




Make informed decisions with expert advice. Learn More
Brand | D-Link |
---|---|
Model | DIR-655 |
Standards | IEEE 802.11n, 802.11g, 802.3, 802.3u |
---|---|
Device Management | Internet Explorer v6 or Later; Mozilla Firefox v1.5 or Later; or other Java-enabled Browsers |
Security | Wi-Fi Protected Access(WPA, WPA2) |
WPA | WPA2 |
WAN Ports | 4 x Gigabit LAN Ports 1 x Gigabit WAN Port USB Port (for SharePort & Windows Connect Now) Push Button (for Wi-Fi Protected Setup) |
LAN Ports | 4 x 10/100/1000M |
LEDs | Power, Status, WAN, WLAN (Wireless Connection), LAN (10/100/1000), USB. |
Wireless Data Rates | Up to 300Mbps |
Antenna | 3 External Antenna |
Storage Capacity | None |
Interface | Ethernet Port |
VPN support | VPN Pass-through / Multi-sessions PPTP / L2TP / IPSec |
Wireless Adapter included | No |
Processor | None |
Dimensions | 7.6" x 4.6" x 1.2" |
System Requirements | Recommended System Requirements: For Optimal Wireless Performance: Use with Xtreme N Adapters (DWA-552, DWA-556, DWA-643, or DWA-652) Minimum System Requirements: Computer with: Windows Vista, Windows XP SP2 or Mac OS X (v10.4) Internet Explorer v6 or Mozilla Firefox v1.5 CD-ROM Drive Network Interface Card. For Internet Access: Cable or DSL Modem Subscription with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) |
Weight | 0.7 lbs. |
Features | Draft 802.11n Speeds Up to 14x Faster than Wireless G Greater Coverage for Your Entire Home or Office Intelligent QoS Technology for Superior VoIP and Online Gaming Connect Computers, Game Consoles, or Media Players to the Web |
---|
Package Contents | Xtreme N Gigabit Router 3 Detachable Antennas CAT5 Ethernet Cable Power Adapter CD-ROM with: Installation Wizard, Product Documentation. |
---|
Windows Vista | Works with Windows Vista |
---|
Class | N300 Gigabit |
---|---|
Type | No |
Date First Available | January 16, 2007 |
---|
Pros: Gigabit LAN and WAN. Guest Zone is nice to have, which allows you to block guests from accessing your main network. It's especially nice on Windows 7 machines when you don't want the guest to have access to the main network password. Wireless range is very good, even through 3 stories (60% to 75%).
Cons: Range doesn't tell you everything. Even at close range (few feet away), I was unable to get good connection speeds. On a wireless G, I got 2MBps transfer speeds (from a wired pc to a wireless pc). This router didn't make any difference. See more in "other thoughts" section. I don't like the MAC Filtering page of the configuration utility. It doesn't allow you to put a description on the MAC Addresses so there's no way of knowing what device is what. The most annoying thing about the configuration utility is having to reboot every time you make a change.
Overall Review: First thing, the firmware upgrade checker does not work. Go to their website and search for the firmware. My pc is directly connected to the router via CAT5. At first, I got intermittent 1000Mbps connection speed, but I swapped out both WAN and LAN CAT5 cables to CAT5e and that fixed the issue. I almost returned it because I wasn't happy with the wireless connection speeds I was getting (average 117Mbps), even when I was a few feet from the router. I've gone through many tweaks (with the help of their tech support) before I was able to get 270Mbps, and even then I still usually get around 130Mbps. I didn't bother returning it because I figured any other router at about the same cost would probably have the same results.
Pros: The speed is great... even older pc's that have 10/100 seem to pull stuff faster. I also got some netgear gigabit switches to go with this and was surprise how cheap everything is now. The default settings work great right out of the box for normal stuff like PS3 and PSP gaming... Only thing I had to change was a vpn setting on my PC that I had tweaked for my old router. Firewall seems to be pretty good the setting on my vpn I had to change was to not encapsulate udp in tcp. This router detected the packets and was actively blocking them pretty smart :) This router fixed a problem I was having with my averatec laptop and my WRT54G where it would only get 2.5mbps while connected to the internet wirelessly even though it would get 5mbps wired... yes I still only have a 5mbps internet connection but at least now I'm using everybit of it.
Cons: The first one I got was an A1 hardware version and it had a bad radio which died after being on for about 2 minutes. The next one I got was an A2 and works great. The A2 version has a WIFI Certified logo on the back of the box but the A1 does not (maybe just a time to market thing sense they both have the same firmware). The radio in this router really doesn't like interference and will be overpowered by competing signals so try playing with the channels until you find one thats good for your location... don't use the auto assign cause it will just stick it on channel 1 or 2 most of the time. There is a button on the side of the router however the firmware does not use it yet. The leds are a little more confusing than the old netgear routers but much better than the linksys.
Overall Review: The A1 hardware has green leds while the A2 hardware has blue leds but otherwise they look and act identical. I saw both hardware versions together on a shelf at a local store.
Pros: I got this router after doing some research, and found it simple and straightforward. So far, after 1 month of service, not one single random restart that others have written about. I have 2 pc's wired, and a laptop wireless. The wireless setup was a seasy as it gets with no lost connections AT ALL! Speeds are fantastic.
Cons: Ships with trial version of Network Magic. Nice software, but if you want to use all the features, you have to pony up a little more cash.
Overall Review: I am using the D-LINK Wireless Xtreme N Notebook Adapter DWA-652 and this is a match made in heaven. No drops.
Pros: The review of the DIR-655 on the home networking website SmallNetBuilder says it all: great internals and routing performance.
Cons: Unfortunately, a router is only as good as its firmware allows it to be. In the case of the DIR-655, great hardware is marred by constant stability issues caused by a buggy implementation of the DNS Relay feature. Many users experience sporadic reboots and wireless disconnections, while others (such as myself) suffer from an inability to utilize the features this router supposedly supports, such as port forwarding and Dynamic DNS updating. These problems have been present for multiple firmware revisions: the current version is 1.32, and users have been reporting problems of this nature since 1.20. Many people express a desire to return to the more stable 1.11 firmware; however, firmwares from 1.30 onwards can not be downgraded.
Overall Review: My intention when buying this router was to avoid "bottom of the barrel" solutions and spend a decent amount of money on a router that would do its job well and with minimal intervention after the initial set-up. This router, while more expensive than much of the competition, falls short due to its flawed firmware. I shall be returning my unit and trying my luck with a different manufacturer. I would encourage any prospective buyers to read some posts on the D-Link support forum for this model of router (DIR-655). There are a number of threads there that discuss these firmware issues in much greater detail.
Pros: Good overall router. Very versatile
Cons: Bad Software design to collaborate with a company that charges for access to your router. Do not run the disk or you will be forced into accepting the 30 day Secure Spot trial. It will hang your browser and will not let you complete the configuration.
Overall Review: Go into the web address configuration and disable secure spot services or your browser will constantly be highjacked.
Pros: It has features that other routers in its price range either overlooked or left out intentionally. It has detachable antennae. Competitor’s products have permanently-affixed antennae which if broken would disable the entire router. With the DIR-655, you would just attach a replacement. The antenna connector (RP-SMA) on the router is the same as that on the network cards. An external cabled antenna could work with either the router or the network card, depending on your requirements at the moment. The built-in “switch” on this router has 1000 Base-T, LAN ports. This won’t give you a speed advantage for your slow internet connection but computer-to-computer communication (as well as to game consoles) will be much faster. Works with Vista features without getting bogged down, including IP v.6, UPnP, QoS, etc. Works well with almost any brand wireless adapter.
Cons: The most disappointing feature of this router is the unintuitive interface for its settings (on the internal web page in the router.) Tabs across the top should be menu headings while menu headings along the left should be tabs, and there are a lot sections in boxes with subheading that just take up space and confuse. The disc that comes with the router should be placed in file 13 as soon as you open the box. It tries to install trialware that causes Vista to crash and eventually starts nagging you in XP. Instead of using the disk, download the latest firmware from DLINK and forget the other stuff. (Anytime you need to read the manual, it’s on the website). There is a USB port on the router for a thumb drive. This is not as exciting as it seems – its just for transferring wireless settings.
Overall Review: This router works well with various wireless adapters at different speeds and from different companies. The D-LINK adapter that is designed to work with this router however is as bad as this router is good. Buy the router, not the card. Once you get some practice moving around the settings interface, you will find that you can fine-tune the router for better voice and video communication over the internet, better online game playing, etc.
Pros: This bad boy has delivered over a year's worth of solid performance for my household. It was so nice that I bought one for my dad's house too. My network currently has 15 devices connected at given time. Home server, workstations, Wii, 360s, extenders, cell phones, printers, laptops, even my next door neighbor (~150ft away) has no trouble connecting and using Skype.
Cons: By default it comes set up to use the lowest power, thus offering up mediocre wireless performance. This is easily resolved with a couple mouse clicks. QoS function is for upload (outgoing packets) only. This is great for gaming, but falls a little short for prioritzing Netflix traffic and such.
Overall Review: So nice, I bought it twice!
Pros: Just wanted to share that I bought one of these in 2010, and it still works with no problems today!
Cons: none