D-Link DI-604 Broadband Router Review

It happens to the best of us—too many devices demanding easy access to the internet and each other. Yes, wireless is here and wonderful, but sometimes it’s just easier to use a wired connection.

A modem is woefully inadequate once you have more than a mere computer seeking a meaningful connection to the outside world. If you want a workhorse router with advanced features and reliable connection, the Dl-604 by D-Link is a great option—provided you don’t need wireless, and in no time at all you’ll be surfing, checking out mobile phone deals online or just chatting with friends, with no worry about modems and botched connection speeds due to sub-standard hardware.

 

D-Link, the worldwide leader in innovative home and business networking, sets a new standard for broadband router performance and price with the new Express EtherNetwork DI-604.

Specifications
Standards	IEEE 802.3 10Base-T Ethernet IEEE 802.3u 100Base-TX Fast Ethernet IEEE 802.3 NWay Auto-Negotiation
VPN Pass Through/Multi-Sessions	PPTP L2TP IPSec
Advanced Firewall Features	NAT with VPN Passthrough (Network Address Translation) MAC Filtering IP Filtering URL Filtering Domain Blocking Scheduling
Device Management	Web-Based – requires at least Microsoft Internet Explorer v5 or later; Netscape Navigator v4 or later; or other Java-enabled browsers.
Media Access Control	CSMA/CA with ACK
LEDs	Power WAN Local Network—10/100
Operating Temperature	32°F to 131°F ( 0°C to 55°C)
Humidity	95% maximum (non -condensing)
Power Input	External Power Supply DC 5V, 2.4A
Safety & Emissions	FCC UL
Dimensions	L = 5.6 inch (142mm) W = 4.3 inch (108.8mm) H = 1.2 inch (31mm)
Weight	0.44 lbs (200g)
Warranty	One Year

The DI-604 combines the latest advancements in chip technology, low-cost design and manufacturing with new, feature-rich firewall and network management controls to give you quite possibly the most advanced, yet affordable Ethernet router to date. The Cable Diagnostic Utility feature is the latest utility included in the DI-604 for diagnosing cable connection problems with the wired Ethernet cable. This feature can indicate to users which Ethernet cable connected to the router has problems, identifying where and what the problem is.

The DI-604 is ideal if you’re creating your first home or small business network, or if you’re a more advanced user looking for additional management settings. A simple, yet intelligent, web-based setup wizard makes the DI-604 easy for anyone to quickly and securely connect computers to share a high-speed Internet connection, files, resources, games or just to communicate.

The DI-604 has an integrated 4-port switch with 10/100 Ethernet ports for directly connecting up to four computers. And one Ethernet cable is included with the DI-604, just to get you started.

The Dl-604 is easy to connect to your Internet source and up to four devices. Included in the box is everything you need for at least one device, assuming you start with a cable or DSL modem connected to one computer. Aside from the router itself, there is a CAT5 Ethernet cable, power adapter, upright stand, QuickStart Guide, and PDF manual on a CD.

After connecting the router to a modem it finds an internet source within a couple seconds and illuminates the traditional Wide Area Network light. Devices come online just as fast; Windows and OS X computers receive IP addresses with no fuss.

But what about the important things, like an Xbox 360? They also connect flawlessly. While testing the router I never had to reset it or the Xbox 360 at any time to make a connection. We’re talking weeks here. Multiple consoles (and 2 Xbox 360s and 1 Xbox 360 with PlayStation3) shared the connection to play online multiplayer games at the same time. The router dealt with simultaneous traffic fine with no discernable difference between playing with one or many consoles. Even though almost all routers work with Xbox Live, I like how the DI-604 proclaims it proudly with the official Xbox Live Compatible logo. I sleep better at night, confident that there is inter-product harmony.

Everything should connect easily, but if it does not there’s a handy Wizard that helps users specify settings like static IP addresses to get everything up and running. After that, it’s up to you to explore any of the advanced features.

IP addresses handed out by the router can be changed as can the subnet mask. One computer can be given internet access while all others are only allowed to communicate on the Local Area Network. A decent hardware firewall is included with customizable rules, but the router is also made to interface with ZoneAlarm Pro (a trial offer is sometimes included). A history of connections is even kept along with basic stats about the volume of traffic.

The D-l604 looks most at home in an office setting, with a utilitarian design that manages to fuse flashy silver with mottled gray and sprinkle it all with teal. Fashion-conscience living room designers may object to its clunky form existing next to a next-generation console, plasma HDTV and stylistic media center.

The front features a power-indicator light as well as ones for WAN and four LAN connections that all show link and activity. The bright green isn’t overwhelming in a dark room and is inconspicuous when placed in an array of other electronics featuring their own bright spots. I really like that the power brick is vertically oriented to it fits comfortably on a crowded power strip.

The router performs admirably and looks inoffensive in an office or casual setting. However, with more devices using or demanding wireless internet access, the value of this router in a home is questionable.

That being said, it would be an ideal back-up router or perhaps a nomad, traveling to LAN parties and facilitating easy and fast connections with consoles and computers. It will even provide those extra ports suddenly needed when different consoles coexist and every member of the family wants their own computer. It’s also useful if you have two main rooms with internet devices that all want Ethernet and you don’t want to wire the cables throughout your house. Just keep the wireless router next to the cable modem and run a lengthy cable to the Dl-604, which doubles as an excellent 4-port switch. The DI-604’s prime time may be passing, but there will always be uses for its solid performance and no-nonsense connections, not to mention a switch that transforms into a router whenever called upon to serve.

So, whether you’re a college student who wants to network with friends and roommates, an executive working at home or in a small office, or a concerned parent who just wants to have more control over how your children access the Internet, then the D-Link Express EtherNetwork DI-604 is the networking solution for you, even if you don’t know anything about networking.

	REPORT CARD : D-Link DI-604 Broadband Router with 4-Port Switch category rating comments Quality 3 The housing is adequate, it doesn’t produce a lot of heat, and the network throughput is fine for home use. Innovation 3 It is a basic router with web-configurable interface and pretty standard features. Performance 3 Standard throughput for typical home network traffic. We tested this on the OCMS fat-pipe, and it dropped 60% of the traffic… not for commercial use. Installation 5 Very easy to get up and going. Supports Xbox Live! Value 4 Good price if you don’t need wireless. For just a little more you can get a wireless router if you need it. If you don’t need the routing capabilities, then just get a cheap $20 10/100 switch. FINAL VERDICT: 4 out of 5 stars