Wires Be Gone! D-Link Has The Solution For Your Wireless Needs
Written: Jun 02 '03
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Pros: Easy setup and reliable service
Cons: ...
The Bottom Line: Cheap, reliable, and easy: The D-Link AirPlus DI-614+ is the perfect wireless router for experts and novices alike.
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| lambchops's Full Review: D-link AirPlus™ DI-614+ Wireless Router |
From the moment visitors step into my home, it is clear that my husband and I are both computer nerds. There are of course the many computers and various hardware components sitting around the house, but there is also the fact that we have a wired network. But our entire lives changed a few months ago, when we decided to drop the archaic LAN for a wireless one. Not to sound dramatic, but the D-Link AirPlus 614+ Router made our lives much simpler.
The thing that really sold us on installing a wireless network was price. We bided our time, patiently waiting for the price of both cards and routers to drop. Earlier this year, my husband finally broke down with Christmas money in hand and after much research settled on the 614+ Router. This isn’t to say that the D-Link had a spotless reputation, but reviews at various sights suggested that it was in fact a better choice and users with at least average computer knowledge encountered few problems. At the same time we chose to also purchase the D-Link AirPlus 650+ Wireless Adapter.
As strange as it sounds, the D-Link 614+ makes for an easy installation. We initially had the router set up on our dial-up connection, but since then cable Internet became available and it is now set up on a high-speed line. Aside from the price (at less than $100) and the mostly positive reviews, the other thing that sold us on this particular model was the fact that is supported both 11Mbps and 22Mbps. Certainly, the 650+ card we purchased will run at the faster speed but my husband’s Linksys card will only function at 11Mbps. He also connects to a wireless LAN at his web hosting company. All of the specifications are what one would expect from a 2.4GHz router:
* Standards: IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u
* VPN Pass Through/Multi Sessions: PPTP, L2TP, IPSec
* Device Management: Web-based interface operating on version 6 browsers and better
* Wireless Data Rates: 22Mbps, 11Mbps, 5.5Mbps, 2Mbps, 1Mbps
* Encryption: 64/128/256-bit
* Firewall Features: MAC filtering, IP filtering, URL filtering, Domain Blocking, Scheduling
* Wireless Frequency Range: 2.4GHz to 2.462GHz
* Wireless Operating Range: Indoors: Up to 328 feet (100 meters), Outdoors: Up to 1,312 feet (400 meters)
* Operating Temperature: 32°F to 131°F ( 0°C to 55°C)
* Dimensions: 7.5in long, 4.6in wide, 1.375in tall
* Weight: ~2.0 lbs (907g)
* Warranty: 3 year
But even a fitting list of specs doesn’t demonstrate the ease and reliability of a unit. D-Link boasts that the 614+ is easy for any user to set up. Well—I wouldn’t go so far as to say that since a bit of networking experience is certainly required, but it is nonetheless pretty much a seamless process if users start in the right place and know what to expect. Setup runs via a web-based wizard and can be completed within just a few short minutes. The process is pretty simple. Open up your favorite browser and follow the directions in the manual. Type the IP address 192.168.0.1 in to the address bar and enter the preset administrator username and password. From this point, the aforementioned wizard takes control of the process.
There are of course a few things that are important to remember. First, change your password. As with many first-time installations, the password is defaulted to nothing at all. Make it something hard, something that unwanted visitors couldn’t figure out. The wizard also asks you to choose between dynamic and static addressing. Most common and easiest to use is certainly dynamic. Also, the wizard prompts you to choose an encryption rate.
The process really is easy, just follow the directions neatly detailed in the manual and you’ll be perfectly fine. Both my husband and I are equally comfortable doing what minor fiddling is necessary to keep it running. This “fiddling” is most often done via the web interface. It is here that users can see what computers are running currently on their network and tweak the settings. Though, with that said, there is very little we’ve had to do in the way of maintenance aside from updating the firmware (very important to do as it helps to protect against attacks) and one or two manual restarts.
Though I have little to compare the 614+ to aside from the massive Cisco router currently mounted in my office’s ceiling, I think it is fair to say that this D-Link product is a great buy. It may not be the biggest and baddest, but considering all the alternatives, it is a worthwhile router. The D-Link AirPlus 614+ Router is not suitable for a large office, but for very small offices and home networks it is the perfect solution. In our home, we run three computers total from the router. Two are wireless and one is an additional firewall between the other three wired computers and the Internet. Even with this rather large home network, the D-Link AirPlus 614+ Router has been wonderful. It rarely malfunctions, and often usually we assume it to be malfunctioning in truth the root of the problem is with our own computer or wireless card.
Highly recommended, even by PC World that gave the router four and a half stars and awarded it the ‘Best Buy’ seal of approval and the highest number of stars for any contemporary router with comparable specs.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 89
Driver Availability: Windows, Linux, and Mac
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Epinions.com ID:
lambchops
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Member: Shelly T.
Location: Metro Detroit, Michigan
Reviews written: 1172
Trusted by: 841 members
About Me:
Bye-bye CL hat. Hopefully I'll write some new reviews some time soon!
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