DLink Xtreme N Gigabit Router Model 655: First Look

I’ve never had much luck with wireless routers.

Case in point: I’ve been through a total of 4 routers within the past 5 years. I’ve tried Linksys, Netgear, and Cisco routers in the past, and they have all been consistent in failing a year or so after purchase. The last router I owned, a Cisco WRT54GS2, died a mere 3 months after the 1 year factory warranty expired.

All 4 routers I have owned worked great out of the box. Over time, though, intermittent failure would creep in. First, it would be an occasional dropped network connection. Then, in conjunction with intermittent signal droppage, the wired connections would start to lose connectivity, requiring several router resets in the course of one day. This pattern is exactly how my latest Cisco WRT54GS2 router failed.

Fed up by the whole experience, I went to my local CompUSA to purchase my very first-ever D-Link router: a Xtreme N Gigabit Router Model 655, to be precise.

I paid a little over $70 for this router, which is a bit more expensive than the previous routers I have purchased. The feature-set that attracted me to this product was threefold: 1) the availability of 4 GigE wired ports on the back of the router, 2) the inclusion of a USB port for network storage, and 3) 802.11n compliance.

Inside the box were three detachable antennas, the router itself, a power adapter, a mounting stand, a 3′ Ethernet cable, a Quick Start document, a CD containing drivers, and a manual.

A few notes on this router. I purchased it for use with my Macintosh set-up. The router itself is advertised as being compatible with both Windows and Mac systems, but the included drivers on disc are for Windows only.

The D-Link Model 655 router can be configured via the web, and overall, I found the web interface to be fairly easy to navigate. The only issue I ran into, at first, was locating the network security settings. I eventually found them; they were buried a few levels within the main configuration window.

Setting up the hardware itself was a plug-and-play affair.

Of particular note: The router can be mounted horizontally or vertically. Being impulsive, I didn’t bother consulting the included Quick Start guide. The front of the D-Link 655 has blue indicator lights, showing network connectivity, as well as individual port activity.

The back of the unit was clearly marked; a particularly nice touch for networking novices.

I didn’t have any problems configuring the D-Link 655, it was about as easy to configure as the other routers I’ve owned in the past.

Network performance with the router attached seemed to be in-line with my expectations. I don’t have any quantitative tests to measure its performance (suggestions on router testing methods would be greatly appreciated), but in my subjective usage over the past day or so, the D-Link 655 seems to feel fast in downloading files, streaming videos and surfing webpages. One factor that remains to be seen is how long the unit will last. Time will tell, I suppose…

-Krishna

Krishna October 16, 2010 D-Link DIR-655 Extreme N Gigabit Wireless Router, DLink Xtreme N Gigabit Router Model 655, router reviews