems with this router. It has been on constantly for nearly a year, with just a couple interruptions where we've shut it off during really severe thunderstorms. Now that everybody seems to want to go wireless, you can get these for pretty cheap - $19.99 at tigerdirect.com is the best I've seen recently. You can also get great deals through Office Depot's price-matching policy, especially when combined with their online coupons you can find with a quick Internet search.
WHY GO WIRED VS WIRELESS?
Probably the best reason is security. Even with encryption, I'm of the opinion that anything that uses radio waves can be intercepted and probably hacked a bit easier than a "hard line."
Yes, it's less convenient than wireless, but then again, both our desktops are right next to each other, so it's not a problem. Plus, I rarely use my laptop for home internet use.
ALIBIS
I'm a computer novice - I can set up a computer, plug it in, turn it on, and install and use software. Heck, in a pinch, I've installed a hard drive and other hardware. But I'm no IT guy.
WHAT SHOULD I GET?
So when I bought my iMac G4. and wanted to network it with my old Win 98SE machine, I asked an expert what I needed to buy. He said to get a router.
No problem, I've got one. It's a 3/4 horsepower plunger router with a good selection of carbide bits.
"Uh... no, Pat... what you need is one of these," he said, pointing to a rack of several 4-port routers. So I did some research and found the D-Link DI-604, which PC magazine rated a "Best Buy" and called easy to setup. It's advertised as working with Windows and OS-X. Plus, I found it for a bargain price - $43 minus a $10 rebate, including shipping - about $100 less than my last router, but hey, it doesn't carve cool shaped edges into hardwood either.
OK, I BOUGHT IT... NOW WHAT?
I opened the box to see what my $33 had bought. The router itself (about 5"x6"x1" thick), four rubber feet that can be placed to allow the router to sit tall or flat, a manual, a quick-setup sheet, a documentation CD, and a 6' ethernet cable. Using the quick-setup sheet, I had the physical installation done in about 5 minutes or less. I did have to go and buy another ethernet cable for the second computer.
Now, how to make this thing work? I read the manual - lots of info on Windows XP, nothing for Win98 or iMac.
No problem, I thought. I popped in the CD, opened the .pdf files with all their pretty pictures, and found... more Windows XP stuff. 60 pages or so of documentation, and nothing on the two OS's I use. No problem, I thought, I'm no dullard... I'll just figure it out on my own using the XP info. No dice. Turns out that I AM that dull.
THE DREADED TECH SUPPORT MUSAK MONSTER
"Great," I thought, "it's late night on a weekend. I'll call the '24-7' tech support, sit on hold for 90 minutes, then talk to a guy who will tell me the Mac expert is on vacation in Senegal until 2005." With much fear and trepidation, I dialed the 800 number. Sure enough, I navigated through the push=button menu and got put on hold to listen to musak... for about 1 minute. Remember, this is like 10pm on a Saturday night.
The techie that answered said - "wait a minute, let me get to my Mac system." A couple seconds later, and he started walking me, step by step, through the configuration process. A few minutes later, and we were off to the races, DSL connection feeding both computers, and a smile of accomplishment on my face (someday I'll tell my wife that I actually had no role in getting it to work properly. In the meantime, she thinks I'm a genius). Getting the PC and iMac to work in a true server-client relationship has been a little tougher (but not impossible, even for a novice), but the basic reason I got the router (to share a DSL connection), took all of 15 minutes due to outstanding support from D-Link.
INTERMEDIATE FEATURES
The Di-604 has lots of advanced features, but none that I'm really using a lot of now. My kids are young enough that they aren't allowed to use the computer without my direct supervision, so the internet permissions settings aren't used a lot now. But they will be, and they're easy to set up. You simply log in as the administrator and can adjust each computer's permissions - in a few years, when they need to use the internet for research projects, I can set, in a manner of seconds, the times they're allowed to access the Internet and domains/sites they can (or sites they can't) visit. The router also has the ability to set up remote access, but I don't ever foresee using this feature. The firewall seems pretty sturdy, having had it pinged by some of the free firewall checkers (symantec, zonelabs), and the settings are easy to modify.
RELIABILITY
I've had the Di-604 on continually for a month and a half. During that time, my PC has crashed numerous times (the iMac - never), the DSL signal has been interrupted twice, power has been cut once, and the router still chugs along with no issues. The device creates a little bit of heat, but nothing significant, and no noticeable noise.
OVERALL
I'm well pleased. The price is super, even without the rebate. Documentation looks pretty good, but only if you have XP. Tech support earns 6 out of 5 stars. As for ease of setup/use - if I can use it without getting electrocuted, burning something down, or causing permanent damage to other devices, it's probably pretty good - and it is. Highly recommended for anybody needing a basic router without a dedicated printer server.
SHAMELESS LINK
How did a dedicated PC user come to buy an iMac? See my review of the iMac G4.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 33
Driver Availability: Windows, Linux, and Mac
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
pilotpat
|
 - Top 500 |
|
Member: Pat
Location: World Traveler
Reviews written: 96
Trusted by: 41 members
About Me:
"Never tell your neighbors to wait until tomorrow if you can help them now."
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.