I've been a Linksys broadband router user for some time now, first with a 4-port hardwired unit, then upgrading to a BEFW11S4 V.2 wireless 11mbps model. Now that I'm moving to a larger home with lots more area to roam with the laptop or Ipaq handheld, a faster rate seemed in order- the $79.99 after rebate deal on this D-Link DI-624 AirplusXtremeG router.
I had always assumed D-Link to be the lesser product versus the Linksys line, but this router has changed my mind! The DI-624 is a very impressive router, combining a superb set of features with an easy-to-use interface. For $80!!
I must admit I can't run a full shake-down of the router's performance as of yet, since I don't have a broadband connection at the moment, but I can tell you about its interop with older 11mbps hardware and the features it has.
Wire-speed LAN switch functionality I assume is pretty much a given these days, and to that end, the DI-624 does 10/100 and notably, with Auto-MDIX capability, which means it can automatically correct for tx/rx pair reversals on network cables. You can use your normal Cat5 or crossover Cat5 cables, no problem. Haven't verified this, but D-Link says it's in there. As one would expect, the unit will serve as your DHCP host too. I use a Minolta Magicolor 2300DL color laser with LAN capability and I must note the DI-624 was able to properly set up DHCP with it where the Linksys router failed.
Enough with the boring stuff. The web interface of the D-Link really sets it apart. It is both graphically pretty and comprehensive. It is pretty easy for the typical user to use the wizard-based setup, but the really cool features take a bit more know-how, and they're there to be used! But unlike Linksys, who says "ask someone else how to use our advanced features" - D-Link actually includes HTML documentation embedded in the router that covers these functions. Granted, you might need a few encyclopedias' worth of docs to fully cover the features, but it does a pretty good job. And they're not linked to a remote website, they're built into the hardware (I like this since I'm off broadband for now).
Some things out of the ordinary: it can access an NTP server to set its internal clock. It can run virtual servers on the WAN side, scheduled to this clock. It logs traffic statistics of the LAN, WAN, and Wireless connections. It supports VPN, multiple concurrent sessions, even, via PPTP pass-thru and IPSEC pass-thru. It can clone your PC's MAC address with the click of a button, so pesky ISP's won't notice you have a router instead of the old direct-to-PC connection.
It logs within itself, including system activity, debug info, attacks, dropped packets, notices, and can send email to an admin address to report logs. It can save its settings to your hard disk, and of course load them. It has a PING utility built-in to test the WAN connection.
It has extensive gaming support, allowing applications that use multiple simultaneous connections to work normally. You can configure it to block certain domains from your kid's computers, MAC-address filtering, LAN IP access to the WAN, etc. The filter settings are very, very extensive.
Of course, all routers with complex filter settings, particularly $80 ones, are probably going to see some performance hit as the rules get more complex, it just takes more processor time to run them all. However, most users won't get a WAN connection over 1.5Mbps due to cable modem/DSL limitations, so this may not really factor in. Given how fast the built-in web server works, I suspect there's a lot of horsepower under this hood.
Speaking of hoods, the slim design of the DI-624 allows horizontal or vertical mounting, and D-Link was thoughtful enough to include screws for wall mounting.
Regarding interop, the DI-624 works fine with the Linksys CompactFlash 802.11 WCF11 card, using 128-bit WEP encryption. Of course it works well with the D-Link DWL-G650 54Mbps Cardbus card.
