Derrick
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Seems like the router is not just a router anymore
If you thought routers were boring old beige boxes, then think again. D-Link recently announced this rather interesting device, aimed at changing the way we use and think of our routers.
At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is some type of digital photo frame. Well, you would not be completely wrong. The 3.2-inch LCD seems like a rather unconventional feature to add to a device of this nature; but if you keep in mind that the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router also sports a 2.5-inch hard drive bay, then you should be able to see where this is going.
This device features all the specifications you would expect from a D-Link router. This includes an 802.11n access point (with two internal antennas), QoS Engine, and two USB ports for sharing a printer or USB flash drives over the network. There are also all the security features you could wish for, available to you when you log into the Web interface hosted on the device. Once you have configured an ADSL modem in bridge mode, connected it to this device’s WAN port, and connected to the Internet, what else could you expect? Well, for one thing, the Statics screen viewable on the 3.2-inch LCD will give you details on your wireless, network, and Internet traffic - a great feature and one we constantly monitored during our test period with the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router.
You can also use the LCD as a digital photo frame by displaying photos stored on an optional 2.5-inch hard drive or a USB flash disc. A slight oversight here was ‘preventing’ the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router from reading online RSS feeds natively. Instead, you use a free service called FrameChannel (www. framechannel.com) to send news, photos, and other interesting information to your router’s LCD. While the service works like a charm, we still prefer the ability to pull any RSS feed natively. Another really nice feature is that this router features gigabit network ports; and even better, if you have a 3G USB modem, you can easily hook it up to the USB port on this device to share your 3G Internet connection with the PCs on your network.
Digging a little deeper inside the device’s Web interface, we were impressed to find that the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router can be set up as an FTP server that can be shared online or only on your local network. Furthermore, you can also have it download BitTorrent files without leaving your PC on. The built-in hard drive can also be used to share files and other media across your network. After a month of testing, we are impressed. About the only thing we could ask for, is a model with a built-in ADSL modem.
*Price TBA
If you thought routers were boring old beige boxes, then think again. D-Link recently announced this rather interesting device, aimed at changing the way we use and think of our routers.
At first glance, you would be forgiven for thinking that this is some type of digital photo frame. Well, you would not be completely wrong. The 3.2-inch LCD seems like a rather unconventional feature to add to a device of this nature; but if you keep in mind that the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router also sports a 2.5-inch hard drive bay, then you should be able to see where this is going.
This device features all the specifications you would expect from a D-Link router. This includes an 802.11n access point (with two internal antennas), QoS Engine, and two USB ports for sharing a printer or USB flash drives over the network. There are also all the security features you could wish for, available to you when you log into the Web interface hosted on the device. Once you have configured an ADSL modem in bridge mode, connected it to this device’s WAN port, and connected to the Internet, what else could you expect? Well, for one thing, the Statics screen viewable on the 3.2-inch LCD will give you details on your wireless, network, and Internet traffic - a great feature and one we constantly monitored during our test period with the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router.
You can also use the LCD as a digital photo frame by displaying photos stored on an optional 2.5-inch hard drive or a USB flash disc. A slight oversight here was ‘preventing’ the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router from reading online RSS feeds natively. Instead, you use a free service called FrameChannel (www. framechannel.com) to send news, photos, and other interesting information to your router’s LCD. While the service works like a charm, we still prefer the ability to pull any RSS feed natively. Another really nice feature is that this router features gigabit network ports; and even better, if you have a 3G USB modem, you can easily hook it up to the USB port on this device to share your 3G Internet connection with the PCs on your network.
Digging a little deeper inside the device’s Web interface, we were impressed to find that the D-Link Xtreme N Storage Router can be set up as an FTP server that can be shared online or only on your local network. Furthermore, you can also have it download BitTorrent files without leaving your PC on. The built-in hard drive can also be used to share files and other media across your network. After a month of testing, we are impressed. About the only thing we could ask for, is a model with a built-in ADSL modem.
*Price TBA