D-Link DI-604 Broadband Router Review

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