Derrick
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The D-Link DIR-855 is the fastest overall that we’ve tested so far, but extreme performance always comes at a price
I’m a fan of multifunction networking devices in my own small home-office network. It just makes more sense to have one unit acting as an ADSL modem, LAN and WLAN router, and even in my case VoIP station, rather than having to chain together multiple devices for these same services.
Having said that, in the motoring world, I far prefer specialisation. An SUV with its high centre of gravity and two-ton weight penalty cannot be as
focused a driver’s tool as a small, sporty coupe, for instance. It simply can’t, no matter the engineering prowess of the manufacturer or the great gobs of power they cram under the hood. It was with that thought process in my mind that I approached this review of the D-Link DIR-855 Xtreme N Duo Media Router. Although it combines 802.11n functionality with Gigabit LAN capability, and is further loaded with a host of security, QoS, and more advanced networking features embedded in its firmware, it is not an ADSL router – the “Internet” port at the back is neatly RJ-45 sized, for a UTP connection to a standalone broadband modem. Still, as a more specialised device – as in the component of your network responsible primarily for delivering the best performance on your LAN and WLAN – the DIR-855 is undeniably impressive.
LAN is of the fully loaded Gigabit Ethernet variety, so you can finally take advantage of that Gigabit network card that is probably integrated onto your board anyway. WLAN is of course draft n specification, directed via a trio of screw-in, rear-mounted antennas, and transmitting and receiving over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. And although it eschews modem functionality, this router does provide a useful layer of control over your broadband connection as well. Automatic QoS by default prioritises more timesensitive packets (online gaming, VoIP, video conferencing, etc.) over more mundane IP traffic. There’s also a system dubbed WISH, essentially Wi-Fi QoS, which performs a similar function over the wireless link itself (by default biased towards media streaming). Naturally, there are also a bevy of security and parental-control features, including URL blacklists and the usual combination of port scanning and filtering methods.
Outright performance is undeniably class leading. With an integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi client, not even taking full advantage of the draft n specifications as a result, this D-Link router transferred a 502MB file an impressive 11 seconds quicker than the same wireless NIC connecting to the network via my existing multipurpose router. And the strength of the signal is superb: this router ‘enabled’ three-bar WLAN connectivity throughout my house, clearing existing ‘dead spots’ right up at one fell swoop.
Finally, that crisp, brightly lit QLCD display comes in handy on the rare occasion, and is mostly for harmless techie amusement. It works a treat, showing a huge array of potentially useful stats about the various elements of your network through a simple twobutton access system.
So, if you’ve got and are happy with an existing ADSL router, but are growing your own network connecting to this Internet link with high performance as a priority, the D-Link DIR-855 is the fastest overall that we’ve tested so far. We guess extreme performance always comes at a price
I’m a fan of multifunction networking devices in my own small home-office network. It just makes more sense to have one unit acting as an ADSL modem, LAN and WLAN router, and even in my case VoIP station, rather than having to chain together multiple devices for these same services.
Having said that, in the motoring world, I far prefer specialisation. An SUV with its high centre of gravity and two-ton weight penalty cannot be as
focused a driver’s tool as a small, sporty coupe, for instance. It simply can’t, no matter the engineering prowess of the manufacturer or the great gobs of power they cram under the hood. It was with that thought process in my mind that I approached this review of the D-Link DIR-855 Xtreme N Duo Media Router. Although it combines 802.11n functionality with Gigabit LAN capability, and is further loaded with a host of security, QoS, and more advanced networking features embedded in its firmware, it is not an ADSL router – the “Internet” port at the back is neatly RJ-45 sized, for a UTP connection to a standalone broadband modem. Still, as a more specialised device – as in the component of your network responsible primarily for delivering the best performance on your LAN and WLAN – the DIR-855 is undeniably impressive.
LAN is of the fully loaded Gigabit Ethernet variety, so you can finally take advantage of that Gigabit network card that is probably integrated onto your board anyway. WLAN is of course draft n specification, directed via a trio of screw-in, rear-mounted antennas, and transmitting and receiving over both 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands simultaneously. And although it eschews modem functionality, this router does provide a useful layer of control over your broadband connection as well. Automatic QoS by default prioritises more timesensitive packets (online gaming, VoIP, video conferencing, etc.) over more mundane IP traffic. There’s also a system dubbed WISH, essentially Wi-Fi QoS, which performs a similar function over the wireless link itself (by default biased towards media streaming). Naturally, there are also a bevy of security and parental-control features, including URL blacklists and the usual combination of port scanning and filtering methods.
Outright performance is undeniably class leading. With an integrated 802.11g Wi-Fi client, not even taking full advantage of the draft n specifications as a result, this D-Link router transferred a 502MB file an impressive 11 seconds quicker than the same wireless NIC connecting to the network via my existing multipurpose router. And the strength of the signal is superb: this router ‘enabled’ three-bar WLAN connectivity throughout my house, clearing existing ‘dead spots’ right up at one fell swoop.
Finally, that crisp, brightly lit QLCD display comes in handy on the rare occasion, and is mostly for harmless techie amusement. It works a treat, showing a huge array of potentially useful stats about the various elements of your network through a simple twobutton access system.
So, if you’ve got and are happy with an existing ADSL router, but are growing your own network connecting to this Internet link with high performance as a priority, the D-Link DIR-855 is the fastest overall that we’ve tested so far. We guess extreme performance always comes at a price