D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router
Manufacturer: D-Link Systems Inc. Part number: DIR-655
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Specifications
- Accessories
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- The D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router is the fastest we've seen, but we're still reluctant to recommend it as it's based on an unfinished wireless spec.
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CNET editors' review
D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router price range: $92.82 - $169.99
- Reviewed by: Matthew Wood
- Edited by: Felisa Yang
- Reviewed on: 04/30/2007
- Released on: 11/10/2006
The good: The D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router displayed lightning-fast performance in short-range and mixed-mode tests; it offers Gigabit LAN ports and the latest in wireless security.
The bad: Very expensive; based on an unfinished spec.
The bottom line: The D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router is the fastest we've seen, but we're still reluctant to recommend it as it's based on an unfinished wireless spec.
The D-Link DIR-655 Xtreme N Gigabit Router is one of the latest Draft N routers to the market. Believe us when we say it packs a punch. It's by far the fastest 802.11n router we've tested. At $180, it's also one of the most expensive. We've been reluctant to recommend Draft N routers because the spec isn't final and so far, we haven't seen the throughput speeds offered by the standard. There's no guarantee the Draft N products will comply with the final spec, so our advice for now is to wait until we see products actually based on the final spec, probably around midsummer.
- Device type: Wireless router
- Network standard: 802.11n (draft), 802.11b/g
- Bandwidth: 2.4GHz
- OSes supported: Linux; Mac OS 8.x, 9.x, X 10.x; Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP
- Security options: WEP; WPA-PSK; NAT and SPI firewalls, MAC address filtering
- Features: 4 Gigabit LAN ports; DHCP support; VPN passthrough; DDNS
- Notable design features: none
- Support: One-year warranty; 24-7 toll-free phone support; e-mail support form; FAQs; knowledge base; driver and software downloads
Combined with the D-Link Xtreme N Notebook Adapter, we saw the best throughput speeds to date for any router tested here at CNET Labs. Ready for the numbers? In our 10-foot maximum throughput test conducted with an Ixia Chariot console, the average throughput was 112.56Mbps. This is a whopping 30 to 40 points higher than most draft 802.11n routers we've tested in the past. Mixed throughput (with an 11g client) clocked in at 77.42Mbps while throughput at long range (200 feet) was 33.33Mbps.
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User reviews
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Pretty good router
by vikramk18 on April 3, 2007
Pros: Gigabit and 802.11n, improved range, QOS
Cons: The included cable is cat5
Summary: I've had this for a week now. So far so good. I've got it setup with wpa2 security. It took about 10 mins to unwrap, install and be ...
Summary: I've had this for a week now. So far so good. I've got it setup with wpa2 security. It took about 10 mins to unwrap, install and be connected to the net. The router comes with a 110-240 volt travel adapter, a cat5 cable (probably for the WAN connect), a stand to position it on a side. I bought a cat6 cable from Radio Shack to test out the gigabit speeds. I have a macbook which I upgraded to wireless-n from Apple's website. Also have a Buffalo Linkstation pro with gigabit port. So, I hooked up the linkstation to one of the 4 gigabit ports on the d-link using the cat6 cable. Then also hoooked up the router to my comcast modem using cat5. Next, the test of speed. Using a powerbook G4 with wireless 802.11g, I copied over a 3 GB file to the linkstation. This took over an hour to do. Next, I copied over the same file from the macbook with wireless-n to the linkstation. That took about 15 minutes. The macbook showed that the copy speed was about 3-4 Mbps over wireless-n. Other factors like distance from router were about the same. In another test was I could watch DVDs that I have backed up (not compressed) on my macbook via wireless-n from another room (about 20 ft line of sight) with no freezing up. The same exercise on the powerbook with wireless-g had different results. the picture continuously froze. However with compressed video, the results over both g and n were similar - no freezing. One more test to do, While copying a 9.6 GB file from the macbook to the linkstation via wireless-n, I used the powerbook and a thinkpad to access the net both over their wireless-g connections and there was no visible difference in net speeds. When I accessed the net from the macbook while it was copying over the large file data feeds from the net were slower as expected. In other words, the wireless-N capabilities do allow for more bandwidth. I've left the QOS Engine on as default which means it does prioritize voiceover other network traffic. Another thing that I was happy to find so far was that given both Apple and D-link have implement Draft 802.11n standards, the two work together pretty well with no issues so far. So far, a powerbook G4, macbook & a Lenovo Thinkpad have all worked with no issues with the D-Link router. I personally believe I am closer to actually being able to move multimedia around the house. Next step is to get a mac-mini with gigabit port and hook it up to the home theater
34 out of 34 users found this user opinion helpful.
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3 times unlucky
by sysguy on March 19, 2007
Pros: Feature Set
Cons: Woudn't work
Summary: I tried 3 of these routers. I could not set up any of them. 2 would conitinual reset and drop the LAN connection and the other once fnally set up ...
Summary: I tried 3 of these routers. I could not set up any of them. 2 would conitinual reset and drop the LAN connection and the other once fnally set up would reboot everytime I connected my Netgear WGT 511 V1 G card. Hardware Version A1 with latet 1.02 firmware out of the box. DlLink Support was n help after 3.5 hours. I have set up 50 to 75 routersfor clients in the past and never had problems like I did with this one. I tried several laptops to configure it. Continually resets and drops connections.
18 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Great Router !!
by kainobi on November 25, 2006
Pros: Speed is fantastic, Set up is very easy. Gigabit ports A++
Cons: Coverage didn't improve much
Summary: I bought this router a week ago and it took me 5mn to set it up. Very nice...You need to upgrade the firmware to 1.01 THEN to 1....
Summary: I bought this router a week ago and it took me 5mn to set it up. Very nice...You need to upgrade the firmware to 1.01 THEN to 1.02. It can't get directly to 1.02. I used to have Belkin, Netgear and recently Dlink 624. This is a major change, the connection is way more stable and I didn't have any drop whatsoever. The speed is fantastic. I'm not that impressed with the coverage though, it is just slightly better than what I used to have with my DI 624, maybe I have too many walls in-between... I live in a 3,500 square feet house and I don't know if DLink considers that a large house or not. I didn't try the WPA security feature yet but the WEP works fine for me. The QOS for my VOIP made my phone conversation more clear. I must add I use my existing b and g adapter in mixed mode and it's already very good. I can't wait to upgrade to a n adapter for my laptop. I'll share my feedback then.
11 out of 15 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Even Customer Service couldn't make it work
by jmeye22 on February 17, 2007
Pros: Never had a chance to find out!
Cons: Didn't work with my computer, unhelpful customer service
Summary: Bought this router to speed up my system, based on all the positive reviews. But it didn't work with my system, and when I contacted DLink Customer Service, their ...
Summary: Bought this router to speed up my system, based on all the positive reviews. But it didn't work with my system, and when I contacted DLink Customer Service, their advice after an hour on the phone, was that maybe I needed to try a different model. They basically admitted that this model would not work with my laptop (a 1 1/2 year old Dell Inspiron 6000 running on Windows XP). Needless to say, I'm planning to return and purchase a different brand.
9 out of 12 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Best Router I've owned and/or setup
by Wannabe Actuary on February 28, 2007
Pros: draft n standard, WPA and WPA2 capable, backwards compatible with b and g standard (WEP must be used if using b and/or g), gigabit for wired connections, excellent speed test results
Cons: not exactly cheap, but worth it in the end. USB port in the back is for settings only, wish it was capable of connecting an external hard drive
Summary: My old D-Link router was going on 4 years old and was just 802.11b standard. It was starting to act up so after some comparison, I picked this router ...
Summary: My old D-Link router was going on 4 years old and was just 802.11b standard. It was starting to act up so after some comparison, I picked this router up on sale.
Initially, I connected it in about 5-10 minutes with my existing network cables and wireless cards. Setup was quick and easy. As my old laptop was using a wireless b card and my fiancée's laptop has internal wireless (g standard), I had to set up the router in legacy mode (so that both laptops could connect with their existing methods), this also means the draft n standard was not being used. Legacy mode also does not allow WPA or WPA2 encryption, which forces you to use the less than secure WEP.
Within a week of getting this router, I upgraded my cat 5 and cat 5e cables to cat 6 and bought two Xtreme N PCMCIA wireless cards (DWA-652) made by D-Link. I jumped back in to the setup, changed it off of legacy mode, set the excryption to WPA2 (47 characters) and hide the SSID broadcast (after setting up the two laptops). I also made static IP addresses for my Vonage adapter and Xbox 360. This took about 5 minutes to adjust.
Speed tests to my 6 year old laptop are showing excellent results, as are the desktop and one year old laptop.
Overall, this product is great and I would highly recommend it with the caveat that to get the most out of it, you need to pair it with DWA-652 card(s) and use cat 6 cables (which can be found cheap online).6 out of 7 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good router if you're not too stupid to get it to work
by mindpower on February 19, 2009
Pros: Fast network, lots of features, good http interface, frequently updated firmware
Cons: None so far
Summary: I'm amazed at some of the dumb reviews on here. "Doesn't work with Apple"? C'mon, ethernet and 802.11 standards are no different for Macs than they ...
Summary: I'm amazed at some of the dumb reviews on here. "Doesn't work with Apple"? C'mon, ethernet and 802.11 standards are no different for Macs than they are for PC's. "Only 2500kbps speed, worse than a 14,400 modem". Are you totally clueless? The K in kbps makes that speed 2500,000bps, nearly 200x faster than a 14.4 modem. "USB port didn't work with my hard drive". Duh! The USB port is for configuring the router from a USB flash drive. It's not a file sharing device! "Some video downloads take forever to buffer". Well then try setting up QoS, or pick better streaming hosts.
This router is very configurable. Clearly it's too advanced for the average home user as it seems many people are confused by the multitude of options.4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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not worth it
by blackcatscooter on January 3, 2008
Pros: appears to be a decent router
Cons: tech support is horrible
Summary: The router came up just fine and connected to the internet. The problem started when I tried to get the router to talk to my networked Brother printer. The router ...
Summary: The router came up just fine and connected to the internet. The problem started when I tried to get the router to talk to my networked Brother printer. The router will not recognize the printer. The printer works fine with my LinkSys Router. When I called tech support, I get people that I cannot understand (English is obviously their second language) and that have no solution other than reading off of their sheets. They also say they only support you getting internet access, and direct you to their paid support if you have any other issue with the router. They don't tell you it's paid support, they just give you the number. I will never buy anything else from D-Link simply based on how awful their tech support is. The router is going back to the store today!!
4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
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I Like This Box
by eschwei on October 18, 2007
Pros: Fast, Configurable, "Future Proofed"
Cons: May Be Too Complex for First Time Users
Summary: First off, I like this box. I've owned this router for a while now and find it to be the fastest most configurable "home" router I've had to ...
Summary: First off, I like this box. I've owned this router for a while now and find it to be the fastest most configurable "home" router I've had to date.
However, like others, I found the ?simple auto installer? to not work correctly during my particular install and the only option was a statement to contact tech support, or something like that. Better for them to have an option, once a roadblock is hit, to exit and go to a manual configuration (I built a dummy ?Internet? connection for the box and got past the roadblock that way)
Also, why they chose to default with 192.168.0.1 is a bit of a mystery to me. Yes, you can make arguments on both sides but, 192.168.1.1 is a bit of a de-facto standard out there. It's a silly thing but, when you are typing HTTP://192.168.1.1 and getting 404 errors you just shake your head in wonderment after seeing this default address.
The default DHCP range is also a bit large (99 station IP?s) in the 192.168.0.2 ? 192.168.0.100 range.
The features and options cover just about every ?home network? technology out there. Including Quality of Service (QoS), Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI/Firewall), B,G,N Protocols, and a full suite of security options.
There are so many that, and this may be the industries fault and not D-Links, auto configuration options may try to be too many things to the end station devices. Does this cause connectivity problems for users. I don?t know but, if you are only using G protocol in your network, keep things simple and select the G only option. I wonder, if you have auto/all selected, the router may attempt to ?uplift? to the highest available protocol causing sessions to be re-initialized. I?ve not done testing of this, it?s strictly thinking out loud.
Additionally, Security features are rich and this is always an area that creates complexity. Are the end stations set up with WPA, WPA-2, etc..?
Why WEP is still an option is beyond me. It can easily be argued that WEP is not secure and can be broken rather easily. On a router with this level of technology, it should have been dropped.
Bottom line, unless you are willing to understand the functioning and technologies in an advanced home network, you may want to go with a less complex device. If you want to take control of just about every aspect running your home network, and get some really nice speed, this box does just that.4 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fantastic Router!
by NCTARHEELS on July 13, 2008
Pros: Good Range, High Speed, Gigabit, Compact
Cons: USB Port can't be used to network a USB Hard Drive, Signal deteriorates with wall and floor interference
Summary: I picked up this router a few months ago from amazon, and I feel that I can finally write a review about the thing, as I've been using it ...
Summary: I picked up this router a few months ago from amazon, and I feel that I can finally write a review about the thing, as I've been using it for quite a while.
This router replaced my awful Belkin N-1 Router, which I've been troubled with for over six months. Unlike Belkin's N-Wireless offering, this router SCREAMS. Throughput is amazing (about 80MBPS with a "Very Good", or 4/5 bar connection). That translates to a download rate of about 2.5 megs per second in mixed g/n mode (using an N-Wireless laptop). Webpages load quickly, as well. My deteriorating Dell desktop's internet speed was given new life via a Gigabit Ethernet connection. This router also handles my Xbox 360 (Ethernet) very well, as I've experienced little to no lag when playing online.
I guess this applies with all routers, but it's worth mentioning that when the router's signal goes through walls and floors, the range suffers a bit. The other side of the house on the floor below has a "Poor", or a 1/5 bar connection. It's worth noting, however, that when I'm working outside (with the router's signal going through only one wall), I get a "Good", or 3/5 bar connection at approximately 75 feet away!
The only annoyance I found with this router is that the included USB Port can't be used to network a USB Hard Drive. I contacted D-Link and the representative explained the purpose, but it really didn't make much sense to me (and I'm pretty tech savvy).
Despite it's one flaw, the D-Link DIR-655 is one of the best (if not the best) consumer wireless router available. It's(generally) great range, fast download speeds, and Gigabit Ethernet support make the router fantastic. 9/10!3 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Fails to maintain connection
by midhenry on May 14, 2008
Pros: Fast, good signal strength, decent human interface, good documentation
Cons: By D-Link customer supports own admission, the router is very sensitive to interference. My router fails to maintain a connection for more than 5-10 minutes.
Summary: Here is a quote from a D-Link customer service email to me:
"If you are using 2.4GHz cordless phones or X-10 (wireless products such as ceiling fans, lights, and ...Summary: Here is a quote from a D-Link customer service email to me:
"If you are using 2.4GHz cordless phones or X-10 (wireless products such as ceiling fans, lights, and home security systems), your wireless connection will degrade dramatically or drop completely. Anything using the 2.4Ghz frequency will interfere with your wireless network"
I suppose the message here is that if you run the router in a rural corn field or perhaps a test lab then all will be well. If you live in a house with plumbing and electrical appliances and/or have neighbors (a 2.4 GHz phone will easily transmit 50 yards or so) then D-Link wants you to know there is a significant chance you router "will degrade dramatically"
In any case, I disconnected the phone and retested at 2am. Same behavior as before: the connection drops within ten minutes. Occasionally it reconnects on its own, but normally my little systray icon reports "no connection" and a manual restart is necessary.
Feeling lucky Binko? Yes? Well, by all means go for it. My feeling is that anyone rational would avoid this product and company.
I am running HW ver A3 and FW ver. 1.113 out of 3 users found this user opinion helpful.
Specifications
- Manufacturer: D-Link Systems Inc.
- Part number: DIR-655
- Description: With the latest firmware installed, you will be able to turn off the router's wireless signal altogether at certain times of the day, to save energy and use the USB port to share a printer or a memory stick on the network (SharePort). The DIR-655 Wireless N Gigabit Router connects to any modem or ISP box to provide Internet access for computers and other network equipment. It is an advanced device that features 802.11n (Draft 2.0) technology, thus incorporating 300 Mbps wireless performance with extended coverage and no dead spots. Gigabit Ethernet connectivity is included on both LAN and WAN networks. This router, with its Quality of Service feature, automatically detects if audio, video or gaming content is being transmitted over the network and gives these applications priority over less time-sensitive traffic such as email or file transfers. Setting the router up is easy even for non-technically minded people, with D-Link Click'n Connect: run directly from the product CD-ROM, this wizard takes you through an interactive step-by-step guide that will get you on-line in a matter of minutes. It also includes a simplified method of setting up wireless encryption, the Wi-Fi Wireless Protect Setup (WPS), which works at the touch of a button. A powerful dual firewall (SPI and NAT) prevents Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and attempts to breach your network from the Internet. You can also define a list of allowed sites to restrict web access during certain periods.
General
- Device Type Wireless router
- Form Factor External
- Width 7.6 in
- Depth 4.6 in
- Height 1.2 in
- Weight 11.2 oz
Networking
- Connectivity Technology Wired, Wireless
- Integrated Switch 4-port switch
- Frequency Band 2.4 GHz
- Data Link Protocol Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
- Spread Spectrum Method DSSS, OFDM
- Switching Protocol Ethernet
- Network / Transport Protocol L2TP, PPTP, IPSec, TCP/IP, UDP/IP, ICMP/IP
- Remote Management Protocol HTTP
- Status Indicators Power, Status, Link OK, Port status, Link activity
- Features NAT support, DHCP support, E-mail alert, Wall mountable, VPN passthrough, Auto-negotiation, Dynamic DNS server, Firewall protection, Firmware upgradable, Auto-sensing per device, Auto-uplink (auto MDI/MDI-X), Dynamic IP address assignment, Wi-Fi Multimedia (WMM) support, Stateful Packet Inspection (SPI)
- Compliant Standards IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, Wi-Fi CERTIFIED, IEEE 802.11n (draft 2.0)
Antenna
- Antenna External detachable
- Antenna Qty 3
- Directivity Omni-directional
Communications
- Type None
Expansion / Connectivity
- Interfaces 4 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45, 1 x USB - 4 pin USB Type A, 1 x Network - Ethernet 10Base-T/100Base-TX/1000Base-T - RJ-45 ( WAN )
Miscellaneous
- Cables (Details) 1 x Network cable
- Encryption Algorithm WPA, WPA2, 64-bit WEP, 128-bit WEP
- Microsoft Certifications Compatible with Windows 7
- Compliant Standards CE, FCC Class B certified
Power
- Power Device Power adapter - External
Software / System Requirements
- Software Included Drivers & Utilities
CNET Labs' Benchmarks
- CNET Labs long-range tests (in Mbps) 33.33
- CNET Labs maximum throughput tests (at 10 feet, in Mbps) 112.56
- CNET Labs maximum throughput tests with mixed 802.11b/g and draft N, MIMO clients (at 10 feet, in Mbps) 77.42
Manufacturer info
- D-Link Systems Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse D-Link Systems Inc. products on Shopper.com
-
- Website: http://www.dlink.com/
- Address:
17595 Mt. Herrmann, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 - Phone: 1.877.453.5465
- Email: tech@dlink.com
