{"id":538,"date":"2021-09-01T10:24:40","date_gmt":"2021-09-01T10:24:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/?page_id=538"},"modified":"2021-10-05T17:00:00","modified_gmt":"2021-10-05T17:00:00","slug":"d-link-xtreme-n-gigabit-router","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.practicallynetworked.com\/d-link-xtreme-n-gigabit-router\/","title":{"rendered":"D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author: Craig Ellison
\nReview Date: 3\/26\/2007<\/i><\/p>\n

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Last fall, I reviewed the top-of-the-line\u00a0D-Link RangeBooster N 650 router<\/a>. I loved all of the configuration options, the configurable\u00a0QoS<\/a>\u00a0engine, and the extensive list of preconfigured applications in the\u00a0port-forwarding<\/a>\u00a0setup. My unfulfilled wish was for\u00a0Gigabit Ethernet<\/a>\u00a0LAN ports. The new top-of-the line\u00a0Xtreme N Gigabit router<\/a>\u00a0(model DIR-655) fulfills that wish, and adds a few other new features as well. Since the DIR-655 has an essentially identical menu system and features to those of the RangeBooster N 650, I\u2019ll just review the new features.<\/p>\n

First, and probably most noticeably, D-Link has given the DIR-655 a fresh new look. The DIR-655 has a white case and a black trim band that wraps around the case. Even the three antennas are white. Though the case tooling is almost identical to the tooling used on the RangeBooster N650, D-Link chose a glossy finish for the DIR-655 rather than the matted finish found on its predecessor. Whether or not this is a nod to Apple\u2019s color scheme, the new case color is a welcome change from D-Link\u2019s traditional color schemes.<\/p>\n

Setup and Configuration<\/strong>
As with other D-Link routers, the DIR-655 arrives with a piece of yellow tape across the four LAN ports that instructs you to run the CD first. The CD has a step-by-step wizard that walks you through the basic configuration. It asks whether you’re replacing an existing router or installing the router as a new device. The wizard then branches to animated instructions that tell you how and where to plug in the cables, and when to unplug and power up the cable\/DSL modem and the router.<\/span><\/p>\n

When I finished the fifth step and clicked on \u201cNext,\u201d I got an error saying that the setup wizard didn\u2019t detect a supported D-Link router. This looks like a minor QA glitch that I\u2019m sure that D-Link will fix. For my setup, however, it didn\u2019t matter. By the time I received this error, my connection to the Internet was established and the router was working properly. I did, however, have to manually configure the wireless settings.<\/p>\n

The Laptop Side<\/strong>
Naturally, D-Link recommends that you pair the DIR-655 with its\u00a0<\/span>Xtreme N Notebook Adapter<\/a>\u00a0(Model DWA-652) for optimal performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to the installation of the DWA-645 RangeBooster N, I\u2019m sorry to report that the installation wizard for the DWA-652 is a step in the wrong direction. The RangeBooster N wizard gave you a choice of using the Windows Zero Config wireless client or the D-Link Wireless Connection Manager. D-Link\u2019s Wireless Connection Manager, which doesn\u2019t co-exist nicely with Windows Zero Config, does provide some additional useful information about neighboring wireless networks, such as operating channel, security and signal strength.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, the installation procedure for the DWA-652 eliminated the step that offers you a choice. The notebook adapter installs properly, but defaults to Windows Zero Config. The D-Link connection manager appears in the system tray anyway \u2013 until you run the cursor over it. Then it disappears. And if you try to launch the connection manager, the same thing happens again \u2013 the connection manager icon appears in the system tray until you mouse over it.<\/p>\n

I knew how to fix this, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to see how D-Link\u2019s 24\/7 tech support handled the problem. After a short wait on hold, I got a level one technical support agent. He had me try the usual things \u2013 uninstalling and reinstalling the driver, and downloading the driver from the Web site and reinstalling that. (The driver on the Web site was the same version, but I went through the exercise anyway). When these attempts at fixing the problem failed, he assigned a case number and passed me off to level two tech support.<\/p>\n

After another short time on hold (less than five minutes), a level two technician took my call. She had me deselect \u201cUse Windows to manage my wireless connections,\u201d and then, through the services control panel, stop the Windows Zero Config service and set its startup mode to manual. Of course, this solved the problem.<\/p>\n

The bottom line? D-Link\u2019s tech support was able to resolve the problem in a reasonable length of time, but this is a problem that should have been handled at level one. More importantly, since the installation worked so well for the DWA-652\u2019s predecessor, QA seems to have dropped the ball by releasing this installation wizard. Hopefully, D-Link will fix this problem with a patch.<\/p>\n

What Else is New?<\/strong>
In addition to the new case color and the Gigabit LAN Ethernet ports, the DIR-655 includes a feature named WISH \u2013 Wireless Intelligent Stream Handling. When enabled, WISH will prioritize wireless traffic according to three built-in priority classifiers:<\/span><\/p>\n